The Portland daily press., 1870-08-27

Mr.. Justin Mccarthy, in an article in the
GALAXY, says:
I saw an American. lady in a London
drawIng-room linger behind all the rest OF the
company for the purpose OF taking up tiny
silken copy of the flag of the stars and stripes
left on a table by a child; and L saw her,
when am convinced she thought no eye was
on her press the little flag again and again to
her lips. This was no piece of affectation or
pretty acting, but genuine and irresistible
expression OF emotion. Now | cannot pic
ture to myself an English girl in New York
lingering behind TO kiss the Union jack. Not
that the English woman is less sincerely a
lover OF her country than is her American sis
ter, but because the English woman hardly
ever has a subjective or sentimental nature,
while she is taught by every piecept, princi-
pie, and influence around her, from her in
fancy upward, that wellbred women must
not give free way TO their feelings. The state
liest Oriental, the most stoical Red Indian,
could hardly be more passive creature than
an average well-bred English woman. Such
thing as sentiment is hardly known to such
a being. In all the novels or Dickens, Thack-
cray, Trollope or Charles Reade, car re-
member no heroine who ever once talks sem
timent-except Becky Sharp, Who was nall
French woman, and was, moreover, only
shamming when she turned up her green
What some bright tropic bird is to pigeon
| that in outward appearance is the New York
! girl 10 the English girl. What Rousseau is to
| Jeremy Bentham, or Jean Paul Richter to
| Lessing, that the mental character OF educat-
| ed American womanhoed is to the mental
| character of educated English womanhood.
| When some American female or male ,end dow
| ed with the true genius OF the novelist, shall
rise above the horizon OF letters, and shall de-
;In .,xtal
| girl, as Charlotte Bronte has pictured Jane
Eyre, or George Eliot has portrayed Maggie
Tulliver, new form will have been added to
literature, and Europe will the first time be-
gin to understand fully the real character. the
aspirations, and the possibilities of America
have not been engaged in contrasting
American and English women, or making a
comparison OF tn IN, in order that it might
seem disadvantageous to either. | have only
been endeavorlng to illustrate the points of
difference between the two which most deeply
impress the mind OF one who has seen enough
OF American social life 20 have got quite over
The hrst raw sensations of mere novelty and
curiosity. Let me say that think both races
OF women are at present rather hardly used
by novelists and satirists. Sunday preachers
and week day preachers ofevery kind. When
lett England the popular opinion of the
country was literally saturated with the views
the author OF the "Girl of the Period" essays
in the Saturday Rerie,o, and that authors
numberless imitators. A stranger then visit
ing England Tor the first time might have
found himself warranted in believing MESSIAH
ma fair type of the average English matron.
The first time attended place of public
worship in New York, heard sermon preach
ed by one OF the most eminent of American
divnes which painted so fearful q picture of
the WlCEplpeSS Of in, tbtc ottxy hot
might well have iancied l saw a Faustira
gazing from every bonnet around me. But
lad never believed that sort OF thing about
English sh women, and was not hlyel5, =. - 90
| of the "Girl OF tue 4Asiad D and of the low
other articles really written by rnv----..l.~ men
| was quite sincere. am sure the New Yo0ffkk
preacher was quite sincere. But both drew
absurJly broad conclusions from very narrow
premises and were extravagantly wrong.