Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-12-14
Il Genuine Lazy

NtbhtcT vi tNS tFTu lab9y ac
"a woman who looks after the do
nestle affairs Of family" and
"a woman Of gentle and refined
banners" Now since the apprlla.
non is an honorable one, like these
finations for, according to these
Ir chief ladies' are TO be found
nong the yrtuous poor. Among
ne rich there ave certainly few wo-
men who, hook AFTER the domestic
affairs # the faniily, except in high
" 6gurative sense. And gentle or
'rhn"d manners are, 10 say the least
not peculior TO the rich. / have
own, for instance The wife of h
lrborer, who, like many, got his 'l,-
ing by hard manual labor not IF
mr. entertaing kind, with very
moderate allowance Of food /; nothing
hht tread and cheese foi dinner !;
no paIier< nor mullins in the morning !;
no sofas nor magazines at night; one
smal room for parlor and kitchen /;
and a large family If children always
Ia the middle of the floor" who was
seldom visited, for she had but little
either of knowIcd4e ~ ct ials, where.
with To entertain prope, who still
less frequently went out Ia visit, for
she must needs work and care for the
children, besides, she had no visiting
apparel; and "ho was yet, by the
above definitions, perfect lady, for
she did most faithfully a" !, ok after
The domestic affairs Of the family.
aud was beyond all question a wo.
man of gentle and refined manners. ="
On the other hand have seen a
woman clothed in purple and fine
linen and faring sulnptously every
day; whose house was spacious, and
elegantly furnished who had been
to college, and had read many books
and papers; who was frequently visit
ed and as often went out for enjoy
mcnt, who yet, by the eb"ve dehna-
tons was no lady at all, for she left
-" he domestic atfiirs Of the family "
to The hired girl, and her manners
were netHher " gentle v nor refined. :"
IN EngIaHl, indeed the term
lady is "a little prt+iscd to the name
OF any woman whose husband is not
ui lower rank than IA knight, or hose
father was n"bcman aot lower
than an earl !" but in our country
whrre there are neither KIN ghtS nor
raris, nor any lrN'tagrd' class
"lad,," il word that denotes char
atser rather than position, aud the
dcfniipns given at first are the only
ones applicable to American ladies.
It will be ind, r>tood then, at once
lal ih"re are very many women Of
both high aud low degree who are
not ladies' And in our country,
ialy>hip il not matter OF money
aud rank.
So when me said to me the other
day al a public meeting do You see
that lady | asked, what lady and
he replied, "that lady You'd with
tue velvet cloak AMI lhns, eLant
furs, and tha' gold chain said, !
see woman with those things on,
hut how do Won know sh" is lady :?
. o. be replied, : because she dress
es like one, and besides what elise
would yon call her?' why that dc
ponds, said I, 90 what sort of per
s,n She il but what was YOU Going
t. say about hrr? 'Why 5, id he
a merely wanted TO cal ynnr attrn
ton to the fixtures and flowers and
style" why, are you taken with
that sort of thing? "Nnt far" said
he with 4 twinkle, hu, want you
To compare her face and general cx.
preston with tina, OF ;he woman who
sits a few feet Off with last years
hat on, and an old shawl that looks
as II ii might have been her grand
mothers" | see the point, one ha>
beauty. in her clotisS; the other in
herSeT d" Exactly,' But why, said
|, do you say that "'conan from
the faces Of the two, should indg,
that the old shawl covered a rcaY
ladH while the :nrS etc, were the
very thin mask of real vulgaritv. !
accept your terms he said, "Thcrr
is most gentle and refined sou
under that shawl, | know; aud
thoueh ] don't know the other, III
We ture Hat her toggery is sim
hung out, of what is within"
Alter the assembly had scncrated