Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-08-28
WILDWOOD ELFS.
The Mountain Girls of Tennessee
A Pen Picture for City xseaders

| The Mountain Girls of Tennessee
A Pen Picture for City Hseaders.
Elizabeth Dudly contributes this fame.
sketch to cotemporary:
4 Since it is a common complaint tina
the railroads and sewing machines ar,
fast reducing us to one level of dull uni
formity in dress and manners, it is {
relief to know while surveying tn,
fashionable ladies in their wonderful
costumes as they promenade Fifth Ave
nue. or ride in Central Park, that foul
or FIVE days journey to the mountains O.
Tennessee would bring me among a race
of charmingly simple, unworldly maid
ems, who at this day wear the linsey
gown" which Shakespeare alludes to as
the dress of rustic women in his time,
and which Scott describes as the attire
of "Jeanie Deans"
A city belle would open her eyes in
wonder and dismay at the sight of one
of these mountain girls in her peculiar
array, which, indeed, must try to de-
scribe to our ladies, who, however, will
hardly venture to initiate a style so
unadorned
Imagine a girl Of sixteen, well grown
and developed (they mature early
there,) just the hight of the Venus di
Medici, and just as plump and graceful.
Cold water and soap are her only cos
metics she has always made plentiful
use of them, and | wish any words in
our language could properly describe
her brilliant healthy skinner forehead
so softly white, her cheek so transpa-
rently rosy, her smiling lips so crimson
and inviting.
Her head is finely shaped and well
poised, most womanly head, and round
at the back of it coiled her wavy, brown
hair (undone it would fall nearly to her
ankles), after the fashion of three thous-
and years ago. Her eyes are downcast
when strangers are near, for she is very
shy; but sometimes they are suddenly
raised, large and dark, and full of won
dering pleasure at what you are saying;
they are innocent eyes, with a look of
pure womanly sweetness that we rarely
meet in the eyes of our city ladies. But
this beautiful girl covers her head and
face and shoulders with a large sun
bonnet of colored or white calico that
completely obscures and hides her.
When men are present she wears 1t even
in the house and when sitting at the
table. She is taught that modesty de-
mands this; her father and grown
brothers are not excepted--no man
must see her head uncovered, her face
unobecured. For the same reason
(modesty) she does not sit down to eat
with any men but those Of her own fam
iIy; she waits on them and takes her
own meal when they are gone. Her
mother does the same, and covers her
head in the same manner Tin her case
you do not regret it.
!, Our mountain girl wears, as | said, a
gswn Of ''Iinsey-woolsey;" this is home
made material; she has oarded and span |
and dyed aud woven the cotton and the
wool, helped by her mothers and sisters,
and among them they make it up. In
the skirt Of her dress, or, to use her own |
language, the tail OF her gown,
(Shakspearean1, }, there are three straight /
breadths of the material hemmsd round
the bottom, and sewed TO a belt at the |
waist, winch is made as simple as posi-
BILE, with an effort TO somewhat hide the
form, which is, however, revealed in its
youthful symmetry by every movement
She makes. This gown falls about
.hree inches above the ankle, disclosing
he proportions Of Venus, with a foot
clean, pink, and most perfectly shaped,
sntirely undeformed BY tight shOes or
waking on stone payements.
have fully described the dress OF the
maid-What say cur city ladiesG
think they will not dare to copy it un-
ess they FIRST cultivate that high health
which so deyelOpes and enhsEces her
physical beauty that no accessories are
needed, and even the hideous sun-bonnet
cannot quite hide it.
/ am sure il the most blase Of city