The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-05-22

Who does not know the fearful bows
hey manage to construct behind, or their
homemade polonaisesf Who has not
'dmired the pretty birds and the sub
tantial fruits and vegetables they grace
'ully stick upon their bonnetsf Who
has not noticed the amount of false jew.
Try they adorn themselves with all over,
be in doors or out, in rain or frost, on
naked neck or arm, or over fur ana
coarse cotton tissues2 To any man who
has eyes at all, every nine out Of ten
English women are, as far rs dress Is
poor and ugly c,ricaturcs,
while nine out Of ten American-or at
all events New York-women are pic
lures. Things might have stood differ
entity formerly, but this is how they seem
70 stand now. ] have not seen yet a
bslly-ftting dress or a tasteless costume,
cven-on the negro women Of this city.
And II any objection could be made at
all to the appearance Of American ladies
it would only be that they dress too well
and too east" The majority Of those
you meet on an afternoon Of bright
day look like Paris cocottes. THIS is,
however, chiefly ssquestion Of means.
The average French lady cannot afford
to spend on her toilet half the amount Of
money her American sister seems to
have at her disposal; consequently what
is wool in France is silk here, and what
is silk in France is velvet and lace here.
The Paris cocotte, chiefly supported by
American, English, and Russian trav-
elers, becomes in this wayufbe only pos
sible competitor of the Amefican lady.
Besides no French lady, however rich,
would, when dressed rs sumptuously as
the majority Of American ladies dress
every day, venture out on foot. And
as the American ladies are very frank,
sometimes very easy hammered into the
bargain, the general impression they pro.
duce on the stranger is highly provoking.
/ am no, quite sure that, had ] still pre-
served my prochvi;ies of twenty ,eir'
ago, would not have already offered a
good many flowers or paid some other
compliment to some Of these charming
specimens of womankind. But, alas
the progress of years and the conse
qu.nt growing reluctance at getting into
a scrape cause me to abstain from any
thing of the sort nowadays. Yet thu
temptation is immense, for the Ameri
can ladies not only dress well. but, a
even the everything English-worshippinl
Dickens was compelled to Acknowledge
they are singularly beautiful Idon'
know how it happened, but l have moi
sssu.a.r-pukIve woman hure. a wa
number of them are perfect beauties
while the rest look at all events pleasing
--"-r :" ,rossess forms and hair which 81
few English ladges can boast of, ar
have the small feel aRd hands which you
would in vain look for even in the pref
test English girl.
] have been too short time here 70
form any opinion at all concering the
other side of the medal. How far the
moral and Intellectual features Of the
American woman are in harmony with
her physical appearance is perfectly OBJ
scure to me yet. In England American
morals and manners are q standing
laughing-stock, but l never knew of any
opinion being generally accepted in the
British Islands unlessit was wrong one
l won't rely upon this either. A good
many Americans themselves say that .
number of ladies one admires in this city
are strongly inclined to put personals
in the Herald after two or three look
exchanged with q stranger in the stree
or in a car. But that does net concern
me at present; it will have to b
inquired into by and by.