The Osceola times., 1877-05-19

.lish men are finer looking than English
women. For the dress of the men Is
notably in good taste. IL II simply
manly neat and although sober in tint
md snug iu cut, II is likely TO have it,
,eneral sobriety lightened with little
;ouch Of bright, warm color. On the
,thcr hand, the dress Of American women
is generally far, very far, inferior to that
II the women in the corresponding con-
ditions of life. This helps to produce
the corresponding mistaken notion that
the women in America are handsomer
than the men; upon the incorrectness
and essential absurdity of which ] have
already commented.
As TO another attributed superiority
Of the Yankee woman, ! must express
my surprised dissent. l have not only
read, but heard their intelligence and so
cial qualities rated much higher than
that OF their sisters in England. Fair
countrywomen, heed not this fattery.
II is not true. The typical English
womea of the upper and upper middle
clas, has in strength of mind and
in information no type counterpart
in America. She may not know
Latin, and she may, and get little good
by il; she may not be brilliant, or quick,
or sell. adaptive, and she generally is not; /;
but she is we'll informed both as TO the
past and the present she shows the effect
rather of education than Of school cram
ming, of culture inherited and slowly
acquired, and OF intercourse with able,
and highly educated and cultivated men.
She generally has some accomplishments
which she has acquired in no mere snowy
boarding-school fashion, but with re-
spectacle thoroughness. England Is full
OF ladies who paint well in water colors,
or who are musicians, not mere piano
players, or who are botanists, or who
write well, and who add one or more OF
such requirements TO a solid general ed
ucation, a considerable knowledge OF
affairs, and the ability TO manage a
large household. She really man.
ages all househould affair, troubling
her husband with no details, but
being careful 10 manage in such
way as to please him. For, rs | have
said before the wish of the master OF an
English household is the law of that
household. Notwithstanding all this, ]
have been led 10 the firm belief that hen
pccking is far more common in England
than IL is with us, and that curtain lee
lures are much Oftener delivered here
than there, "Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lee
lures" would hardly have suggested
themselves 10 an American humorist, al
though the thing itsclf-if not in its per-
lection, in it's germ-is sufficiently known
here to make the humor and the satire
of that series perfectly appreciated. And
strange TO say, the average English
husband seems TO be a less independent
creature than the American. English
wives more generally insist upon their
prerogative OF sitting solemnly up fo'
their husbands at night; and latch keys
are regarded rs personal grievance,
What American wife would think oI
making a fuss about mans having q
latch-kev? Not few OF them. indeed
have one themselves And yet have
seen an English wsman Of the lower
middle class, flush, and choke and whim'
per when the subject of the inalienablt
right of man TO latch. key to his Owr
house was broached, and begin to talk
about the worm turning when it i
trampled upon.
The devotion OF English women tt
their families, and particularly to theil
children, cannot be surpassed. believ,
that they are the best, the most self
sacrificing daughters, wives and mother
In the world except the good daughter
and wives and mothers in America, ant
even them believe they generally sur
pass in submissiveness and thoughtful
consideration. But this is the result O
the general subordination which in al
things pervades English society.
It is generally believed in England,
cannot tell why, that women in America
take part in public affairs, and are much
more in the eye of the world than Eng
lish women are. OF this belief | met
with an amusing instance. One day at
dinner in great house had on one side
of me q gentleman who had come in
alone for lack of ladies enough to "co
round;" it was small family party
He was the brother of my hostess, a fine
intelligent fellow about twenty-five year,
old, who had Just taken his bachelor,
degree at Oxford AZ turned from his
sister to him in a pause of conversation
he asked me with great earnestness, al
most with solemnity; "Is-it--true-
that-in-- America the--women-sit-'.
on--juriess" answered instantly. and
with perfect gravity: Yes; all of them
who are not on duty as sergeants oI
Dragons" For one appreciable delight
ful moment doubt and bewidermen,
flashed through his bright, handsome
eyes, and then he, as well as others with.
in earshot, appreciated the situation, and
there was hearty laugh; an ingenious
blush mantlo,l his G. ecSs-for young men
can blush in England.
The soft charm OF the English woman's
manner is greatly helped and heightened
by her voice and her manner OF speaking
In these she Is not only without an eiua,
but beyond comparison with the women
of any other people, except the few Of
her own blood and tongue in this country,
who have like voices and the same utter
ance. The voices and speech Of English
women Of all classes are, with few ex-
ccptions, pleasant TO the ear-soft and
clear; their words are well articulated,
but not precisely pronounced. They
speak without much emphasis, yet not
monotonously, but with gentle modula.
tion. Their speech is therefore easily
understood--much more 50 than that of
| narsons who speak louder and with