The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-02

In the hrst place. the weight OF Now YORK
debutante is reported to exceed that Of her Bos-
ton rival by about stone, while II il itself ex-
ceeded by that Of u well-nurtured English bcllo
in nearly the same ratio. There arc connois-
seurs who hold that tho beauties OF Manhattan
have Just flesh enough seeing that il looks
sound and wholesome. rudy with abundant.
swift-crculating blood, tense and firm, too.with
duo development OF the muscular tissues.
Their nervous system is credited with
| the sensitiveness OF fine race horse.
though not with his elasticity. be-
ing occasionally constrained to atone for six
hours excitement by twcnty-four OF torpor.
| Their features may be irreRular-at least we
miss that straight line from brow 10 nostril.
still remarked in some OF the Greek ISLANDERS
but they are rich In piquant curves. Assuredly
New York girls are quite othor than the naccid.
fragile. flabby creatures that Mrs. Trollope aud
Charles Dickens report their mothers TO have
been still that indolent diurnal promenade over
a mile or two Of pavement and that dawdlnR I'm
| side saddles have little In common with the
! vigorous exercise OF English demolselles. and
II is therefore the more surprising that the lat
ter should be found TO fall 80 far short OF Knick
! erbocker maids In grace OF carriage and walk.
Not that superiority in these respects can DO
ascribed to all American women. the ladies' OF
certain Atlantic capitals being charged. not un-
SO much for our debutantes physical graces.
The inventory Of her intellectual charms may
| provo less satisfactory Her education. such as
| It is. has been obtained In the class rooms OF
a boarding or day school. the governess system.
which Is almost universal with the upper mid
die class In England having seldom found
favor among Americans OF approxlmatve sta
ton. II. as some pedagogucs affirm. tho studies
OF young people are useful in proportion as
they discipline the reasoning faculty and gene
rate the power OF concentration then. perhaps.
she might as well have abiured books altogether.
But while Of mental training In the rigid acad-
emic sense she may have but little. she Is an
adept In mental frittering. and has gained a
pretty habit OF sham and smatter. admirably
adapted to fltful corruscaton. or mere informa-
ton. moreover scientific or historical. she has
| picked up quite enough 10 escape the imputation
| OF ignorance In average drawing room CONVEX
eation She has also read little poetry. and al
most certainly retains some OF the commonplace
OF current criticism Another thing she has
learned to do-read French at sight. and speak
It, too. with sufficient nuency-and in this re-
spect unquestionably she has the advantage OF
her brother. who despite his college diploma
10 rarely able to construe Latin. much less
| Greek. beyond the range OF his wel-thumbed
text books. II the mastery OF another tongue
/ - '''NNA nv " NAiSNN W. SN' 1NNhe
lady anything beyond the mysteries OF the
| French novelist. we might incline to congratu-
! late her more heartily on tho achievement. but
| II would seem tho poets and essayists OF
| France are seldom known 10 her On the other
hand. our girl graduate can In all likelihood
read simple music huently and touch the piano
with considerable precision. rendering the
waiHes oil Strauss. or possibly an etude OF Cho
pin with something like the exasperating cor
RICHNESS oil barrel organ.
Now we must remember that II the mistress
OF these accomplishments marries q merchant
and merchant or broker is normally the best
match attainaole In Manhattan society," which
long ago outgrew the Phlladelphian prejudice
In favor OF the relatively impecunious probes
sions-there are nine chances in ten that she
will at one epoch or another OF her life be sub
lected TO privations, II not to poverty. IL Is
somewhat difficult. however. TO discern her
qualifications to AFFORD assistance in the hour
OF her husbands inevitable reverses. In other
words. her education has with some inscrutable
design been modelled upon that OF English ladies
OF distinction who are expected to marry coun-
try gentlemen possessed OF entailed estates
and to spend their days in an impregnabo
position TO which the mutations OF our
commercial world present perfect anti
thesis. Nevertheless. as we have no lean
INK 10 ea'lro' anu are mercy Hhlhk III u
serene compliment mood to evolve a fact or two.
we may aHrm with confidence that American
girls while they really had no prctext Tor adopt
ing such system nave accomplished rather
more with II Than their English cousins, being
usually oe'ter informed and less stolldly I'M
pervious 70 novel Ideas 30 too the wit and
! NNacNy OF frehch women fascinating as they
seem VIII oe iouhd 10 play WITHIN very mar
row range what passes LOT culture among tue
maiuens ana matrons oil New YORK being after
al Wluer ana deeper thihg thah converts and
pensions can supply
Being then what nature and training have
made her. a pretty graceful winsome rather
trivial thing. relatively no worse than other
women. but possibly an Indifferent eomrado for
man with brains the marriageable damsel OF
Manhattan approaches her FIRST season. or ono
thing we may be- sure. that tho costumine and
stage business OF the debutante will be effect
lively done. Probably the coming out will take
place at Demonico's rooms. since you may
almost reckon on your fingers the private
houses adequate in both size and arrange
ment to a frst-rate ball. We believe that.