New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-24
WIS " f.TDR

The American world being ON the march inst.
now, We shall find nj it, head a certain we'll
known young or mEddlc-agcd matrou marshall
Ing her forces INTO country farmhou,cs into
bathrooms at Newport, into every museum.
gallery, gambling hall and church in Enropc.
Shakespeare never drew her for Shakc>pctrr
never knew her. She belongs altogether to
our day and to the States. She /, 50 di~tiuc-
lively American that Il brief study of her traits
Wlll give lis a hint OF our social virtues and
shortcomings. She has, it is true. her blood
relation IN England, hIit no win sister She i,
I'ancr, more ntIVuuS woman than her Eu.y-
l~h c"muatrIot more nimblc in brain and
body more modest. but less shy hcttcl-hu-
m"r'd hUt more apt To be ignorant of the rules
OF good-brccdiug. If she is vulgar in her
speech or actions it is from Ignorance, not in
tcntion. 4 "pcrtcct lady" is her ideal r
human excellence ana VIII L. she j. striving fo
attain to it, if She should shove vou aside.
tramp on your toes, and crack vuur ear, with
her loud talk, she viii do it with the best in
tcntionS in the world. Hen English congcncr
Is c"at'cr IN grain and fibre; She Is more ,toid
and bccty If She is in>olcnt and arrogant. il
is because she chooses 50 to Lc. not bccan,c she
knows no better. The Engli,hvoman of thi,
KIND If well 10 dc, takes lien sherry, port. even
class, her beer on gin. The American is apt to be
fanatic on the subject Of temperance: She has
probably had cause to become in the past
history of husband or sons. As to th, uur,tiou
of virtue, there is little choice between tn m.
they are types. stout, solid, unattlactivc. bat
probably the best types in the world OF dcccncy
chastity, dccorum and the kindred domestic
virtues. Yet there is Il difference in shading
even here. The American has by nature more
coquctry ana desire To please; had her half
dozen limitations rs Il girl, perhaps even after
she was married, II she was beauty, She prob
ably now ANA then east eager longing chances
outside oi the domestic fold, but her first baby
cured all thai now at forty she is a. pure in
soul ana modest III thought AS In daughter;
perhaps indeed more so. The Englishwoman
fhhlIc just as VirtnouS, calls every spade, no
matter how unclcan, spade. in words which
would bring ii blush to the Americans face.
even while She is alone. She does not allow her
daughters to rt, but she gives them mcrccnary
ideas of marriage which the American would
not tolerate, at least openly.
These solid virtues being granted her. it must
be confessed that our c0untry\voman is a most
aggressive social molccuc. She does not iii
comfortably INTO her place; or rather, she
thinks her place prrvadcS all space. She will
ioi N' YOU vi any DOuN else alone cannot
get quietly to one side of her. She feels that
she has Il genius for control. At home She
manages, and manages Wcl, her Kitchen chill
drcn, her social clique; she knows all obout her
husbands business with clients or customers
gives bm hints as To how TO deal with them.
If she is vchcmcntly religious, she sets the Girls
OF the town to teaching in Sunday -school or 10
tract distributing; she is likely to be the most
acrId of DlsScntcrs or highest of Rimalist, if
was she who raised the money to clear OF the
church debt; it is she who plunges into thc
work for church suppcrs or fires the mind of
the congregation by occasional sharp rchukr ar
advice to the clergyman or his wife, She is
however, Just as frequently to bc found wholly
outside of religious circles. Then she declares
loudly that she hates Pulitanism; the yo,mg
folks go to her house to have IA good time she
gets up Dances card parties, game summers
She arrays herself against the whole clerical
fraternity, and what with her obstinacy, rood
humor and loud talk and liking they have for
her. gets the better Of them.
These are her cmployments during thc wear
But now, i'll july and August, "A modern shcn-
herdeSS she leads her flock a-hcld. Instead nf
Il crook she Is armed with railway oulde. and
instead OF wolves she struggles with hocL
drivers, hotel clerks and waters. There is NOT
IA station nor public table in this country or in
Europe where You will not find her and her