New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-03
SOUIffERN GIRLS.
Hc'en campbell in The Boston Herald.

IL IL useless to bring Northern standards to bear
III snch Judgment. The Southern girl of to-day
owes her chief charac to forces in motion
100 years ago The delicate hands owe their
dltnplrS ana baby-like sOftDrsS to generations of
immunity from any personal labor. The tiny feet
have snail knowledge of the uses of feet and
faltrr if urged to "A walk of n mile The Slender
figures are corsetcd and made still more slender in
Z fashion now happily nearly unknown for the
North and from habyhoo ny, dccacy. fragty
hepcSsnesS are taught rs the proper expression of
vomanhood-thc only expression that can insure
the interest or sympathy Of manhood. The first
duty OF every woman from childhood on is to make
.ne los' Oh every personal attract ION. Paint and
powder are brought into reqnisition long before
grlhood is passed. and with the love of colors and
even the first families Of Virginia have u slightly
Bowery or shop-glsl expression, which they, how
ever, womb he me last Ia recognize Tine slender
hands are loaded with rings of varying values: cold
CHAINS, lockets and every imaginable possibility of
Rlt ana tlnS"l Tor HAIR or general ornament make
the breakfast table in large school more sugges-
tive OF an evening party than Of quiet work the
simplicity Of genuine l,irlhood. Each o.c bears
VITA her an immense " Stat sunhonnet ;" into whose
depths no ray of sun can reach, and which helps to
Southern mind Brilliant coloring. or The least tenn
dcncy toward cm5onpcipt, deadly offences
against the unwritrn but powerful code under
whose laws AL women must come. There are rX-
ceptlons. 81 course, but my generalization comes
not from the knowlc edge of few here and there
but from long watching of many representing tho
schools. IN which the chief aim he to give
n many snowy accomplishments rs possible and
rush each one through the course of study quickly
enough to allow graduation at sixteen or seventeen
SWcet-voiccd, supple graceful creatures. the most
OF them. with curious self -posScssion and VET a
certain timldlty and shrinking which gives an in
dcScribable charm. There il little or no selire-
hancc-nonc of the sturdy qualities, the ownership
OF which Is stamped upon the Mort bern. and csnec-
ally the NeW-England girl, lucfaccably. To reason
with a Southern grl is a useless and homeless un,cr
taking. The emotional nature. str )ng in any ease
II cultivated 10 the highest pitch. They ARE full of
sweet and generous impulses; aifcctionatc and
ucinohs'ratlNc 10 excess; passionate and ENJOYING
their own capacities for Storm and the calm that
follows storm, Cllnging. 'dcpendent. Conservative
~ f1Itr1t f.l1..t l,.tst.. 4
ing old ways simply because they axe Old and with
Il Wild and passionate loyalty to every southern
You may know what type of women these girs he,
come, and how slow must be the process which un-
does the work of generations.
These gentle, emotional women have few or no in
tercss beyond Their own or their neighbors houses
W nav thr word IL dong means 10 them nothing and
less than nothing Their religion is that of their
fathers and their fathers fathers Their mental
food is in magaz ines like Fdak Lesiics or Petersons
lhry glory IN the encyclop;ei lie winnowings which
make up Miss Evans's novels and buy them from
admiration! of her learning, aud because she is Il
daughter OF the sunny South" And thcs.
daughters are providing mole and more fnrnitur,
for book-Shclvcs some 800 names being found in \
dictionary OF southern authors unknown. save in n
few notable Instances, beyond Mason and DiX0n's
line.
Their knowledge of politics sums mp in the STATE
mcut made with flashing eyes that they hate
Radicals that term not used, at the North in
religious sense. but applied solely to any North
The bitterness OF the early days is still strong
yelled and half forgotten, but showing its face at
conings. They suffered cruelty, ana one pitcs the
inevitable SORROW and Hardship of that hard and
sorrowul time. and admircs too the courage with
which changes have been forced. Bat one crows
hot with Indignation at the cold and cruel inditlcr-
encc 10 what our own people bore at the forrei
ness that wives were widowed and mothers left
childicsS with lis also ut the utter ncapacity of
understanding, and heart ard soul, of men and
women. TOO, who's" own suffering has not taught
them the lesson of all suffering charity and pity
and iorhcarancc toward all created things
The lie thus far given IL that of the country
alone. The city holds much the same type modified
by different conditions. Tho Southern woman of
society is very charming, often finely ACCOMPLISHED
ana always with Il cordial grace and courtesy even
to her own SEX They pose little. il is true; their
loNe OF appreciation Is u passion; they dcvour com
plimcnts with the undisguised relish of a child for
sugar punis and, as with their country sisters The
handspring of all thought and life is marriage mar
riagc carly, and marriage often, If widowed at an
early enough date to still be fascinating
In short, tho faults of Southern women ara pro
ciScly the faults of uncducated and unue yclopcd
women the world over I" To be Il coulletto in every
movement and action Is the study of thrcequarters
of the female population of the globe :" and If CO.
quctte be too strong II word for the mass their own
adjective ranks next distinctive of ali the SOUTH
crn desires in man, woman child. SO sweet is the
characterization ono hears of everything desirable
and the woman who thinks of something else than
her foot or her hands the prettiest thing to be
said next, runs the risk of hearing
Yes but somehow she isn't sweet, you know