The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-11-01
A STUDY OF THE YANKEE.
How He Appeared at his Home TO a
Sojourning South Carolina Pro-
fessor.

From Letter By DR.. q. w. Bagby, in Il
Charleston News.
Observing in my visit to New Yor
of late years growing tendency on th
part OF its citizens TO resume the phys
cal type of their ancestors, I expecte
to find In Boston a still more marke
return to the original Anglo-Saxa
physique. In this / was disappointed
Prepossessions carry one a long way
but in this instance the opinions ha
formed were so far from being verife,
by the facts that | could not retail
them even for day. The argumen
| in my mind was that the New Englan
| der of the wealthier class, accustome,
no longer to clans and Goldfish, bu
using good roast beef and mutton, ale.
and wines as freely as a Londoner, mus
necessarily resemble him. Nothing o
the kind. For the first few days aftel
reaching Boston it seemed to me tha
both the men and the women were
singularly like Marylander$ or Virgin
ians. This thought, to a certain ex
tent true, is also a mistake, as | found
in the course of week or two. II
certain parts of the city, the people you
meet belonging to the educated and re
| fined classes have the look which belongs
to that class generally the world over.
Added to this is the New England phys
iognomy, which the Southern man so
well understands, but which is so diff.
cult to define with exactness. 1t would
be an error, however, to suppose that
this New England cast is what We have
been accustomed to think it, viz. : hard,
sharp, eager. The "snap" of the peo-
pie is less diseoverahle in their faces
than voices. The man or woman,
young or old, who looks to you so much
like Southerner ceases to have that
look the moment the word is uttered
The tone interprets the character in
stantly. You perceive that if this
person has thing to do he is not going
to do it in lazy, roundabout way. He
has a belief in himself that his face
alone does not indicate. From child
hood he has been habituated to the idea
that what has to be done in this world
to advance his individual interest must
be done by himself, at once, and in the
most direct way. He has been trained
to take care of Number One, knows how
to do it, and intends to do it all the
time.
Let it not be supposed that this self
assertion which is apparent in the
vibrant tones of Bostonians is offensive
in the least degree, except to those NOR
bidly Southern ears which cannot bear
for an instant what is called khe Yankee |
5wang. OF this twang proper l heard |
very little, although | wandered about |
the town in various hotels and public
places in search of characteristic stud
es. Nobody said " l swaow," nor did
my one in my presence exclaim 81
swan tew man, nor did | perceive in
my of the many stores which | enter
ID that quickness of closing a bargain,
II that indisposition to talk long
ime over business matter, which we
lave been taught to expect from the
people of this section. Merchants and
heir clerks were much like that class
elsewhere. Going into a great retail
Try goods store one day | found more
Jerks than customers and great willing
lessness to chat ON the part of the
ormer, and on another occasion when
he store was full the same readiness to
indulge in pleasant little confab was
manifested.
Some of my young friends from the
south claimed to have discovered a
reat many pretty girls with fine fig
res, and an entire absence of those
Ong bony extremities which are sup
'osed to be an indispensable part of the
Northern female anatomy. If did not
nd so much beauty as these young
entlemen, l certainly y did find some un-
ommonly lovely women. It seemed to
le, however, that of high-bred young
aides there was a great lack. Old
aides, middle aged ones and school girls
'ere very abundant, but thoroughbred
iris of Is and 20 and thereabout were
are. Perhaps they had not returned
rom the summer resorts. Many such
eople were out of town, as the doors
f their houses on Marlborough and
;eacon streets showed. These doors
ERE boarded up with narrow planks
ongued and grooved and painted neu
raj tint, presenting very odd appear
nee. Flat-chested, consumptive look
lg women did not see, although Twas
n the lookout, expecting to encounter
hem at almost every turn. Neverthe-
.ss pulmonary diseases must be rife,
,r they have in the suburbs a large
uilding in the midst of extensive
rounds which is called the "Consump-
yes Home" and is designed no doubt {
" those who are not rich enough to
avel abroad, or to spend their winters :
Aiken or in Florida.
One fine sunny morning, being in the
'wer part of fremont street, near the
ommon and finding the stores and side ,
alks thronged with well dressed :
omen, | ventured into a picture !
callers, who had an art gallery in the !
ear of the establishment, and took
ood look at the fair danes who
assed in and out. 1t seemed to me :
nat saw in a short time more tall and I
women than | ever saw :
efore in my life. They reminded me
the AduleS saw III GuuIoNlllS, Ald.
,me years ago. / became aware, tco, /,
nat I was inan atmosphere of culture /
r something near akin to it. Here, ,
gain, as in so many other places, young /
iris were wanting. The ladies, from /
to 35, many of them apparently I'M !
larried, who discussed the pictures !
ith their matronly friends, had /
some instances the soft, dark ;
res that we are accustomed to see in /
le South, but not so soft. so dark, or |
, large as those with which We are J
.miliar. Apparently there were as
w faxen-haired, blue-eyed women Of {
le Saxon type as we see at home, and {
lille there was color in the cheeks of {
le most of them, the roses were not SO t
eep hued as | had expected to find. Z
runettes, In the true sense of the term, !
ere almost wholly wanting, and dark !
linned men were rarely seen. One of ]
y friends from the South declared that 5
early every man he saw was ruddy in /
,mplexion. This may have been so, J
Ut / was not impressed By the fact.
he splendid looking men, tall, power
4 I,owI.a,,.o Fa..l4Iaeslxy 1roe-ad 4baf