Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-06-05
Society in Jackson's Day.
[Ben: Perley Poorel


In Jackson's first administration the
country was shocked by the appearance
of a book entitled "The Domestic Man
ners of the Americans" by Mrs. Francis
Trollope. She was bright little En-
glish woman, who had come to this
country and established bszar at Gin
cinnati, which proved a failure. So
she sought revenge and wealth by a
caricature sketch of our pioneer life,
founded on fact, but very unpalatable.
Expectoration was her pet abomination,
and she was inclined to think that this
"most vile and universal habit of chew
ing tobacco" was the cause of remark
able peculiarly in the male physiognomy
of Americans, the almost uniform thin
ness and compression of their lips. So Of
ten did Mrs. Trollope recur to this habit
that she managed to give one the i'm
preston that this country was in those
days sort of huge spittoon. She was
also much Mortified at seeing we'll
dressed men calmly remove their coats
in the theater and lavishly display the
backs of their waistcoats to the audi
ence while elegantly seated on the edge
of box. This she cured, for when,
after the appearance of her republished
book, any man attempted it, there were
always cries of "Trollope!" "Trollope!'
until the offender would resume his
coat and his seat.
Mrs. Trollope's account of evening
parties was very amusing, and she al
ways found the women herded at one
end of the room and the men at the
other. Sometimes small attempt at
music produced partial reunion; a
few OF the most daring youths, animat
ed by the consciousness of curled hair
and small waistcoats, would approach
the piano and begin to mutter little
to the half-grown pretty things who
were comparing with one another show
many quarters music they had" When
the mansion was of sufficient dignity to
have two drawing-rooms, the piano, the
little ladies', and the slender gentlemen,
would be left to themselves, and the
sound of laughter might be heard to
issue from among them. Meanwhile,
of the more dignified personages in the
other room, the men would dismally
spit, talk of elections and the price Of
produce, and spit again ;and the women
would look at each others gowns and
discuss somebody's last sermon and the
new dyspepsia pills until the time fora
massive meal arrived. That over, they
would return to the drawing room; !;
"and it always appeared to me-" said
Mrs. Trollope, quantity, "that they re.
mained together as long as they could
bear it, and then they would rise en-
masse, cloak, bonnet, shawl, and exit"
Mrs. Trollope first called attention to
the fact that the American women did
not consult the season either in the
colors or in the style of their costumes;
never wore boots, and walked in the
middle of winter with their pretty lit
tie feet pinched into a miniature slip
per incapable of excluding as much
moisture as might bedew a primrose.
Silk stockings and pointed slippers
with paper soles was the winter foot
wear of the women of the best society
in 1s2S-30. Mrs. Trollope noted that
they did not walk well, nor in fact ever
appear to advantage when in move
ment. She mentioned meeting refined
and thoughtful persons; she visited
more than one family whose manners
and conversation were cultured and
charming. But she dwelt only on the
disagreeable people and the unpleasant
happenings. They evidently over.
shadowed for her all that was lovely and
of good report.