The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-06-05
SOCIETY nJACKsoH's DAY.

0ar1caturs Sketch Of Our Yront1er Life.
In Jackson's first administration the
country was shocked by the appearance
of book entitled "The Domestic Man
ners Of the Americans" by Mrs. Frances
Trollope. She was a bright little Eng
lish woman, who had come to this coun.
try and established bazaar at Cincinatti,
which proved failure. So she sought
revenge and wealth by q caricature
sketch of our pioneer life, founded on
fact, but very unpafatable. Expector-
alton was her pet abomination, and she
was inclined to think that this "most
vile and universal habit of chewing to-
bacco" was the cause of q remarkable
popularity in the male physiognomy of
Americans, the almost uniform thinness
and compression of their lips. So often
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 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
crowds Of "'rrollope!" "Trollope!" un-
til 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 a small attempt at
music produced partial reunion; q few
of the most daring animated by the con-
seriousness of curled hair and small
waistcoats, would approach the piano
and begin to mutter little to the half
grown pretty things who were compar-
ing with one another chow many quar-
ters' music they had had. When the
mansion was of sufficient dignity to have
two drawing rooms, the piano, the lit
tie ladies, and slender gentlmen, would
be left to themselves and the sound of
laughter might be heard to issue from
among them. Meanwhile, of the more
dlgnitied 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 some
body's last sermon and the new dyspep-
STA pills until the time for the massive
meal arrived. That over, they would
return to the drawing-room "and it al
ways appeared to me-" said Mrs. Trollop,
quantity, "that they remained together
as long as they could bear it, and then
they would rise en- masse, cloak, bon
net, 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 little
feet pinched into miniature slipper in
capable of excluding as much moisture
as might bedew a primrose. Silk stock
ings and pointed slippers with paper
soles was the winter footwear of the
women of the best society in 1828-3O.
Mrs. Trollope noted that they did not
walk we'll, nor in fact ever appear to
advantage when in movement. She
mentioned meeting refined and thought
full 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 overshadowed for her all that
was lovely and of good report.
Perley Poore.