The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-01
THE r. GIRL.
How an English Gentleman Views Her In
y Novel.

How an English Gentleman Views Her In
y Novel.
Miss Baylor, in her very clever and
entertaining novel, con Both Sides"
gives us some fine, spirited, pen pict-
ures, in which she contrasts English
and American character, and be it
said to her credit, with entire fairness
to both nationalities.
Mr.. Heathcote, and elegant and ac-
complished young E~nglishman, who
having safely eluded the wiles of the
match making British matrons with
eligible daughters, comes to America,
and Ill a charming family of Baltimo-
reans, where he is received with genu-
inc hospitality and allowed to ride,
walk and talk ad libitum with the
daughter OF the house, finds himself on
the other horn of the dilemma.
1.-THE weight OF excessive eligibility
suddenly slipped off him MIR. Heath
cote), like the albatross from theneck
Of the ancient mariner, leaving him a
thankful and happy man. In a week
he had established himself firmly at
Nh .Bascombe'sd declined to accompany
his uncle to Virginia, and definitely
settled in his W mind that he would
take the step matrimonial-the step
from the sublime, well not always to
be ridiculous. With this resolution
he naturally thought that t~hegreatest
obstacle to success had been removed;
but he was soon disillusionized. He
had already come to see that Ameri-
,an girls were very much in the habit
Of being gracious to everybody, AID
saying pretty and pleasant things,
with no thought of an hereafter; also
that they did not live with st. Georges,
HanoverSquare, orits American equiv
alent, Trinity Church, New York, stamp
ed Oh the mental retina. Miss Bas-
combe was very nice'to himself, but she
a quite as nicetoa dozen other men.
\ # TWAS quite clear that ifthere was
to be any wooing done, he would have
to do It-go every step OF the way
himself, with no assistance from Miss
Bascombe. How on earth am / to
show her that l care for her?' he
thought. Other men send her dozens
OF Eonnets, and box after box of ex-
pensive sweets, without end, and they
come to see her continually and take
her about every where, and are en-
tirely devoted to her. l wonder what
fellows do over here when they are
serious? How do they make them
selves understood when they go on this
way habitually? 1t is n most extraor-
binary state of affairs. 4 x \ *
Nothing seems to mean anything
here, it is worse than being
in England, where everything means
something. No, it isn't either.
vow that when I am at the
Clinton's, in Surrey, I scarcely dare
offer the girls SO much as q muffin,
and if | ask the carroty one, Beatrice,
the simplest question, she bushes and
stammers as if We're proposing out OF
hand. But what am | to do? can't
sing and take to %serenading Edith on
moonllt nights with a guitar and q
blue ribbon around my neck. can't
push her into the river that | may
pull her out again. ! dare say there
is nothing for it but to adopt the
American method-enter with about
fifty Others for n sort of sentimental
steeplechase, elbow or knock every
other fellow out of the way, IN the
running, work awfully hard to please
the girl. and get in by half a length if
one wins at oil. There Is no feeling
sure OF her until one is coming back
from the altar, evidently"
To have ever unintentionally drawn
this soliloquy from u rather conceited
young E~nglishman, whose attitude
toward the gentler sex had hitherto
been. to say the least, evnsive, wasno
small triumph for Miss Bascombe, who
had succeeded in bewildering and as
tonishing Mr.. Heathcote even more
completely than Miss Bijou Brown
had done his sister, when she called a
young man of her acquaintance "a
perfectly lovely fellow" pronounced
his nose "a Dream" and finally ac-
knowledged to corresponding with
twelve OF his ilk. adding that she gen
orally read these letters to Pepper"
who laughed fit to kill himself over
them"
1t is pleasant indeed to see the Amer
lean girl placed before us in n proper
light, in view OF the many caricatures
in both English and American fiction,
i'll which she has played q prominent
part. Miss Baylor places the English
daisy, Ethel Heathcote, besi' e one OF
our W American wild roses, and
demonstrates quite clearly that, with
all the freedom that our social GUS
toms permit, the Americanglr is quite
as modest, ingenious, wonlaniy and
true hearted as her English sister,
whose every action is hedged in by
conventionalities, and whose every
step is attended by u chaperon.