Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-01-12

them Ito use schoo!-boy expression
in a way that would never enter the
head of an Englishwoman- An Amer
lean beauty expects to be punched
Il. e.. sent bOuquets-as a matter o.
course before every ball by at least
two or three of the young men in hel
train; she also expects them to run hel
messages. do her commissions. and. in
the most matter-of-fact way. allows
them the privilege of being general
paymasters tor any expedition or party
that may be got up. She looks on that
as the proper thing and hardly de-
serving thanks. and certainly it is the
custom of the country. and has its
origin in the chivalrous feeling that a
man should do every thing to honor.
protect and please the ladies he has
under his care. 1t must not for a mo-
ment be thought that American women
are not proud. or have any idea of
"sponging" on their friends. 1t is
simply custom which has come out
of the very independence of the women
| of America. In the Old World women
are always accompanied by their inn
mediate relations when they leave
their homes on any expedition of
pleasure. and these. of course, do the
needful as regards necessary outlaws;
hence it follows that young men are
not always expected to frank their fair
companions. Now, often in America
expeditions are got up entirely for. and
by young people, and the men of the
party naturally are the entertainers.
IT an American woman is provided
| with father. brother or husband. it
must be added that she makes them
work as hard as her adorers, and ex-
! poets them to make much of her, cater
for her amusement and help her to
the '.lovely time'' that she feels is hers
by right.
In an American family the girl of
the house is the important person. and
the father and mother practically no
where; even when they are above the
average in ability or position they a.
ways. more or less. yield the pas to the
daughter. place that she, with
mixture of common sense and calcula-
ton. takes and keeps as long as posi-
BILE. She seems to grasp the idea that
youth and good looks are fleeing pos
sessions, and that she must make as
much Of them rs possible. LIE jour est
auc ieunes, indeed. in America.
This spirit of calculation was anus
ingly displayed by a lovely little Amer
lean girl. who was seen by her friends to
devote herself day after day 10 the
study of very dry and learned book.
"History of the Early Popes"; on be-
ing asked if she was really interested
in what she read. she laughed at the
very idea, and said: "You know while
l am young and pretty no one cares
whether know any thing or not, but
the day will come when shall neither
be one nor the other. and then shall
have something to fall back on, and
people will be very glad to discuss all
about the Popes with me them" The
same little lady would neither sew be-
cause it spoilt her hands. nor walk any
distance for fear it might make her
feet large; and she owned to these
ideas SO naively that, whereas. in an
English girl. it would have appeared
the most foolish vanity. in her it only
seemed a rather calculating prudence
and desire TO make the best of her,
self.
The fact is the frivolity of American
women is mostly on the surface; but.
owing to the radical difference there
is between life in America and life in
England. the women O. the two coun-
tries have hardly any thing in COM
mon. This may sound too sweeping
an assertion. yet little consideration
will show that it is the truth. First of
all. there is no country life in Amer
lea, as we understand it in England;
there is 10 aristocracy. or upper ten.
and consequently no dependents. no
old retainers. and very few of those
duties towards their interiors in rank,
which form part of the education and
after life of many Englishwomen of
the best kind. and gives them response
bility and a sphere of usefulness quite |
unknown in America.
Of course. in old times. in the slave |
States. something of the same kind
existed; but it has practically died out |
now.
Again. American girls are not ac-
customed to the active. outdoor life of |
their English sisters. They do not
hunt; they never walk. and as a race
outdoor exercise; in fact.
they are far more French in their
habits than English l think the
climate has great deal to do with it;
but certainly. what strikes a casual
observer in America is that they are
far more foreign in all their habits and
ideas than English.
On the other hand. an American
woman will look after her household