Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-29
Misery through the mire OF the divorce

usually dry, colo affair, dull, CONNER.
cisl transaction, except when the trans
acting parties were peasants or B lhe.
mians, when there was some fun. Wher
the principals and their friends were rics
snd fashionable, there WAS q brave dis.
play OF rich apparel, diamonds and bou
qdets; the court below was crowded
with elegant equipsges; there was
everything which one could desire at 9
wedding, except happy, loving glances-
the air OF fellowship and understanding,
OF sweet trust ard tender pro.
lection, one looks for from q
young bride and q gallant groom
They rather seem Indifferent and
slightly bored. Its true that in the re-
ligious ceremony which follows the civil,
there is, at least, an effort made to sp-
pear happy aud at ease. remember see
ing fair daughter of Ofienbach married
In church, when both bride and groom
showed quite satisfactory content, II
not ela,ion. For French bride to wear
joyous mien at the altar would be con-
sidered "b I'd ioIm," while look of open
fondness cast on the stranger kneeling at
her side would be regarded as quite for
ward and premature.
Mt all young French women advant-
ageously married make use Of their tree
dom in pursuits OF idle pleasure. Those
OF literary, scientific, or artistic tastes at
tend courses ct university
lectures, join musical clubs or charitable
| associations, or paint or model, or VIC
tlm:ze their friends by amateur photogra-
phV. Ore loses herself in domestic life,
another ,Ias b art and soul In her hus-
bands purs uits. becoming his help and
| inspiration. Not ali Partisan women are
| frivolous, ss not ell Boston women are
profound. Nor do we Anglo-SAxons and
Protestants er1oy monopoly of home
virtues ard practical piety. truly be-
lieve that the great majority Of French
wives are loyal, French mothers tender,
French graEdmothers and elderly maiden
lsdies devout. "Furthermore, this de-
popent saith not" Let some one else
testify for Monsieur.
In Italy thes young girl of society can
hardly be said to be in society at all, SO
hsmpered and fettered is she By the most
watchful, Jealous, suspicious care and
surveillance. To walk alone, however,
quietly and circuHspectly, on q city
street, were an act Of startling rsshness
and eccentrici'y. laying her open to the
charge Of having been contaminated by
B1glish or American ideas and customs
F)r her to walk, drive, ride, or sail with
familiar family friend, of whatever age
or condition, but of the dangerous sex,
without chsperone, would be to fatally
compromise herself. 1t Is not even con-
sidered the proper thing for her to at
tend any place OF amusement under the
escort solely sf "big brother" as
all the world might rot know him
for brother. Her education has been
very like that OF her French sisters-per-
functory as to history and the sciences,
thorough as to religious tenets, legends,
and observsnces, and as to polite &C.
complishments. She has been nurtured
in the fear and admonition OF the priest,
and in doubt and profound ignorance of
all other men. From the hour of her be-
trothal to that Of her marriage, the guard
over her morals and manners is re-
doubled, ard such thing as an unwit-
messed tete-a-tete between her and her
affisnced husbsrd il not to be thought
Of. This Is the hsrcer, as the I!alisn
maiden, beirg more ingenious, romantic,
snd susceptible than the French
demoiselle, is often reslly in love With
her HaIce, and being less absorbed In her
trousseau, broods and frets more over
such unnatural restrictions. But the
young wife has few enough safeguards
about her-poor thing! The liberties Of
seton and association permitted by the
lax social customs of her country-the
lsxer the higher one rises in the social
scale-she is too apt to take advantage Of,
though usually with such tact and msn-
agement as to avoid gross scandal, espe-
clally when blessed with philosophic,
essy-going and let-going husband. OF
course, speak Of the average italian
lady Of society, imperfectly edu-
c.ted, possessed Of wealth, peril
Gus attractiveness, and more peril
Gus leisure. There are nobe exceptions,
even among the patliciane, though more
IN the middle clsss-womep, intellectual
and thoroughly educated, frde from the
thraldom OF prejudices. pure and self
respecting.
As for the beauty OF Itsllsn women
we'll, 1t seems to me that, Ike the eli
mate, 1t must be taken good deal on
fsith; that either the poets and painters
have always exaggerated it. or the
gods have lately "goue back" on
it In the north more comeliness
is found among the country
women, especially in compile xlon and
symmetry OF form, than among the arls-
tocracy Of cities. Ga & Hfrst night" al
the Scala, when the nobility is out in
force, you can count the rarely handsome
women on the fingers OF one hand, WIFI Q
you would have to use all your digits aud
borrow your neighbours to reckon up the
rsrely ugly. remember one bideous,
coroneted head and brown, skinny face,
one bony decollete figure, pitilessly light
ed up by old family diamonds, which all
together reminded me Of the bejewelled
mummy Of San Carlo Borrome0,
in the crypt Of the great cathe-
dral. have seen some beautiful
Young women in the south OF
I sly, especially in N,ples and Sorrento,
piiI cipally among peasants and profess
sionsl models, and in Rome, Florence and
Genoa some magnificent pAtricisn danes
who recalled the creations or portraitures
OF the old masters; but for fresh, young
beauty, commend me still to the girls of
nv own country!
We can safely pit against the old
world our nstionsl types-the brightness
ard bloom Of the north, the grace and
delicate loveliness Of the south.
GRACE GREENWOOD.
VALUE OF THE PICTURES.