Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-12
Grace Greenwood Compares Her TO
Foreign Girls Better Educated,
More Truthful and Brighter.
Her Italian Sisters Mere Beautiful,
HOWever-Certsin Types OF Ameri-
can Girls in London Society,"
How Our Girls Come TO bs MisjudEed bJ
Foreigners -AcoonDlishmenGs of
English GirIs-DanciDg.
copyrighted, lsss }

way, for my opinions on American girls
as compared with the French, italian and
English. This matter propose TO treat
as well as l can in brief article. 1t ia g
delicate question, but I do not intend to
dodge it, to pick phrases, or in any way
seek to humor national preiudices or indi-
vidual conceit. Yet shall speak in sll
love, as in all sincerity.
American young ladies OF good society
are better educated, mentally and morally,
than the French snd Itslian girls-aTe
more frank and truthful; they have more
talent and less tact, are more smiable and
less polite, more Knowing and less deep,
more unworldly and lees devout. They
are brighter, smarter, more piquante and
vivacious than English girls, and would
be much prettier mad they in
face and forn-the warm pure
coloring, the firm, full contours
in short, the blooming, glowing,
Astounding health Of the daughters Of
"the snug little isle" This as general
thing American girls lack and always
will, as long as they abstain from long
walks, imprison their waists IN tight
corsetg, and their feet in tight shoes, bake
or simmer in monstrously over-hested
rooms, and riotously indulge in confec-
| ticnery. An English gentleman,a middle
aged M. P, once told me that on his first
visit to America, a young country
woman Of mine kindly gave him some
memoranda to aid him in sight
seeing and shopping in New York, ending
to his great amusement, with this I'm
por.ant direction, "For candies, go to
Huyler's."
For some years past the supposed typi-
cal and representative American girl has
been very popular in certain fashionable
London circles; her freshness, her orig
inality, her gayety, her independence,
rot 10 say audscity, furnishing q
frequent sauce for faded social sp-
petites, on which the modest airs, the
staid good breeding, the grave cheerful
NESS aud quiet reticence OF English maid
ems have palled.
must say that 1 have been thoroughly
ostonished at hearing quoted Es "good
things" some.of the lively sallies Of these
same young American "higb flyers at
fashion" 1t seemed to me that things
so rough, yet SO fat, SO senseless and
slangy, could only have been uttered by
fools, and for fools. That they have
been calmly said and graciouslY
applauded proves the power of beauty
and fashion. To young Englishmsn,
who had been retailing some Of the
kudacious bon mots OF certain
transatlantic BELIEF and describing
some OF her startling eccentricities,
said: sis it possible that you prefer girls
Of that style to-your sisters, for in.
stance?" "No, not exactly, but to other
fellows sisters, yes. They take ones
breath away occasionally. especially when
they are talking to crowd, saying stun
ming things in peculiar American tone,
you know; but they are original; they
give one new sensation; in short, they
are aWfully jolly"
On the closing night Of Mr.. Irving's
last London season, had the ill-fortune
to be seated in 8 Lyceum stall Just in
front OF fair countryWoman OF this de-
scription: She was young, pretty, and
"stylish," but in conversation she was
silly and lawfully" audible. All through
the entire acts, and every now and then
during the play, she discoursed with, or
rather to, 8 "dudish" youth at her right,
scarce giving look, or g word to the
meek mother at her left. Her high
pitched provincial voice had remarkable
carrying power. A score Of people turned
to tx on her curious or annoyed glsnces,
but she took ell regards as tributes to her
prettiness and piquant prattle, tossed her
dainty head, and Jwsnged away.
English girls are the most undemon
strative and unsssertive creatures living,
having in them peculiar shyness and re-
serve TAY OF hGlf-efzcing themselves in
general society. They seem without am
bition for social distinction, but are sell
dom lacking in the discharge OF any social
duty. Americans privileged TO visit in
English homes soon recognize the pecul-
lar household virtues, the gentle domes-
tic arts and accomplishments Of Eng
lish girls. We see them assisting
the mother in the duties and
cares of hospitality, but never seeking to
deprive her of it's dignitiss. They are her
| lieutenAnts. Their faith in and sdmlra-
ton for their big brothers may seem to Us
excessive (brothers count for so much in
Englsnd), out their flial devotion, defer
fentlsl, and uuquestiening, is something
besutiful and touching to such visitors as
| know little except through tradition OF
/ that antique cult. Enghsh girls are
wonderfully cheerful, if not ex-
sctly CHEEKY beings. 1t takes
very little to make them hsppy.
They extfsct enjoyment from the dryest
sortot entertainments, such as solemn
ecclesiastical garden parties, and mon
I ster receptions of scientific societies, and
those dull old dress psrsdes, though mid
summer fetes, in the Royal Botanical Gar
deDs. The only social affair at which the
healthy cheerfulness of nice English
girl is too sorely tried, is just dsncing
party, when she finds herself, through s
scarcity of partners, compelled
for time TO play "wsll flower"
for the nice English girl dearly
loves to dance. Providence may not
have lowered here with dainty feet, and
the British shoemaker may have wrought
her cruel wrong, but she adores 8 ball all
the same. She is dressed for 1t in the
traditional white gown, with low neck
and short sleeves, is frilled and fiounced
and lowered all over, and is pretty, ps-
thetic figure as she sits beside her moth
er, silent, Wistful, respondent, and chilly.
But when, ct last, g personable
partner sppesrs, bows, and leads her
| 10 place in o set being formed,
she smiles, she Pushes, the dimples come
aud go, her impatient foot psis the floor;
she is shyly triumphant; she is deep-down
happy-the nice ROglish girl But fond
as she is of this amusement, when there
is dancing at her own house, she will
heroically refrain, while one, Ne least OF
i 1adu 20 Iaekfpn d.