The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-12
OUR AMERICAN GIRL.
How She Compares With
Those OF Europe.
MORE BRIGHT AND RUTHFUL.
Characfa ristics of Euglands Daugh-
tiers They Can Teach Our Girls
Some Things Worth Learning.
MORE BRIGHT AND TRUTHFUL
Copy lighted, 1888. J

American girls as compared with the
French, Italian, and English. This
matter l propose to treat as well as l
can in brief article. 1t is a delicate
question, but do not intend to dodge
it. to pick phrases. or in any way seek
to hunor national prejudices or indi-
vidual conceit. Yet shall speak in all
love, as in all sincerity
American 20 ng ladies of good
society ar. bett.r educated, mentally
and morally, than the French and
Italian glrls-are m IRE frank and truth
full; are more amiable and less polite
more knowing and less deep, more I'M
W rldly and less devout. They are
brighter, smarter, more piquante and
vvacious then English girls, and would
be much prettier had they in face and
tUrnI-the warm. pure coioring, the
firm. full contours in short. the bloom.
l. e glowing. aoound!ng hea tn of h
daughters of 1.-THE snug little ISLE" This
as general thing the American girls
lack and always will. as long as they
abstain from long walks, imprison their
waists in tight corsets. and their feet in
tight shoes, bake or simmer in mon
strouSlv over-heated rooms. ard riot
ously indulge in confectionery. An
English gentleman, a middle aged NJ
P, once told me that on his first visit to
America, a young Cuntrywoman of
mine kindly gave him some memoranda
to aid him in sight seeing and shop
ping in New York. ending to his great
amusement. with this important di-
rection, "For candies, go to Huyler's."
For some years past thu supposed ty-
p;cal and representative American girl
has been very popular in certain
fashionable London circles; her fresh
ness, her originality, her gayety, her
inderendance, not to say audacity. fur
nishing frequent sauce for jaded So
al appetites, on which the modest airs.
the staid good breeding, the grave
cheerfulness and quiet reticence of
English maidens have palled.
I must say that l hare been
thoroughly astonished at hearing quoted
as good things" some of the lively
sallies of these same young American
"high-dyers 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 graciousiy applauded proves
the power of beauty and fashion. TO
young Englishman, who ha been
retailing some of the audacious bon
nOfS of certain transatlantic belize"
and describing some of her startling
eccentricities, l said, us it possible
that you prefer girls of that style to
your sisters for instance ?r mo, not
exactly, but to other fellows sisters,
yes. They take ones breath away oc-
casionally, especially when they are
talking TO crowd, saying stunning
things in a peculiar American tone, you
know; but they are original; they give
one new sensation; in short, they are
.wfully jolly"
On the closing night of Mr.. Irving's
last London season, l had tho ILL
fortune to be seated in Lyceum stall
Just in front of fair CountryWoman of
this descriptian. She was young. pretty.
and stylish" hut in conversation she
was silly and lawfully" audible. All
through the eatrc-actS. and every now
and then during the play, she dis
coursed with, or rather to, ''dudlsh'
youth at her right, scarce giving look.
or word to the meek mother at her
left. Her high pitched provincial voice
had remarkable carrying power. A
score of people turned to fix on her
curious or annoyed glances. but she
took all regards as tributes to her
prettiness and piquant prattle, tossed
her dainty head, and twanged away.
English girls are the most undemon-
strative and unassertive creatures living,
having IN them peculiar shyness and
holt off
selves in general society. They seem
without ambition for social distinction,
but are seldom lacking in the discharge
of any social duty. Americans priv
ileged to visit in English homes soon
recognize the peculiar household viz
tues, the gentle domestic arts and
accomplishments of English girls. We
see them assisting the mother in the
duties and cares of hospitality, but
never seeking to deprive h9r of its dig
mites. They are her Iieutenants. Their
faith in and admiration for their big
brothers may seem to US excessive |
(brothers count for so much in Eng |
land), but their filial deyouon, defer
entail, and unquestioning, is something !
beautiful and touching to such visitors
as know little except through tradition
of that antique cult. English girls are
wonderfully cheerful, If not exactly |
CHEEKY beings. 1t takes very little to
make them happy. They extract en-
joyment from the dryest sorts of enter
tsinments, such as solemn eccIesiastl-
ca contemporaries. and monster re-
c.ptlons ofscientitic societies, and those |
dull old dress parades, though mid
summer .feteS, in the ROYAL Botanical |
Gardens. The only social affair at
which the healthy cheertulness of nice
English girl is too sorely tried, is just
dancing party, when she finds herself,
through scarcity of partners. COM
PEELED for time to play wall-fower;
for the nice English girl dearly loves
to dance. Providence may not have
lowered her with dainty ieet. and the
British shoemaker may have wrought
her cruel wrong. but she adores a bali
all the same. She is dressed for it in
the traditional white gown, with low
neck and short sleeves, is frilled and
fiounced and Powered all over, and i.
a pretty, pathetic figure as she sits be-
side her mother. silent, wistful,
respondent, and chilly. But when, at