Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-16

There is a barrier of propriety surround
ing them at arms length which it would
take a brave man to storm, Then, again
there are so many strait-laced rules con
corning courtship, if such a vulgar pro
ceeding as courtship be tolerated In higl
life, which doubt. Suppose a man-f
| gentleman-storms the redoubt and get:
inside. what does he find? More barriers.
More notices of please don t touch In.
stead of having a good time with the cir
he IS fighting for, he thinks he has won.
when he gets within reach of her. he is at
/ once brought to book about settlements
He IS IN constant consultation with hen
father or mother, often both, varied al
times by occasional conferences with the
family solicitor. If the girl has brothers
at home-and what English gentlewomar
has not?-he sees them all the time. 4
sight of the girl alone he never gets. q
chance of exclusive conversation is never
allowed. II her father or mother ism
present when he calls, one of her brothers
Is. The worst of 1t is that the girl doesn't
| mind this interference. She has been taught
to think anything else vulgar and low.
She doesnt seem to care to want to be
alone with her admirer. Englishmen
don't mind this sort of thing-when the
girl has money, of course, they wouldn't
be in attendance If she hadn't-but
can't imagine that Americans would
stand it five minutes. Accustomed to see
only ladies at home when they make even
IN ordinary call at a house, they couldn't
and wouldn't put up with the society of
the men of a family when they are raging
attention, aye, are actually engaged-(if
their pluck and perseverance and endur-
ance have carried them so far as that to
a young lady-gentlewoman, | should
say.
.Oh, you've made several slips before
this"
Have I? Well, it doesn't matter a
great deal. This is the reason-these are
the reasons why American gentlemen
don't marry English gentlewomen. 1t is
too much of a siege.
Didn't | say as much when | said it
was because they didn't ask them?" asked
the American lady.
Yes. But you implied that they didn't
because they didn't want to, not because
they are not allowed to. | believe myself
that if these 'stand-of' enclosures of En-
glish girls in high life were demolished,
and the girls themselves"
There you go with your girls again"
well gentlewomen, then. If they
were given the liberty and the latitude
and independent swing of American girls,
you'd see that not only would American
men marry them, but there would be fewer
Englishmen going to America for heiresses
for wives"
Just let me say one word, i~nterposed
the English lady; I've heard all you said,
and / agree as to the existence of the bar
riers. as O call them. They do exist,
and it is right that they should. No gem
tlewoman in England has a lover She
wouldn't know how to behave with one"
You are speaking of young unmarried
gentlewomen, ! assume" said L.
She gave me a glance, but ignored the
point when she replied:
Eyes. | am. You spoke Of girls, didn't
you? Married women are not girls. What
nonsense you talk. AS | was saying, no
English young lady-and | mean lady
would want to have a lover dangling at
her heels all day, talking rubbishy senti-
ment, and paying her silly compliments,
looking into her eyes and squeezing her
hand. She simply couldn't do it. It's
not English, that sort of thing"
Your grandmothers were English,
supposed" said I.
of course they were, with dignity.
They didn't mind it?"
Il don't know whether they did or not.
| have no desire to 90 back to their days,
all | know that English young ladies to-day
are too sensible to want sonnets composed
about their eyebrows or to have serenades
played under their bedroom windows.
They'd much prefer a good game of tennis,
a ride across country, and a sound sleep at
night. And, in my opinion, they make
better wives in consequence.
cts a pity the intending husbands
don t have some II to tell them So and
the American lady, with a danger signal
in her eye; 1T would save them a mint of
money for passages to New York. The
Cunard line would have to go into bank
ruptcy if what you say became generally
known.
'Idon't at all know what you mean, -"
replied Lady de Grand, seeking refuge
behind the wall of pretended ignorance
a very common safety resort in English
high life--as she swept magnifcently
away.
Nasty. hateful old thing" snapped
Mrs. Madison Square; shell never get
any sonnets written to her daughters
eyebrows or have %serenades played under
their bedroom windows. They're much
too homely. She needn't be afraid"
She spoke rather loud, and Lady de
Grand turned and flashed a tigress-like
look back at her.
So l changed the subject to the Shah
and the royal marriage.-San Francisco
ArUOnaut