St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-24
OUR PLAIN WOMEN,
Mrs. Stanley and Her Mother
On Their American
Sisters.
Many More Pretty Girls in
London Than in New
York.
The College Type the Best
--InartiStic Use Of the
Decollete.
A Glimpse at the Life Of the
Great Explorer and His
Lovely Wife.

Mrs. Stanley says that her "impres-
sions" of America are distinctly educa-
tional, says the New York World. She
knows much of the natural grandeur OF
the country from picturesque Amer
ica," and also from magazines. But
when some beautiful stretch of country
is approached she asks. "DoeS this be-
long to the governmental and when told
that 1t is private property and the peo-
pie are sovereign her remark is "HOw
very extraordinary The free schools
care quite remarkable in her eyes, and
their presence in every community only
increases her surprise.
Of society she has little to say.
Il do not find any difference in cult
ure. Nobility of character and refine
ment of taste belong to the world.
true gentleman is the same in England,
France, Russia and America, and a gen
tlewoman is a gentleWoman whether
she is Oh this or the other side OF the
ocean,
She and her mother had been to
number of entertainments, and, accord
ing to their standards. did not reckon
the 400 set first. They thought the
ladies were charming in their hospital
lty. but there was a vast difference be-
tween their followers.
Mrs. Stanley said: II did not think
anything of the men at Mrs. Astor's
ball. They did not compare with the
men in the literary circles and were not
the equal in polish or intellect Of the
ladies.
Il can't say that | was overpowered
by the beauty of the New York women.
at the ball there were strikingly
handsome bellies, but the average per-
sonal beauty was lower than you would
find in London drawing room. We
have young old ladies; our matrons
are perfectly radiant. You have old
young women, and your chaper0neS and
matrons are wthered and faded. 1t goes
without saving that the debutantes are
beautiful, for youth is the reflection of
natures sweetest and happiest mood. l
think the loss of the early boom of
young WOmanhoOd can be traced di-
rectlv to two national evjlS-cOld water
and hot air. The ice water an Ameri-
can girl will drink in one day would kill
me-"
''And l." said Mrs. Tenant, would
have typhoid fever if l drank single
glass"
"As for the furnace heat" resumed
Mrs. Stanley, well, simply could not
live in modern American house. L
feel as though my temples would burst
all the time [ am in doors. Repeatedly
mother and | have had to leave crowd
ed parlor or dining room during the en-
tertainment to get breath of fresh air
to keep from fainting."
To give some idea of the situation
Mai Pond was wrapped up i'll his over
coat and there were several ulSterS i'll
the drawing room of the car, but
neither of the London ladies wore
wraps or was the least uncomfortable.
To 90 back to New York society. The
ladies were not carried away by the
chic, beauty. or intelligence of the New
York opera goers. They described the
audience as democratic rather than con-
ventional.
''Artistically the opera was grand. |
never saw 'LOhengrin' so magnificently
staged OF heard 1t better rendered. Our
disappointment was in the audience. In
the boxes there was fashion, beautifully
arrayed but lacking in musical interest,
while down in the stalls there
were evening toilets, walking costumes.
and demi-dress side by side. Many of
the gentlemen were in business suits.
Now, in London no one would have
gone into stall in other than the con-
ventional dress. The American women
are not as partial to the typical decol-
lete bodice as we. emake more show
of our arms, shoulders and back than
you do, and | think we are more adrOit
in Slanting the cOrsage into shape or
round effe ct, getting not only more mod
esty, but IN ore suitability. If the neck
is scraWny and the bones prominent the
iol. NJ TO
not single string of pearl beads, but
some woven design with pendants cal
cuated to soften if not conceal defects.
We have pendants the size of that
sauce DISH and l must say that they
serve good purpose worn by ladies of
doubtful youth. Then, too, the British
matr0n uses tulleS and Spangled gauZe
camps. together with ostrich plumeS,
and these confectiOnS, with velvet
collarette and pendant jewels, save
many conventional dresses from rid
icule."
Mrs. Stanley thought that the Amer
lean women Overdld the matter-Over-
stepped the line-and had their bodices
sIashed instead of cut decollete. They
run too much to square neck, where;
the best standard favored the round
pointed 1.-The difference between tie
two is the difference that can be seen
any night in the Metropolitan opera
house, in the ballet and IN the boxes.
On the stage there is absolute propriety
of dress. Not bodice appears that is
in the least suggestive. and i'll all the
posturing and evolutions l did not see
one that was offensive"
To the Boston bellies and danes both
Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. Tenant ac-
corded the palm for daringy decollete
gowns.
Sat a drawing room in season you
would not find any English lady as low
cut as we saw in Boston during our
stay. Most of the anatomical exhibit
tions were pronounced quite good but
others were, in American emphasis,
sin ply fearful
1t is little refreshing that they differ
from the average transatlantic critics
and do not consider the dress of the
New York women remarkable. They
studied and sketched the girls in Fourth,
Fifth and Sixth avenues, in Fourteenth,
Twenty third, Thirty fifth and Forty
second streets, in Washington. Madison
and Union squares, in the Battery and
Central parks, on the bridge and in the
ferryboats, and Ibid not think them the
best-dressed women in the world, by
any manner of MEANS" Broadway
beaut ties "were not considered" for
reasons of their own.
II think the college girls represent
| the best types of American womanhooG
and American taste. The fashionable
| London girl is smart, and the fashion
able New York girl has style. Now L
challenge you to tell what the difference
| is. do know this. however-that one
suffers less bodily discomfort than the
| other. The American wOman's endur
| ance is without parallel. But it tells on
her after ten years of fashionable life"
Mrs. Tenant confessed herself less
credulous since her arrival in America.
| She insists on seeing things, and speaks
now from personal observation. From