The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-05-27
THE GIRLS OF ENGLAND.
An Americans Study of the Way They
Are Treated by the Men.

vldeS him with better 1000 Ior Inc em-
ployment of his ridicule when he ar
rives home. than the way women are
treated. Not long since, writes Lon
don correspondent of the San Francisco
Argonaut, l happened to be staying in
the same house with youthful scion
| of the nobility, who had lately been in
| the United States. He had been invited
out good deal in New York. and, by
his own account, the New Workers ''did
the civil no end to a fellow, don't you
know"
They're awfully good-natured poor
thingsr' 1 heard him say, one day, to
young lady, who was asking him
about his visit; ''they quite overpower
you those Americans. They won't take
mo- for an answer. I got rather tired
of it. Then, the fuss they make over
| their womeni"
What bore!' exclaimed the young
lady; Il should hate that
l thought to myself she had not had
much experience to go by herself, poor
| thing.
"Of course you would. Now, just
fancy this. Whenever a gal comes into
the room, every man jack in the shop
Jumps up. like a lot of Jack-in-the-
boxes and offers her seat"
mot all of them at once?" laughed
| the Young lady.
Rather"
How dreadfulr
"Just as if she couldn't find a chair
for herself, with half a dozen almost
| tripping her up!'
1T would bore me most awfully, that
sort of thing"
.'Of course it would. I'm sure of
| that"
But you didn't have to go in for
that sort of rubbish. 1 should hope?"
Didn't I. though? By Jove! I'd
have got most awfully hustled by the
other fellows if I hadn't. l jolly soon
| found that out. l nearly got into
row once, because didn't get down on
my hands and knees at ball and hunt
for gals glove that I was dancing
with under the supper-table. | give
| this sentence verbatim as specimen of
present-day, high-class language. But
! the young lady saw nothing wrong in
| it, for she said:
.'How dreadfulr Perhaps she may
have referred to the young mans
grammatical style, but do not think
| so.
Rather agreed the young man,
making another draft on his store of
words; 'she gave me look 1 shan't
soon forget, can tell you, when I de-
clined and suggested getting one of the
servants, and called to another chap,
who said: Why. certainly, Miss
Thingumbob, with the greatest of pleas
ure in life Cthis with very STACEY
nasal twang) land popped down under
the table and back again, like fox
terrier after a rabbit, with the glove in
his teeth"
''In his teeth? How dreadful"
Honorable Miss" blythe by = the
Honorable Muriel. Something or
other.
mo, in his hand, mean to say"
explained the young man, whose face
was beaming with some recollection
which seemed to amuse him hugely;
''by Jove! don't you know, that gals
brother tried to pick a quarrel next
day at the club with me. An awful ass
of chap he was, who jawed about re-
spect to women from men, and all
| that"
Glow dreadful! What a bore for
you'll!
'.Yes, twas. just let him jaw on
without saying word, and presently
he got in great state of mind. So
walked out. I wasn't going to let my
self be shot, for, of course, he had a
pistol in his pocket or a bowie-knife. :"
How dreadfulr'
The young lady made such frequent
use of this expression, that | began, to
think it was an unconscious comment
upon her own deplorable condition as
a woman compared with that filled by
the women of other countries. But
am afraid | was wrong. Like every
other English woman you meet, she
was really thoroughly content with her
sphere of pronounced inferiority to
man in all particulars. l refer to
young women. for the old ladies will
tell you how different it all is from their
day.
"Such young men as l see about me
would have been impossible when l
was a girl" said dear old lady to me,
one day, when the uncouth behavior
of a young gentleman was brought
specially to her notice. Il often say
I'm not sorry Pm an old woman in
stead of young one. Not that they
treat us any better,' she added, with
smiling head shake; ''but it doesn't
make so much difference to us. There,
don't say it does You see we"-and
her emphasis had much point in it
1--WE can live on our recollections, But
these poor girls, what will theirs beP
l rejoice to think have no daughters"
But whose fault is it, do you think?"
said l.
'.Ah. that you must ask some wiser
head than mine," she laughed; Il can
only imagine that the girls themselves
are much to blame-for not resenting
the mems rough. bearish manners.
You see" and she held her head up
with proud gesture, I'VE never played
cricket or lawn-tennis, or went out
shooting, or drove high-wheeled carts.
But few of us hunted. My father would
not even let us (my sisters and myself
ride.'
A volume might be written on this
theme. English social life furnishes
abundant materials. And there vast
amount of mans Indifference to the in
fuence of women, as such, comes from
the views which young men take of
marriage. None of them will ever
marry or think of marrying unless
girl has money. In their eyes, that is
her sole recommendation. Looks are
quite secondary consideration. All
sentiment is crushed out of their
hearts. The sight of woman or the
rustic of petticoat does not add one
throb to their pulse, unless there be a
well-lined purse in the pocket of the
wearer.
With sentiment gone-unless when
it is affected in the pursuit of an heiress
what is there about woman to en-
courage reverence for her in mans
mind? She is just like everybody else.
She must take her turn and her chance.
She must be given no preference or
advantages = unless, of course, she
have money. 1 therefore repeat, that
never was there such a hard time for
girls.