Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-11
THE RICHMOND DIsPATCH-SUNDAY NOVEMBER IL 1894.

NUM- .OlOfA1OA
differs from her sisters - in her treat-
ment Of interiors. and especially OF seI-
wants. In the old slavs-times tne -
ant wero looked upon a. memoeIs -
the family, In a way, with tdentihea IN.
terests and affections. and II ID . renc ".
this system that causes the soutneiner
now 10 treat servants with more feeling
OF n common humanity than ID SHOWN
In other sections. Another point or conce,t
In southern girls II their riding. iney
look with a fine scorn at the me'"ou
and manner OF a woman n mas got
her training In a riding-school. ana u
prepared for no contingencies beyond the
possibilities OF riding-school experience.
She may hold her reins properly. sit win
precision, know how to pose, and TO make
q thoroughly-correct appearance on hoIse.
back, but to q girl who has been prousnt
up In the saddle. and scrambled Tor her
experience, and h could take FENCES
and bitches from the time she was u
mere child, holding her reins according 70
instinct, and relying on congeniahty Oh
temperament between her horse ana het-
self for results. that IL not riding!
Let It be understood that when the
concelt. the Indifference to education. and
the other faults OF the southern girl
are mentioned, she Is held to De
charming, In spite OF these facts and
not because of them! While the more
extended contact with the great world
which Is now coming about VIII un-
aoubtedly deprive the southern girl OF
some OF her 'cachet," she must derive
a deep and important advantage from
this broader experience. II has been said
by some one that the greatest as
covery of the nineteenth century is wo-
man. and owhere is this truer than In
the South. BY the force of inherent con-
dltlcns woman in the South has been
more hidden and retarded than elsewhere.
The person who said that, "In the crea-
ton man was the chief consideration,
and woman a mere side issue,' voiced a
generally recognized truth, but since the
conditions regarding women have De-
come freer everywhere, n have at last
penetrated even to the Southland or our
country, there have been some sur
prlsing revelations made in a short time;
superior talent has appeared In many
cases, and in one Instance certainly
genius. SO It will not do 10 speak with
scorn of the southern girl. even In the
very point In which she Is acknowledged
to b. the inferior OF her northern sister
the punt vi IltitdiiiFs 1HNh ihNh'"'NJ,
at least. as comes from earnest culture
for cultures sake.
WILL THERE BE A BETTER?
The southern girl OF the old regime Is
passing away with other things that pass,
and we are not wholly ccnsoled for her
loss by the belief that we shall nave some
thing better In her stead. AS she travels
more and becomes more of the world
worldly, the freshness and hneness of her
flavor will necessarily be d~issipated.
Even now we begin to notice and TO hair
deplore the creeping In Of Innovations.
When one OF our southern beauties, for
example, goes 10 the North and makes
her record there. and wins her NEED OF
praise, she comes home to us distinctly
changed. She IS better style. perhaps.
She has learned a certain self-contTol
and reserve. She is more distinguished
in her person and in her dress. All THIS
she has gained. but there is an inde-
scribable something that she has lost.
Again we recall the iniisputahle wisdom
of an axiom and say: Nothing Ior
nothing" and we are thankful for the
gain and %reconciled TO the loss!
MEN AT HER FEET.
Every one, certainly every man., has no.
ticed the characteristic bearing OF Il
SOulHG.H XIII lcMalI Hltu, toRtNidhS az
society. The traditions OF many genera
lions have taught her 10 take naturally
the position that women must be sought.
and with the southern girl of the best
type this is paramount still. AS a result
men find that she pleases them without
effort. and the very absence Of this effort,
to which they are unfortunately too ac-
customed, makes her infinitely more pleas
ing. This gives her also, In many cases.
the certain air of languor and Incidence,
which In itself invites TO effort on the
mans part TO rouse and please.
Another lack in the southern girl Is that
energy and capacity for business and self
support which so characterizes her north
ern sisters, ana which. in a population OF
such great female excess. nno be too
much rejolced at. but this, too, costs
something, and the southern m who
acquires 1t loses something Of her charm.
In conclusion. II Is apropos to quote an
anecdote published years ago, but having
such significance in this connection that it
may be repeated:
In a Virginia town, a very small specl-
men Of the southern girl was looking
out Of the window, when she suddenly
remarked to her aunt:
40, Auntie, there 10 the Jones chill
dren! They are awful. You can't
imagine how bad they are. They tell
stories and disobey their mother. and
everything; and If they are that bad
when they are little, i just expect they'll
every one grow up 10 be Yankees!'
With this Inherent point Of view. 1t Is
not surprising that the southerner IS
rather lamentably a creature OF preJu-
dice; and yet, when all is said and done.
the young girls Of that race. at least, are
beings Of such undeniable charm that
one may well be forgiven for retaining,
even after a full knowledge of them. a
prejudice in their favor.
JULIA MAGRUDER.