The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-26
AMERICAN WOMEN.
The OPINION OF SIR EDWIN ARNOLD
FREELY ENLARGED UPON.

Mrs.. O'Connor Tells Of the Grace and
Besuty and More Enduring Good Quail
itiss OF Our Fair Ones-PecuiiAr Charms
Of the Women Of the South.
On his return to England from Japan
Sir Edwin Arnold was interviewed in New
York, and at the close Of the interview
his interlocutor remarked, Now, Sir Ed
win, what do you think Of the American
womanP' "Affrinl" Sir Edwin answered.
"And the def1nitionY" demanded the re-
porter. "It is Persian for o Allah, make
many more Of themv and the question is
such an extensive one that must finish
with this proverb, and Sir Edwin hurried
away to dinner.
When one takes into consideration that
from California TO the coast of New Jersey
the distance is some 3, 900 miles and from
Maine to Florida the distance Is the same,
the difficulty of describing any one type
will be easily perceived. Three thousand
miles must change entirely manner,
speech, dress and method of thought And
undoubtedly there is an enormous differ
ence between the woman Of the south and
the woman Of the north. As for the Amer
lean type, there is really no such thing.
There is, of course, the American woman,
and probably she has certain racial charac-
teristics, but they are only discernible aft
er close examination. A mode, fashion
in manner and morals is thing SO elu-
sive that it is never openly recognized, but
it exists and Is forceful enough to influ-
enoe a nation. For instance, southern
women are said to have the most charm
A. In &Ex. nty,o~ h.x-
charming manners, and there are direct
causes which contribute to this end. 1t is
the fashion in this part of the country to
be suave, complimentary, gentle and ami
able This suaveness and amiability create
an atmosphere Of amiability, and wom-
an who Is rude or outspoken would be con-
sidered questionable and underbred.
While women the world over are given
too great latitude in the matter of honor,
Q southern woman Mas taught, through
her father and brothers, that, after all,
there were not nine commandments for a
man and one for woman. About half
were for her as we'll A southern woman
must not lie. She must never repeat any
thing disagreeable. If she did generous
action, her left hand must not know what
her right hand had done. She must have
friends, and she must have courage, the
hardest courage of all-the courage of en-
durance.
i remember being on q visit to south
ern woman who lived In an old fashioned
town in large, rambling house In q long
sort OF wing / had delightfully."- quiet
suit of rooms. Just at twilight one even
ing, when we were all assembled In the
drawing room, a carriage drove up the
avenue quickly and rapidly turned n
curve, going to the back of the house. I
saw the eldest son of this lady in a drunk
en- convulsion in the back Of the carriage.
He was lifted out by the servants and
taken 10 his room, and fortunately no one
had observed him except his mother and
myself.
She disappeared from the drawing room
. moment, and went to my room for a
bottle Of salts. As opened the door i saw
her kneeling by my baby's crib, a torrent
OF sobs shaking her body. Ten minutes
later she appeared, ready for dinner, and
was during the evening thelife Of din
ner party of 90. This woman was cheer
ful saint. But there are scores of them In
the south. 1t is the fashion to be cheerful
and Is considered selfish to air your griefs
and to become q nuisance to your friends.
In small town among intimate friends
secrets are hard to keep, and people gener-
ally see the skeleton which Is kept so care
fully In the closet by proud woman, but
she does not speak of IL to her friends
Fortitude and gayety are her watchwords,
and II sympathy is offered 1t must be done
in such a way that the dry bones Of the
skeleton are not Jared. All traits can be
cultivated Loyalty, affection, generosity,
unselfishness, may not be innate, but II
one has lived In an atmosphere pervaded
by nobleness shame Of meanness may keep
it at bay, IL it does not Danish it com
pletely.
Slavery was an evil, but mixed evil,
and owning slaves gave to men and wom-
en- feeling of responsibility and desire
20 set good example which in the par
ticular individual developed an admirable
character. On my fathers estate we own
ed only enough slaves to run the place
comfortably, % or IS In all, but my moth
or had their welfare and the welfare of
their children much at heart. She cut out
all the dresses, petticoats and jackets made
on the place, gave out all medicines and
always occupied.
come more self reliant, but the softness of
manner and pretty cordiality still remain
with them. And more than one genius has
been unearthcd by necessity.
The New England woman has less Of
her southern sisters urbanity, and her
voice Is higher and shriller, and her accent
~ less persuasive and musical, but she has
sterling qualities and enormous powers Of
endurance and pluck. saw an account of
New England girl the other day, who,
upon the discovery Of beautiful voice,
went directly to the far weaA and, by cook
Ing for two years at 2S month, saved
enough TO return to Boston and begin her
musical education in the Conservatory of
Music. 1t Is a usual thing to find an un-
dergraduate Of some New England college
waiting at table at one Of the crowded
summer mountain hotels during the
months Of July and August Work Is ney.
er considered degrading in New England,
but dependence is. In the south, where
sort of feudal system existed through slay.
cry, the lazy, shiftlcss and good for moth.
ing ones OF large family were treated
with gcntlcness and supported by the 9th
er members.