Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-02-24
THE SOUTHERN GIRL
As Thomas Nelson Page Knows and De-
scribes Her.

scribes Her.
Of the pictures which Thomas
Nelson Page presents Of his people
of the south in his recent book, $50
cial Life In Old Virginia Before the
War; that of the southern girl is
best because she still lives, still
walks by our side and charms us
with her delicious, low, musical
speech, with her wonderful beauty,
with her subtle power, says the
Nashville American. Mr.. Page
draws the master and mistress and
makes them live again in his strong,
vivid character sketch, but they are
creatures of the past. ''The man.
N.Y. too, has all but passed into
that poetical life.
But his picture of the southern
girl is very real, is very precious,
for it is of a girl you know. She
lives even now beneath sunny skies
and breathes in the balmy perfumed
atmosphere, created for her, amid
flowers as delicious as her sweet
self. She is the girl whom you saw
yesterday; she of whom you are
dreaming today. See if this picture
is not hers:
They filled a peculiar place in
the civilization. The key was set
to them. They held, by universal
consent, the first place in the sys-
tenn, all social life revolving around
them. She was gently bred. Her
people for generations, since they
had come to Virginia, were gentle
folk. They were SO well satisfied
that they had been the same in the
mother country that they had never
taken the trouble to investigate it.
She was the incontestable proof of
their gentility.
in right of blood-the beautiful
Saxon tempered by the influences of
the genial southern clime-she was
exquisite, fine, beautiful, creature
of peach blossom and snow; languid,
delicate, saucy, now imperious, now
melting, always bewitching.
"She was not versed in the ways
Of the world, but she had no need tc
be. She was better than that-she
was well bred. She had not to learn
to be a lady because she was born
one.
"A protracted devotion was re-
quired of her lovers, and they be-
gan early They were willing te
serve long, for she was prize worth
the serving. Her beauty, though il
was often dazzling, was not he1
chief attraction. That was herself
that inde6nable charm, the result
Of many attractions, in combination
and perfect harmony, which made
her herself. She was delicate, she
was dainty, : she was sweet. Sht
lived in an atmosphere created fol
her-the pure, clean, sweet atmos
! phere of her country home. Sh,
made its sunshine. She was gen
orally coquette, often an out
rageous flirt. 1t did not imply heart
lessness. 1t was said that the wors
flirts made the most devoted wives
It was simply an instance, an in
heritance; it was in the life
Her heart was tender toward ev
cry living thing but her lovers
Even to them she was soft in ever,
way but one. Had they had fin
ger ache she would have sympathiz
1 ed with them, hut in the matter o
love she was memorable, remorse
less. She played upon every Choir,
of the heart. Perhaps it was be
cause, when she gave up, the sur
render was absolute.
i "She was indeed strange crea
j ture, thatdelicate, dainty, mischiev
GUS, tender, God fearing, inexplica
| BILE southern girl. With her fin
grain, her silken hair, her satin.
skin, her musical speech, pleasur
loving, saucy, bewitching, dee
down lay the bedrock foundation Q
innate virtue, piety, wemanliness
on which were planted all for who
human nature can hope and all t
which it can aspire.
: Words fail to convey an idea c
what she was. AS well try to drin
the beauty of the rose or the pei
fume of the violet. To appreciat
her one must have seen her, hav