Year: 1860




The following paragraphs from an article
in the London Alheneum exaggrate the
freedom Of our American girls, but the con-
trast made is generally just and suggests
matter for serious thought -:


"No two nations do the same Thing in the
sathe manner. We do not make coffee
alike, we do not dress alike, the 5itiek an
ndtarel of even Gordon bieit is not the beef
steak OF London chophouse, the China
mans cop of tea is very different thing 10
that affected by Mrs. Soapsuds, the Turks
hargltir has but little resemblance TO the
lrishman's cutty-pipe, and that which seems
the best way Of loving and marrying to ore
set Of people, horribly offends the instincts
and moralities of another. In the civilized
christian world there cannot 10y greater
discrepancy in this last particular than be-
tween the French and the Americans. From
the first look Of love to the last word of mar
riage there is not a stage of the affair that
is conducted in the same way, not u round
of the great ladder which is hewn out Of The
same block. The French girl never leaves
her mothers side, unless, indeed, she be
brought up in convent. The American
young lady neither claims nor would sub
NIT to the most ordinary protection of friend
or parent. The French girl is married off
by her mother, without even the semblance
Of consultation suitability of fortune and
condition being much more important mat
ter than any such moonshine as suitability
of temper, or the elccive aifinit:es. An
American does her own husband hunting
single handed; and if she does not take quite
the initiative the moment of proposing, does
not hesitate TO make her preference as una
disguised as words would have made it.


"The same national opposition holds good
after marriage. The French wife is free,
emancipated, almost Irresponsible leader
of society, a parsonage, a power; the Amer
lean loses herself when she gains abusband.
She is henceforth scarcely side-ornauient
where she was lately crown and sceptre
both. Young and handsome, she is no soon
er married than she is drafted off 10 the
elderly section, with whom there is no long
| er question Of Irritation and the world
which forgave her even grave indiscretions
while she was single, will now setecely
punish the lightest infraction Of appearances.
| 1t is a curious and instructive inversion
the French granting to the wife the liberty
which American grants to the maiden, and
both so terribly shocked if, by chance, their
women change places and cross hands over
| the code.


"Between these two extremes, we Eng
lish hold our usual middle place. Not so
strict with our girls as are the French, nor
SO lax as the Americans not so liberal OF
social freedom to our wives as the one, nor
so niggardly as the other; We think, as a
patriotic matter Of course, that we have hit
on the exact golden mean, and shot our ar
row into the very bulls-eye Of the question.
We say. we give our youug ladies sufficient
liberty to form their characters, and time
and opportunity to know their own minds.
We do not marry them off TO the first elisi-
bic, bidder ike so many tender little doves
sold, hoodwinked, in the temple neither do
we suffer them TO roam ungdded through the
husbandless desert, like wild creatures seek
ng their prey. We make our bands and
bonds elastic, and fling the shadow of the
broad maternal wing very far; SO that, by
these wise measures we secure a race OF
maidens as per feet in their fearless innocence
as our wives are fiawless in their crystal
purity. Our friends across the channel, on
the contrary, prefer pretty dolls, in the one
case, and matrimonial fteebooters in the
other and our cousins to the west hold the
best preparation for the fetters of marriage
and maternity TO consist in d lawless license,
and think protection bondage and prudent
counsel mental slavery. OF course each OF
Tie other two countries is as justified to it.
self us we are |; for where was ever the ma
ton to be foind which was not, in its own
esteem, the ultimate sum of morsflitys The
line to the right hand OF to the left spoils all
the symmetry the dash Of blue or red des-
troys the whole scale Of color. In recher-
che de fabsoiu is always successful in the
aggregate; and there lives not a man who
does not think his national home the most
perfectly organized, and his countrywomcn
the most charming, the most yirtuous, the
best brought up of their SEX"


1flse.e ...fsll