YOUNG LADIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1692, 21 October 1887, Page 2

YOUNG LADIES

(Saturday 'Review.")

Our English girls no doubt'baar off the palm among the nations of the world, both for look*, freahneaa, and energy, and taken as a whole, they show more beaaty than any ether can try In the world, Amnrloa included. The Americans, of court j, eend over to London many Tory pretty women, bat it i* the pick of their market, and, judging from what • nan sees m Enghud, ha eaonot bat feel somewhat disappointed io America at not finding their standard of beaaty, as a whole, at high as the speoimena In thla country would lead him to expeot. It is not only noticeable among the upper classes, but it is a raot apparent to one walking about the streets of N«w York, Chicago, and other cities of America that comparatively few pretty women of all olaasea are to be met with. The same remark applies still more to the Continent, though of conrae it must be borne m mind that London is a great centre to whloh much of the female beauty of the worid gravitates. On* yonng gfrli are thoroughly active m the pursuit of healthy exercise ; ibey walk and play lawn tennis a good deal ; riding, if they have the means, is one of their most favorite amusements, while many who have the opportunity, are 'good oars.' American young laoles, on the oontrory, have * very trying climate to contend with, and take but little exercise, while consuming an enormous quantity of Iced»water, candies, and novels. The result of the different manner of spending the early portions of their life is apparent In the two nationalities— English girls are able to walk longer distances -and to stand much more fatigue, at the etcne time preserving their looks considerably longer than their transatlantic cousinn ; and while an Englishwoman Is still m the prime of her beauty an American of the came age m hex own country is beginnv ing to fade. One of the greatest charms of our young English girlß is their wonderfully fresh, healthy looks, till they become exhausted by the continuous hard work of a London season* Th-ir life Is divided^ into three great c- as— first, when they are m the flohool- ! room ; secondly, from their presentation at their first drawing room till they marry, and thirdly, their married life; and great and marked are the dlfferenoei of their life m the three stages. As ferule, our young ladies are kept very quiet iv the schoolroom In their chrysalis stage, living a natural and healthy life both mentally and physically, till they suddenly develop into butterflies and emerge Into the London world; In moat oases there comes qalte • different form of education from that which their governesses imparted to them, the first and most important point of which it the absolata indiapensabllity of their making a good marriage. This is the pivot on whtoh their whole lives as young ladles ' out ' must revolve. Marry they mußt and as well as possible, for not to mrrry means an uncomfortable old age. As daughters of rich parents (hey have been accustomed to every luxury, including large households, plenty of heroes and carriages, accompanied by every form of amusrmeut that money oau purchase , If they fall In their object of marrying, when m due coarse of time their parents die they are left with but very moderate incomes, withont a single habit of thrift, and with most extravagant tastes. They got embittered and soared when they find that many of their so-called friends, who were ready to be on most excellent terms with them while they could eDJay the hospitality extended to them at the open housa of their parents, now treat them with considerably less cordiality. For the friendship and affection of many, though by no means of all, m<»y bo gauged by the amount of qxtid pro quo they may receive. There is also auother strong reason why girls are anxiouß to marry— namely,, the desire to have an establishment of their 'own. and to be free from the restraint of their homes, more especially la the oases where there Is not muoh love lost between mother and daughters. Many young girls throw away their chances of marry* ing happily by their frivolity and their inerd nate love of flirtation. Though these flirtations may be perfectly harmless, yet they keep off a man who has a penchant for a girl. Flirtation, which w»a not ill described In " Punch " as "a spoon with nothing In it," oloaely reaemblea the real article, and a man when he feels hlms3lf falling m love with a girl ia not In a condition to closely analyse whether the " spoon " has anything m It or not, and, as Is generally the o»se when In that condition, he Is the victim of jealousy, aod decides that the "spoon 11 has something m it ; and therefore withdraws from the cjnteat. Among some of oar young ladies more especially those who are designated by the term of "old augers," the fatal hab:t of permitting free and risky conversation has drept m, borrowed as it is from the married women who try to please the men by It. But they do not Beem to sea the difference ; a man may like that kind of conversation with a pretty young married woman, for various reasons ; bat no man m his sober senses would liko to hear a girl, for whom he has an attachment and whom he might wish to make his wife, talking thus ; it would " put him off" at once, and make him begin to consider what kind of a wife she could make, aad whether she would be worthy m the future of any mana Icve and aonfidence. The same mistake Is sometimes made by young ladies m oonverßing about the causes eclebres whicfr are no openly and unre* aervedly published now m our papers j and, inaead of adding their protest against the disgusting details that the press thlnka good to foroe on the public by not reading them, they not only read them, bat discuss them|after. But we are happy to think that the percentage of 'young' ladies who indulge ia undesirable talk and doubtful literature is but very amall; and. ad a rule, a (sensible, well brought op English girl Is sure to make* man a good wife, if she has not sacrificed her affeotlons for thw sake of making a good marriage. Many young girls would be more successful If they took their abatements more moderately, but that ia the fault of theli mothers rather than themselves ; but the faot remains that they are ' hacked about' Indiscriminately to all entertainments, good, bid, and Indiffarent, and are allowed to sit up till any hour m the morning night after night, with the result tht?t as the season waaea and the time foi making their coup comes, they look more and more faded, • drawn ' and pastyfaoed, having loet the charm of freshness with which they entered on the campaign of the eeason, and which It will take some months of quiet country air and healthy exercise to restore. Their onoe devoted swaina at the same time are sorrowfully arriving at the conclusion that they ate not as good-lookiog as they thought they were, and that a man after all is better unmarried, tsui la only clipping his wings by taking a wifj Iv thia way many » bappy wutUge m*f b# ipgjlid. : #