AN AMERICAN LADY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1621, 16 August 1887, Page 3

AN AMERICAN LADY.

In the New World maturity is reached much earlier than in the Old. A girl of fourteen captivates the hearts of men, and is as fascinating to them as one of twenty here ; and fascination there is a fine art, not merely an occasional tribute. At seventeen sht is a finished coquette. The New York lady of fashion commences the day much like the Parisienne, only instead of chocolate she has coffee and “ crackers ” (biscuits) in bed. She does not take much interest in newspapers, but languidly turns over the piles of correspondence of all descriptions which await her perusal, and selects the most interesting. A picture of her at this moment would be most charming ; a small, ova), tpiritmlle face, large luminous eyes, and well-marked eyebrows, clear complexion, and intelligent, mobile mouth, giving at once the idea that there is a being capable of onderstanding most things, and ot taking her part in the world’s work. Her hair, too, wife a (a Diuctoire, hardly tossed or tumbled, and her pretty pink silk night wrapper are as carefully conaidered by her as if she were going to receive her friends in that guise. The American lady loves to hare all her surroundings beautiful, and she takes great pride in wearing elegant underclothing of all descriptions, sometimes of pink, pale blue, or maize-colored silk, trimmed with Valenciennes or fine torchon lace, and sometimes of the finest and softest linen, merely tucked and gathered, but always elegant, and always of the newest design. In no city of the world is the subject of the toilet studied to such an extent as in New York. The American society lady, as a rule, is not an early riser, and appears at a rather late breakfast in a pretty and elaborately trimmed morning g«wn. This is a more varied repast than with nsj one ot its chief constituents in all seasons being fruit in profusion. She then prepares herself for the promenade, or for an unwearied round of shopping, spending as much time and energy on the latter as if it ware the chief object of her life. Up to about four o’clock the upper part of Broadway and Fifth Avenue are crowded with elegantly dressed ladies. A notable fact about these morning costumes is that they are compelled of silk, satin, or velvet, or a mixture thereof, elaborately trimmed, and, in fact, equivalent to the afternoon costumes of British ladies. —From The Ladies World for April,