LADIES' COLUMN. TAINE ON ENGLISH GIRLS. (From the Paris " Temps."J

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 229, 20 June 1872, Page 8

LADIES' COLUMN. TAINE ON ENGLISH GIRLS. ( From the Paris " Temps." J

Dined with F . The ladies explained to me the training of youug girls. In well-to-do or wealthy families they all learn French, German, Italian, in general from infancy through nurses and foreign governesses. Commonly they begin with French ; nearly all speak it fluently, and several without any accent ; I have cited the sole exception I have encountered. They read Dante, Manzoni, Schiller, and Goethe, our classics, Chateaubriand, aud some moderns. Many learn a little Latin ; that will be serviceable for the education of their children, or of their young brothers. Several learn natural history, botany, mineralogy, geology ; they have a taste for all natural things ; aud, in the country, at sea side, in their frequent journeys, they can see minerals, herbs,' shells, form collections ; besides, that suits the English habit, which consists in storing up facts ; thus they are more instructed, aud more solidly instructed, than among us. Another motive is, that many of the young girls never marry, and that it is requisite .to pre^

pare au occupation for them beforehand. Lady M ■ cited the case of a family in her neighbourhood, where there are five unmarried daughters, all beautiful ; the older ones are thirtyfive and thirty-six. This is because they have been brought up in luxury, and have scarcely any dowry. Frequently a father only gives his daughter a sum equivalent to the income of his eldest son and heir; and, moreover, ho obliges the gentleman who offers himself to make a settlement on his daughter of two hundred, three hundred, four hundred pounds sterling yearly, whereof she wili have the entire control when married, and which will be her pin money. This condition keeps away many suitors ; besides it is granted that one must marry for love, settled liking; now it often happens that one does' not feel the liking, or that one does not inspire it. Hence many girls miss the chance and remain spinsters. There are some in almost every family, the position of aunt being very well filled. They help to rear the children, superintend a part of the household, preserve-making, or the linen cupboard, make herbariums, paint in water colours, read, write, become learned. Many compose moral romances, and sometimes very good novels. Miss Tonge, Miss lOivanagh, Miss" Bronte, the author of " John Halifax," Miss Thackeray, and others, are known ; talent is frequent among authoresses, there are some of the first class — Mrs. Gaskell, Miss Evans, Elizabeth Browning ; the two last possess genius. Reckon again the translations : numerous German and French works have been translated — and well translated —by women. Others write in magazines, compose small popular treatises, join a society, teach classes of poor children. The constant concern is to find an employment for their faculties, or to acquire a talent which serves as a remedy for weariness. The highest rank is not absolved. Witness the occupations of the Eoyal Family — the Queen and her daughters send water-colours, engravings, drawings clone by themselves, to charity sales. Prince Albert was one of the most cultivated and most active men in the kingdom. Each one thus takes up one or two special subjects, labours at some improvement in agriculture, in science — some beneficent work or institution. In none of the houses which I have entered in London or in the country have I seen a journal of the fashions. One of my English friends who had sojourned in France informs me that here no wellbrought up woman reads such platitudes. On the contrary, a special review, " The English Woman's Review," contains, in the number of which I am turning over the pages, statements and letters on emigration to Australia, articles on public instruction in France, and other essays equally important ; no novels, neither chit-chat a,bout theatres, nor review of fashions, &c. The whole is serious — substantial. Witness as a contrast in a provincial mansion among us the journals of fashions with illuminated sketches, patterns of the last style of bonnets, explanations of a piece of embroidery, little sentimental stories, honeyed compliments fo female readers, and, above, all, the correspondence of the directress with her subscribers on the last page, a masterpiece of,ab-" surdity and insanity. It is shameful that a human intellect can digest such aliment. A dress badly made is more bearable than an empty head. I copy the titles of some articles, all written by women, in the "Transactions of the National Association for the promotion of Social Scienoe." " Education by Means of Work-houses," by Louisa Twining ; " District Schools for the English Poor," by Barbara Collett; "Application of the Principles of Education to Lower-class Schools," by Mary Carpenter; "Actual State of the Colony of Mettray," by Florence Hill ; " Hospital Statistics," by Florence Nightingale ; " The Condition of Working Women in England and France," by Bessie Parkea"; "Slavery in America, and its Influence upon Great Britain," by Sarah Eedmond ; Improvement of Nurses in Asrrieultural Districts," by Mrs. Wiggins ; " Eeport of the Society for Furnishing N Employment of Women," by Jane Crowe. Most of these authoresses are not married ; several are secretaries of active associations, of which the Eeview I have just cited is the central organ ; one of these associations supplies women with work, another visits the workhouses, another the sick. A.U these articles are instructive and useful : the custom of keeping classes, of visiting the poor, of conversing with men, discussion, st dy, personal observation of facts, have yielded their fruits ; they know bow to observe and reason ; they go to the bottom of things, and they comprehend the true principle of all improvement. Whoever had perused English novels knows with what precision and what justice these authoresses depict characters ; I frequently a person who has lived in the country, in a small set, busied ■with domestic cares, finds herself obliged to write a novel in order to gain her bread, and one discovers that she understands the human heart better than a professional psychologist. To be instructed, learned, useful, acquire convictions, impart them to others, employ powers and employ them well, i that is something ; one may laugh if j one likes, say that these manners j form schoolmistresses, female pedants, '

blue-stockings, and not women. As you pjease ; but contrast this with our empty idleness, the weariedness of our ladies ; the life of an old maid who rears canaries, hawks scandal, does crochel-work, and attends every service. This is the more important because in England all are not female pedants. I know four or five ladies or young girls who write ; they continue none the less pleasing and natural. Most of jthe authoresses whom I have cited are, on the authority of my friends, domestic ladies of very simple habits. I have named two among them who possess genius ; a great French artist whose name I could mention, and who has spent several days with each of them did not know that they had talent ; not once did a hint of authorship, the need of speaking of oneself and of one's books ' occur during twenty-four hours of talk. M , being invited to the country, discovered that the mistress of the house knew much more Greek than himself, apologised, and retired from the field ; then, out of pleasantry, she wrote down his English sentence in Greek. Note that this female Hellenist is a woman of the world, and I even stylish. Moreover, she has nine daughters, two nurses, two govern(s <es, servants in proportion, a large well-appointed house, frequent and numerous visitors ; throughout all this, perfect order ; never noise or fuss ; I the machine appears to move of its own accord. These are gatherings of faculties and of contrasts which might make us reflect. In France we believe too readily that if a woman ceases to be a doll she ceases to beja. woman.