education, and can actually tell a story without forgetting the
point--an accomplishment that is extremely rare among the women of
other countries. It is true that they lack repose and that their
voices are somewhat harsh and strident when they land first at
Liverpool; but after a time one gets to love those pretty
whirlwinds in petticoats that sweep so recklessly through society
and are so agitating to all duchesses who have daughters. There is
something fascinating in their funny, exaggerated gestures and
their petulant way of tossing the head. Their eyes have no magic
nor mystery in them, but they challenge us for combat; and when we
engage we are always worsted. Their lips seem made for laughter
and yet they never grimace. As for their voices they soon get them
into tune. Some of them have been known to acquire a fashionable
drawl in two seasons; and after they have been presented to Royalty
they all roll their R's as vigorously as a young equerry or an old
lady-in-waiting. Still, they never really lose their accent; it
keeps peeping out here and there, and when they chatter together
they are like a bevy of peacocks. Nothing is more amusing than to
watch two American girls greeting each other in a drawing-room or
in the Row. They are like children with their shrill staccato
cries of wonder, their odd little exclamations. Their conversation
sounds like a series of exploding crackers; they are exquisitely
incoherent and use a sort of primitive, emotional language. After
five minutes they are left beautifully breathless and look at each
other half in amusement and half in affection. If a stolid young
Englishman is fortunate enough to be introduced to them he is
amazed at their extraordinary vivacity, their electric quickness of
repartee, their inexhaustible store of curious catchwords. He
never really understands them, for their thoughts flutter about
with the sweet irresponsibility of butterflies; but he is pleased