ust in their honour, in full confidence in their courtesy, and,
although their hearts are covered with the immaculate shirt-front of
latter-day conventionality, with as full reliance on knightly service
as if that stiff shirt were the armour of the day of chivalry. This
social feature or condition of things strikes me as especially
admirable. It strikes me as so infinitely preferable to the constant
espionage of chaperonage, so much more above board and honourable
towards both the young men and girls alike. They can go driving, to a
theatre--where boxes are much more open and less like bathing-machines
than ours--to lunch in the big club-room--an annexe to the exclusively
male portion to which ladies are admitted--and will be driven to and
from a dance, and will receive afternoon calls without a chaperon.
Results point overwhelmingly to its success from every point of view.
A breach of that code of conduct which needs not to be written would
mean eternal social damnation. It is being perpetually borne in on me
what a much better time the American girl has than our English
sisters, and in many ways she deserves to have it so. If the man keeps
horses and carriages so that he may take her out for drives in the
afternoon, bring her to the theatre, take her to and from dances, if
he keeps her supplied with flowers to an extent unknown Englandwards,
if he is constantly giving dinner-parties and supper-parties for her,
it is because she is worthy of it all and more.

To begin with, she is never _blasee_; and, thank goodness, it is not
yet considered in America "good form" to appear _blase_, even if one
is not. Being full of interest and constantly _au courant_ with
events, she is always companionable, and is able to talk intelligently
of many things. Being gifted with a heaven-sent sense of humour, she
is never dull; and what closer bond of social sympathy is there than a
sense of humour in common? In conversational fence the thrust and
parry of her play is as quick and keen as her touch is true and light,
and through it all ripples a sunny Southern gaiety that is as fond of
giving pleasure or amusement as she is readily susceptive of either.
But be not tempted in this summer region, O wanderer from the chilly
North, to wear your heart upon your sleeve for the sun to shine on,
or else she will pluck it off, saying, with laughing eyes, that it is
no place for it, and she will put it with a row of probably half a
dozen already o