. A larger history of the United States of America, to the close of President Jackson's administration . tigated, in the language of the Marquis de Chas-tellux-/-and the supper was served about midnight. Talleyrand,in later years, looking back on the Philadelphia of that pe-riod, found its luxury a theme for sarcasm in quality as well asquantity: Leiir luxe est affretix, he said. Going beyond the strictcircles of fashion, we find that some social peculiarities whichwe regard as recent seem to have existed in full force at thevery foundation of the republic. The aversion of white Amer-icans to
. A larger history of the United States of America, to the close of President Jackson's administration . tigated, in the language of the Marquis de Chas-tellux-/-and the supper was served about midnight. Talleyrand,in later years, looking back on the Philadelphia of that pe-riod, found its luxury a theme for sarcasm in quality as well asquantity: Leiir luxe est affretix, he said. Going beyond the strictcircles of fashion, we find that some social peculiarities whichwe regard as recent seem to have existed in full force at thevery foundation of the republic. The aversion of white Amer-icans to domestic service, the social freedom given to younggirls, the habit of eating hot bread — these form the constant OUR COUNTRYS CRADLE. 325 theme of remark by the French visitors in the time of Wash-ington. In some physiological matters American habits arenow unquestionably modified for the better. Chastellux reportsthat at the best dinners of the period there was usually butone course besides the dessert; and Volney describes people asdrinking very strong tea immediately after this meal, and clos-. MRS. THEODORE SEDGWICK. ing the evening with a supper of salt meat. At other points,again, the national traits seem to have been bewilderingly trans-formed by the century that has since passed. The Chevalier deBeaujour describes Americans as usually having ruddy com-plexions, but without delicacy of feature or play of expression;whereas all these characteristics will be found by the testimonyof later travellers to be now precisely reversed, the features 326 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. having grown delicate, the expression vivacious, and the com-plexion pale. The standard of womens education was still low, and insociety they had to rely on native talent and the conversationof clever men; yet Mercy Warrens history had been acceptedas a really able work, and Phillis Wheatley s poems had passedfor a phenomenon. Mrs. Morton, of Massachusetts, also, underthe name of Philenia, had publi
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