AMERICAN GIRLS. 193 



that of actually putting the ticket into the box. I had a little mild 

 chaff with the officials, and suggested that if I voted impartially for 

 all the candidates there could be no harm in their acceptance of my 

 votes. I will send you a collection of tickets, which were quite 

 affectionately pressed upon me. When you vote, you push your 

 ticket endwise into a slit. There it is seized between two rollers, 

 which stamp it and record the number on a set of figures under glass. 

 Thus the number of votes which have been given is recorded, but 

 not the proportion given to any candidate. The excitement has been 

 tremendous, and in several places pistols were used freely, with loss 

 of life and many wounds. Contrary to Mr. Lowell's expectations, 

 there was no diminution in the attendance at the lecture. Yet in 

 many parts of the town the streets were impassable, the horse-cars 

 taken off, and all wheeled vehicles sent round by other routes. In 

 several places the votes were shown on house fronts by means of the 

 magic lantern, and as the vote of each district was exhibited, the 

 yells were terrific. Here they do not cheer, but bark, with a series 

 of short yaps. 



The description of the American girls does not 

 sound altogether attractive to English ears : 



If English girls used such astounding expressions as these girls 

 do, they would be thought horribly vulgar. But, somehow or other, 

 they "guess," and "conclude," and "allow," <kc. <kc. ; they ask the 

 waiter for a " swallow " of water ; they use the word " fix " for 

 everything except its right meaning, and then they say "settle." 

 They talk of " running" a house, i.e., keeping it. And yet, though 

 they use their noses as organs of speech, they do not seem vulgar. 

 . . . . I heard an eloquent preacher, by the way, ask in the 

 pulpit for liberal contributions, because it cost so much to " run " so 

 large a parish. . . . 



What would you think of having spittoons I beg pardon, 

 cuspadors in the drawing-room 1 ? Here they are, but of elegant 

 design pink and gold china, about two feet high. Even in the 

 elevator there is one, but only plain blue and white. The height is 

 to make them more accessible to ladies, gentlemen being supposed 

 capable of hitting the ordinary article at five or six feet. 

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