Life of Count Rumford. 227 



shop. Nothing could equal my father's surprise but mine at 

 his. I had never the care of my own things, my mother doing 

 all that ; nor had I the least real knowledge of the value of 

 money. The lace was bought because I thought it was hand- 

 some, and it pleased me. To make matters worse, before he 

 had got over his surprise about the lace, I showed him at least 

 half a dozen of beautiful new pairs of shoes I had bought, 

 besides several other things. My father, without having a par- 

 ticle of avarice in his character (he never laid up money, or 

 anything of that sort), had order in the extreme, and these pur- 

 chases of mine looked much like disorder and extravagance, 

 not the case, however, inexperience only. It would be diffi- 

 cult to imagine the effect it had on my father, he viewing me, 

 undoubtedly, as lost forever if a stop was not put to it, if not 

 himself ruined." 



" This was nothing to my having made a courtesy out of place 

 to a housekeeper. The circumstance was as follows, but must 

 be somewhat explained. 



" Different customs, though trifling, excite interest. An 

 American miss of certain pretensions, approaching or accosting 

 a superior, places the feet in position, and, drawing them back, 

 makes a low courtesy. The English custom is, to draw one foot 

 carelessly back, making a courtesy, not near so low a dip (so 

 called), not going back far enough to lose hold of hands 

 mutually given for the celebrated shake. Nor with real fash- 

 ionables is there any dip at all, going bolt upright, giving the 

 hand, sparing even the epithets, Madam, Sir, or Miss, and with 

 answers, to inquiries of health, of Yes or No. In France the 

 young person approaches slowly, with apparent diffidence, 

 with a slight motion of the head, looking steadfastly with a 

 smile at the person they are to meet ; and when the other with 

 open arms comes forward, as when receiving a child first run- 

 ning alone, and much in the same manner, bestows caresses, 

 with the difference of a degree more ceremony towards the 

 miss than the child it being thought indecorous to express the 

 same warmth of feeling.. The forehead of the young lady is 

 destined to receive the caress. In these trifles are to be seen 



