A NEW ZEALAND LADY IN AMERICA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 34, 10 February 1891, Page 5

A NEW ZEALAND LADY IN AMERICA.

UNFAVOURABLY COMPARED WITH NEW ZEALAND.

An Auckland young lady, now resident in California, writes as follows to a friend in this city :—We spent three hours in Victoria, British Columbia, lasb February when coming by steamer from Tacoma, Washington, to San Francisco, and we jusb knew how bo appreciate an English city after nine months' residence in Tacoma. The wharves of Tacoma are quite a distance from the real city—aboub half-a-mile, I should say. The city is not quite so large as Auckland, and is more level. It made our hearts beat fast as we entered the stores to hear people speaking English—real English, nob American-English like we hear all day long now. You ask me to give you some information aboub America. Well, ib depends very much upon which portion of America you mean—for Canada and bhe Kanuks differ from America (U.S.) and bhe Yanks as much as New Zealand and Yankeeland differ, and that is saying a good deal. In Canada, colonials of every British colony are adored, whilsb.in bhe United States the English is a hated and despised race. Of course, you musb understand that I am speaking of the nation as a body, and this has very little reference to the individuals forming each nation, although most Yanks seem to entertain very bitter feelings towards English people. Why this is, is a perfect puzzle to me, for is ib nob like a child turning away from and struggling against the parent who has nourished and cherished ib in babyhood? Where would America be to-day buf for England . During the lasb two months I have taken up the study of United States History and it has caused me to bite my lips in pain many a time. According to United States History, English people are worse than brutes and Americans are—angels. (In my opinion rather black ones). In one paragraph of the history they say they are indebted to England for a great many of the customs and their—language. If this be so the language must have degenerated disgracefully since it has come into the possession of the Yanks, for' ib seems bo me to bear very little more resemblance to our sweet English than does the French of the prosent day to that of the 3rd century. I found I was not half understood when I spoke English, so I have adopted the American lingo. I dare nob attempt to make out a complete seb of rules for your guidance in studying the language spoken by the Americans, but I shall give you a few points which it would be well for you to notice:— (1) In pronouncing words containing bhe letter rbe sure to roll thab lebter. For instance, do nob pronounce are, farbher, paper,firßt,etc.as though they were spelt ah,, fahbher, papah, fihst, etc.; but roll bhe r's and pronounce bhe words a-r-r-e, far-rther, etc. (2) Do nob use bhe broad a sound in such words as pass, class, demand, command, can'b, etc.; but sound ib like bhe a in fan. Americans are very fond of saying (especially if they think any Englishman |s near): "Oh, I cawn'b, doncher know." ; :* (3) If you wish bo remark upon anybhing cleverly done, or anything original in design, or peculiar, say, " Isn't ib cube?' (4) In wribing, spell labour, favour, honour, mould, and similar words without bhe v; centre, center; and travelling, traveling } traveller*, traveler ; - appalling, ttppaling. These are but few of tbe differences in spelling, 'ilp^ (5) Pronounce euch Words as bought, fought, thought, as though spelb bot-t, fobb, bhott. There are hundreds of other peculiarities to be noticed. America is certainly a " booming " place, and its people are a lively, money-making, sharp class. It is a grand place for young men to begin their business lives in, and women are very much respected, and are not looked down upon aa an inferior seb, as in some countries. Women in America become judges, lawyers, docbors, surgeons, preachers, and are, in shorb, eligible for all professions. To sum up bhe character of American men, I mighb say thab mosb of bhem care for nothing but moneygrabbing, gambling, dancing, drinking, smoking, and flirting. The mosb noticeable characteristic of the women is the love of pleasure and display. Be prepared to see ninety oub of every hundred ladies you meeb, on your arrival in San Francisco, wearing (literally true) a magnificent complexion, and to them all honour be due, for most American ladies are artistic in their own way. But joking aside, I really never saw so much face-powdering and painting in my lifo. Every lady paints, even the ministers' wives and daughters. Then there are a great number of whab are called "strawberry blondes." These are young ladies who bleach or dye their hair either a yellow or auburn colour, as bhe fashion may be. One young lady (in one of the sewing-machine stores) used a couple of years ago to have dark brown hair and a tawny complexion, but now she appears always with golden hair and an alabaster complexion. What do you think of that.