MY COUNTRY COUSIN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XXII, 30 May 1896, Page 644

MY COUNTRY COUSIN.

ABOUT HER CLOTHES. That country girl is wise who, remembering that the blue of the skies and the green of the trees form her background, elects that during the summer she shall wear pretty cottons daintily made, and wide-brimmed, somewhat fantastic straw hats. She would be entirely out of place in stuffy woollens or elaborate silks, aud yet each one of you knows that this mistake is sometimes made. For the morning she can have the simplest of ginghams or lawns—in winter neat winseys, serges, and homespuns or tweeds —and for the evening a somewhat more elaborate, but still a simple costume. She is unwise in imitating her city cousin, who nine times out of ten looks overdressed. I wish I could make the country girl understand exactly the charm, the restful charm, that there is in her simplicity, and I wish I could make her content. I know it is in the heart of every girl to long for pretty gowns, and a much-betrimmed lace, silk, or velvet frock may look very charming to the girl who has not one, while to the unprejudiced observer it seems absolutely out of place. WHAT TO TALK ABOUT. When the city cousin comes, and the girls who are to have tea with you are all together, don’t ask questions about the silly habits of the town, and above al! things if you hear of some silly habit affected by a so called fashionable woman don’t attempt to imitate her in her folly. Induce your city cousin to tell you about the things worth seeing and hearing about : of the great paintings, art exhibitions, tennis tournaments, of the flower market, and how it interests city women, while you country girls have so many flowers you scarcely seem to set any value on them. But do not ask about little vices, and do not believe that well-bred women in the cities do many of the ill-bred things that are described—that they smoke cigarettes, that their gowns are cut immodestly, that they are slaves to drink or opium, that they are offensively free in their language —there may be such women, such women ire everywhere. But, my dear child, a gentlewoman is always the same, be she in the city or the country, and she is not addicted to anything that takes away from her womanliness. Talk about frocks, if you like, there is no harm in that ; hear pretty ones described, they are a pleasure and a delight to the eyes; but if you feel the little demon of envy biting at your heartstrings, change the subject right away. You think the city girl, as she talks about amusements and admirers, must have a very good time in life. It is not as good as yours, for she does not have plenty of fresh air, she does not know the joys of the singing birds, she cannot tell the flower or the bloom of the tree that announces the coming of spring, and her world is, curiously enough, a much smaller one than yours. ABOUT HER SWEETHEART. Of course you believe in him. But still you have quite a funny little heartbeat when you see his eyes open wide with admiration as he looks at your city cousin, who, in a silk faced tailor-made gown with man’s shirt and tie or frilled crepon, seems like a Dresden statuette. It is useless to say you are foolish. But you are. If he is worth anything, if he is worth the having, he will never give you up for the city cousin, aud any courtesy he may show her will probably be not only because she interests him, but especially because he loves you. Sweethearts, my dear, are much truer than we give them credit for, and if you want to keep yours believe in him, and that belief will make belief. If his so-called love has only been the fancy of a moment, then be thankful that by the appearance of the city cousin you discovered in time that what you thought was pure gold was not even silver gilt. Some country girls tell me of little liberties they allow their sweethearts, and which can really not be called wrong, but I wish I could make them understand how much more what a man cannot get is to him, than what is given to him as if it were of no worth. No, my dear country girl, I do not think you ought to let your sweetheart kiss you whenever he wishes. A kiss from you should mean so much that it should be an event, then he will be certain that nobody else is getting your treasures, and that you are hoarding great expressions of affection for the time when you shall be his very own. The city girl in keeping her sweetheart at a little distance is very wise, and the country girl should be equally wise. I do not mean that there should be no lovemaking—l like that old-fashioned word—but I do believe that a little too much freedom is a speck on the perfect fruit of love, and it is one which it is in the power of the girl to prevent.