Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1882 — Ladies’ Diaries, 1782-1882. [ARTICLE]

Ladies’ Diaries, 1782-1882.

Many of the diaries kept by “society” ladies 100 years ago, and printed for the delectation of nineteenth-century readers, may not be very brilliant literary efforts, but they admirably serve to show how simple and unassuming were the lives of “quality folk” in ancient times. The annexed is excerpted from the recently printed diary of Lady Sourapple: “July 16.—John took yarn to the weaver, and brought back flax, spices and sugar. The stage wagon had not arrived when he left Ipswich, and there was no package from London. My lord was to send hangings for the large drawing-room, but it matters not.” This, the reader may say, is very commonplace. And so it is. If it had been written by the obscure Mary Jane Boggins instead of the Lady Sourapple, it would not have been embalmed in print; but the object in quoting it is to compare it with a couple of extracts from the diary of a “society” lady of 1882— which will not be printed for the benefit of readers a century hence, albeit quite as interesting as the Lady Sourapple literature; “December 18.—Painted a lovely stork on ma’s pickle jar. Decided to have my new heliotrope damasse made without a train. Read three chapters of ‘The Midnight Shriek; or, the Fainting Bride.’ Purchased a charming velvet collar with a gold clasp for dear little Fido’s neck. Charles Augustus called this evening. Hs is too sweet for anything. December 21.—Worked a supremely beautiful pen-wiper for a Christmas present to Charles Augustus. I gave him a pair of utterly intense slippers of my own embroidering last year, but they were three sizes too small. A penwiper is never a misfit. Brother Tom asked me to sew on a suspender button. He has no regard for the delicate state of my health. Was at Mrs. De Upkrust’s “German” last night, and danced ■every set. Didn’t get homo until 3 o'clock this morning. I must now dress for the Kodphish reception, which is to Ik* too utterly all but.”— J. H. JViltiaing, in Harper'a Mnaazine.

The British House of Common ; contains one Presbyterian minister. Chore are 105 barristers, 64 merchants, 58 Captains, and other proft ask, ml and moneyed classes are jepnseute ’.ii the same ratio. The working classe biwe four members, find tenant fangeyg members.