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from the sketch here given it will be seen, that our good grandmothers differed considerably in
their ideas of a fine figure, from their scantily dressed descendants of the present day. a fine
lady, in those times, waddled under more clothes even on a fair summer's day, than would have
clad the whole bevy of a modern ball room. nor were they the less admired by the gentlemen in
consequence thereof. on the contrary, the greatness of a lover's passion seemed to increase in
proportion to the magnitude of its object-and a voluminous damsel, arrayed in a dozen of
petticoats, was declared by a low-dutch sonnetteer of the province, to be radiant as a
sunflower, and luxuriant as a full blown cabbage. certain it is, that in those days, the heart of a
lover could not contain more than one lady at a time, whereas the heart of a modern gallant has
often room enough to accommodate half a dozen - the reason of which i conclude to be,
either that the hearts of the gentlemen have grown larger, or the persons of the ladies smaller
- this however is a question for physiologists to determine.
add punctuation to the following excerpt.
irving continues in those days, the heart of lover could not contain more than one lady at a time
a modern gallant has often room enough to accommodate half a dozen either the hearts of the
gentleman have grown larger, or the persons of the ladies smaller
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