The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-18
The Girl of the Period.
SAVAGE ONSLAUGHT UPON TIE "FAsT YOUNG
LADIES' OF OUR DAY.
From rbs Londop SATURDAY. Review !


Time was when the stereotyped phrase. "a
fair young English girl" meant the ideal OF
womanhood, to US, at least, OF home birth and
breeding. 1t mean5 creature generous, ca
pable and modest; something franker than O
French woman, more to be trusted than an
Italian, as brave as IN American, but more re-
fined, as domestic as O German and moro
graceful. 1t meant girl who could be trust
ed alone if need be, because OF the innate pu-
rity aud dignity OF her nature, but who was
neither bold in bearing nor masculine IL mind;
girl who, when she married, would be her
husbands friend and companion, but never
his rival one who would consider their in
terests as identical, and not hold him as
Just so much fair game for spoil; who would
make his house his true home and place OF
rest, not mere passage place for vanity and
ostenta.ion to go through; tender mother,
an industrious hou:ekcepcr, judicious mis-
tress. We prided ourselves as nation on
our women. We thought we had the pick
OF all creation in Ills fam young English girl
of ours, and envied no other men their own.
We admired the languid grace and subtle fire
of the south; the eocility and childlike af1ec-
tionateness of the east seemed to US sweet and
simple and restful; the vlvacious sparkle Of the
trim and sprightly Parislenne was o pleasant
little excitement when We met with 1t IN lts
own domain but OH allegiance never wander
our hearts we're less yagrant than our fancies.
This was in the cd time, and when English
girls were content to be wnat God and nature
had made them. OF late years we have
changed the pattern, and have given to the
world a race Of women as utterly unlike the oid
insular ideal as If we had created another ma
tion altogether. The girl Of the period and
the fair young girl OF the past have nothing In
common save ancestry and their mother
tongue; and even ct this last the modern YER
sion makes almost new language, through
the copious additions it has received from
the current slang Of the day.
The girl OF the period is creature who
dyes her hair and paints her cheeks, as the
first articles OF her personal renslon; whose
sole idea Of life is plenty OF fun and luxury;
and whose dress is the object OF such thought
and intellect as she POSSESSES. Her main en-
dcavor in this is to outvie her neighbors in the
extravasGnce of fashion. No matter whether,
as in time of crinoline. she sacrlhcei decencF,
or. as now. IN the line OF trains, sine sacrifices
cleanliness; no matter, either, whether she
makes herself nuisance aud al ircepvenience
to every one she meets The girl OF the Pc
riod has done away with such moral muthsh-
ness as consideration for others, OF regard for
counsel and rebuIe. It was all very we'll in old
fashioned times. when fathers and mothers had
some authority, ald were treated with respect,
to be tutored aid made TO obey, but she Is
far too fast arc forrishing to be stopped
in u,,d-career by these slow old morals:
and as she dresses to please herself sine Goes
not care if she .lispleases every one else Noth-
ing is TOO exaggerated ior her vitiated taste ;
and things which in themselves would be use-
ful reforms If let alone, become montrosities
worse than those which they nave displaced
so soon as she begins 10 manipulate aud ini.
prove. Ifa sensible fashion lifts the gown out
| of the mud. she raises hers midway to the knee.
! If the absurd structure OF wre and buckram,
once called bonnet, is mcdihed to something
that shall protect the wearers face without
putting out the ewes OF her companion. She cuts
! hers down to foir straws and Il rosebud, or a
tag of lace and bunch OF glass beads: II
there is reaction against an excess OF Row
/ lands Macassar, AID hair shiny and sticky
with grease is thought less nice than il
leit clean and Healthy and crisp, she dries