The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-01

May Young Women Walk About Alone.

1t has become lively theme of dis
cussion, lately, in the British press,
whether the British young lady of the
present can or can not be trusted to 90
about the public highways alone The
adventure of Miss Dickinson with Col.
Baker no doubt. sets the matter agoing,
but it has taken in much wider range
of late than railway travel. The rule
with young ladies of position in Eng
land has heretofore been never to ven
ture into the streets without s. gOverness,
a maid, or ''prOtector'' of some sort.
This rule has been giving way of late,
principally, it would appear, under the
urgency of a certain set of young ladies
of social rank, who are, not very favor
| ably, known as "the fast set,n and
England is now agitated with the mis-
chievous results. The discussion is not
without a certain interest for New York,
which in these particulars is becoming,
shall we say, more ''metropolitan" than
it used to be. But, without touching it
from our own point of view to-day, we
submit paris of curious letter from
London Public Opinion, which contains
some remarkable statements abcut the
ways and works of gentlemanly men in
! London:
1t is equally an insult to girls who
must 90 out alone, and to richer girls,
to suppose they can not keep out Of
''fast sets" unless another person is all
ways at their elbow. If girl is of a
mind to like undesirable acquaint-
ances" she will find opportunities of
making them, however strictly chape-
roned; if not, she NAV be trusted to
avoid them, not because the governess
will scold, but from her own self-re-
spect. ...
Far from being too independent now
adays, girls are not independent enough.
Many pale, delicate girl, pining with
| dyspepsia and sedentary occupations,
might become robust with joyous health,
if she might 90 walking, rowing, riding,
taking plenty of exercise, the sort of
thing to make healthy, beautiful wom-
en-, and strong brave children. But
girls are so hedged around with propri
eties that exercise becomes merely an
other form of restraint Why should
not girls take walks, 90 to garden par
ties; aye, to any parties where the
guests are their equals, by themselves?
They would be taught to conduct them
selves as good women should, their
| brothers would be spared the duty (the
performance of which is so often made
such a very great favOr) of escOrting
/ their sisters, and men would learn not
/ to annoy a girl merely because they
see her alone, if it were considered un-
gentlemanly, and they knew that the
Lady Mary This, or the Hon. Miss
| That, went about alone as much as Miss
| So-and-so, who is equally gentlewOm-
an, but has to 90 about getting her own
living. At present men, not few
wicked wretches, but great numbers of
gentlemanly men, seem to think a young
lady by herself is fair game, although,
probably, one man in three has sister
who can not always find a duenna.
The way to remedy all this is not to
place more social trammels upon wom-
en-, but for men to feel how very mean
and cowardly it is of them to try and
mislead foolish girls. Yet l must say
this for them, that if girl goes on her
way, without deigning to take the
slightest notice of them, they seldom
persist farther than the length of one
Street, and surely it would be folly for
a girl to neglect education and health
rather than submit to that much annoy
ance.
Let it be the custom in Great Britain
for women of all classes to be perfectly
free, so that it is no matter of remark
for any girl to be alone, and that Gus
tom in itself will be a vast protection TO
women, will raise their standard of
health and intelligence, and we shall
hear less of indelicate conversation.