New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-23
urn gOSIERES.


OUR EOSIERES.
Tomorrow a pretty ceremony VIII DC cci-
ebrated in many of the rural dlstrlcts Oh
France, which is considered by the young toikS
of as much importance as a change OF rulers
II il the browning of the Roslere. This queen
of the Summer is the young girl under
eighteen whom n solemn committee composer
Of the priest, the beadle, the mayor ana three
of the fathers of the parish agree III pro-
nonncing the most chaste, modest ana Deau-
tiful of the maidens. Besides her crown OF
roses. q dot is given to her. As matter OF
course this happy pOssessor of beauty, virtue,
and full purse is married before the year Is
ont. The rosy wreath is the one object OF
ambition to every maiden, and when IL
Is won, worn, and withered, the Roslere
has it framed and hung up as an
heirloom for her children and grand
children. In the hundred years winch
have passed since the Able d'HeiOt instituted
this pretty custom at Suresncs, 1t has no
doubt kept the ieet of many poor peasant
girl in the narrow path of virtue.
Now, an American girl Of the lowest rank
would look upon the offer of a crown and
dover az q reward for preserving her virtue
as a direct insult, which fact is significant
index to the different condition of women III
the New World and the Old. Her honor is as
essential part of her being as her brain or
her blood. Why should she be rewarded for
itf There is no nation In the world in which
virtue among the middle and lower classes is
as much matter of course as in our own.
Hence the freedom Of manner and action
which our girls claim, and which leads them
TO be so cruelty misjudged by foreigners. The
facts are matter Of statistics, not national
pride. In the poorer classes OF Sweden, Ger
many, France, Scotland and England, honor
able marriage has been so difficult matter
for century past, owing to the low rates OF
labor and the expenses of living that
woman scarcely sacrifices her good
name with her honor. The frail grisette
of Paris. or the Swedish or German girl too
long betrothed, is married by her lover as
soon as he can afford 1t, and becomes an
honorable matron. She needs crown or purse
to incite her to virtue. Even in the higher
classes the line is lower than here. Sarah
Bernhardt, with four children and no
husband. would not have been received into
decent society here. But the American glrl of
one step aside she is irretrievably ruined a
few paltry roses and dollars are not wanted
to keep her out of pit more real In its
degradation and misery TO her than any mag
mary lell.
But IL the crown were offered here for mod
ssty of manner it might be useful, and it un-
aoubtedly is needed. There is certain high
spirited sef-reliance in our girls, which
shows itself in lOudness of speech and sauoy,
bold manner, which would be unbecomlng
even to manly boy. This Is partly due to
that sense of absolute security in their own
innate virtue and the respect which the men
about them give to every woman. But it has
grown, too, out of the recent movement to make
women self-dependent, to take them out OF the
yelled seclusiOn, helpessness and timdity of the
old-fashiOned home training. and tn ft them to
battle with the world side by side with their
brothers. There Is a good deal to be said III
favor of the modern theory. In the old times
a girl was brought up to marry, to be wife
and mother. She could do nothing outside of
home Marriage was her one chance in life
for position, work, a home, and, worst of all,
a living. Naturally she wished to be married,
as a man wished to get place or an income,
and too often man9uvred to bring about that
cOnsummatiOn as energetically. A young
woman scheming to bring man to her feet,
whether it Is his heart or his money that she
wants, is as unpleasant a sight as the sun
shines upon. Within the last twenty years
there has been a marked change in the edu-
cation of our girls, especially in the more
well-to-do classes. They are trained in art,
music, in a thousand ways, with the avOwed
purpose of giving them means OF earning
living, If necessary. With such certain
hold on the substantial things of life as this,
there is no reason why woman should de-
sire marriage for other than womanly and
natural reasons Nor is there any reason
why she should be pert and bold even If she
earns her own living. There is every reason,
however, why an American girl. with her firm
virtue and self-dependence. should learn also
modesty and feminine delicacy of manner.
Then she would be the Rosere of the world
IL 10 ra tIv IN ba desired that there shoud be an