The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-08-17
The Jolly Girl.


A recent English writer of keen
observation has taken the pains to
analyze that singular international
product, the jolly girl" We call
her an international product because,
barring certain superficial. local
traits, she is the same on both sides
of the Atlantic. She believes, first
of all, in having what she calls a good
time. Her tastes run in the direction
of manishness, or rather, of boyish-
ness, as this writer points out, for
women initiating men never succeed
in making themselves more than
boys. Her talk is spiced with
the slang of the club-room and
the race-course. Her dress is
very pronounced and masculine,
and her favorite amusements
are of an athletic and loud character
She is, in short, full of animal spirits,
and constantly protesting, in her
way, against the limitations of her
sex. BY general consent, and IN
compliment to the novelist who has
most attractively depleted her, we
call her in both hemispheres "Daisy
Miller"
She is rarely a bad creature, this
jolly girl, and she is usually piquant
and interesting, often surprisingly
handsome, and uniformly dashing
and self-assertive. If only she would
assuage her vivacitv and her conf.
dence IN herself with a little more
regard for the proprieties, she
would be winsome, as well as
striking and curious; but that
is just the thing she reso-
lutely will not do. Her mission, as
she understands 1t, is to be unique,
and being unique means, in her vo-
cabulary, being impatient of re-
straint, and advertising her assumed
ability to "take care of herself" In
other words, she discards the advan-
tages belonging to native modesty,
and instead of repelling familiarity,
boldly challenges it. There are no
sports that she is ignorant of; there
are no questions that she hesitates
to ask; there are no jokes that she
scruples to indulge in If they barely
miss being outrageous. 1t is her
chief delight to "shock" people by her
independence, and to show what a
'jolly" thing it is to push prudence
to the very verge of what might
easily be something worse, and yet
is not quite that.
The habits and springs of action
of the jolly girl associate her logical
ly as well as preferably with young
men of "horsey" tendencies and a
prediction for physical over
mental diversions. She abhors q
gallant who talks sentiment or treats
her as if she were merely a thing to
flatter and kneel to. Nor does she
care to gossip about books, pictures
or music, though she knows some
thing about all of them; she would
rather listen to the latest chat over
games and trials of bodily strength
and suppleness. She prides herself
upon her proficiency as a driver,
a rover, a swimmer, bowler and a
billiard. player. The customary
styles of social enjoyment, approved
by her more careful sisters, she
scorns as too prim and slow; she
wants something to stir the blood
and show that she is not simply
doll. If the prudes turn up their
noses and raise their hands in pious
horror, so much the better; she
likes to invite their sneers-and to
answer them with a good, hearty
laugh; other folks may make them
selves uncomfortable by being cor
rect If they choose, but for her part
she proposes to "have all the fun
there is going"
1t is not to be denied that the jolly
girl often makes a useful and an ex-
wife. She would be a very
sorrowful factor to contemplate if
such were not the case. 1t is equal
ly true, however, that her theory of
life is not favorable to the cultiva-
ton of those virtues which attract
desirable husbands to fit women for
the duties and responsibilities of
There is also ample
to the fact that, with all
her positiveness and capacity of self
defense, she is continually in more
or less peril, and too frequently
"turns out" in a way that need not
be named. Jenny Cramer was
Jolly girl. There are jolly girls
in every neighbOrhood-pret-
ty, spirited, happy, unsullied-
who would do well to pause. They
may be in no percelvable danger,
but the danger is there all the same,
and they can not know in what I'M
seen and fatal meshes they may be
entangling themselves through their
very sense of fancied security. The
saints are all in heaven, it is best to
and a giddy girl is now
as ever the favorite prey of those
who are not saints, but human beings
with evil passions. 1t is brave and
splendid thing to meet temptation
and resist 1t to the utmost; it is still
a better and safer and an equally
thing to keep out of temp
tation's way. A girl may be as
Jolly as there is any call for,
and yet she may put all possible
harm at arms length. She
has her destiny in her own hands,
but is not a thing to be trifled with.
There is fun enough and to spare
in this world, and sufficient share
of it is attainable without resorting
to indehcate and doubtful means.
The jolly girl has good heart, as a
rule, but she lacks caution. She
would be quite as happy and a great
deal more interesting if she would
take herself to task occasionally, and
temper her sanguine independence
with a little wholesome discretion
and her chance for advantageous
would at the same time be
improved.