The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-15
Our Girl of The Parlod.

Health has come into fashion for
women There is no doubt whatever
about it. Corsets are looser heels are
lower, and the possession of legs adapted
for walking as well as dancing is acknow
lodged by the gentler sex. The fashion
of health growing so rapidly popular is
doubtless an outgrowth OF the same an
elomania which fosters the dude. But
hail to the fop of British proclivities
since he brings into style with him the
girl who adores red cheeks and early ris.
ing and long walks; the girl who thinks
riding is ''awfully jolly the girl who
knows how to swim and play lawn tennis
a1d battledore. Hail to the dude for
setting these fashions for girls of this
happy, hearty period. Hail to the dude,
hail and good-by, for the sons of the
next generation will inherit the physical
health to their mothers, the girls of to
day and the race of eliminate oane-suckers
will perish before the old law OF the
survival of the fittest. The mothers of a
nation are its bulwarks. Literature is
full of aphorisms about this. History
repeats it again and again.
The mothers of the elder generation OF
American men, the grandmothers OF the
dudes were strong, healthy women. But
the mothers Of our young people of to-
day are reaping the effects of the tight
corsets and the French heels and the
| French novels and the shebbery nonsense
that flooded the country twenty-five and
thirty years ago. Walking has been con
sidered almost disgrace, a confession
| of poverty on streets where the patrician
street car wended its way. Horseback
riding until lately has been considered 6
little loud, and women feared to b(
thought strong-mipded il they expressed
pure, earnest convictions about the
physical duties ond responsibilities O
feminity and maternity. Many mer
have been found to praise delicate health
and blossom-like fragility of tempera
ment Yes, American women fade
early" said gentleman lately, speaking
of the lovely complexion of an old En-
glish lady of 60 or thereabouts. American
women fade early, it is true, but would
rather have faded flower than fresh
cabbage"
That sounds very fine theoretically
but give that man his choice for human
natures daily food between the two, an(
if he is capable of showing sense and
sentiment instead of sentmentality HI
would be very likely TO jump at TIL
cabbage.
Cabbages and corned beef by the wa.
are getting fashionable as food. and porl
and beaes hold rivalry with ham and eggs
brown bread, oatmeal porridge, custard
and fresh fruit. while pies are out, ant
seven kinds of cake at a party is utterl,
and truly vulgar. OF course the girls
rush to extremes in this matter, as Ameri
cans girls usually do, but when one o
the adorable creatures tells man tina
she prefers potatoes to ice cream, anC
beefsteak to oysters and taffy to caramels
there is hope for the race and for thu
/ pocketbook of the lunch-paving admirer
An American girl cannot be in danger
either of the loudness of too many En-
glish girls with whom good health is
pet fad. Few American girls ever tall
horsey slang, as the too-too Jolly Englisl
cousin is all too apt to do. Slang is al
ways reprehensible and uDbecoming, bu
one can find it in ones heart to forgive
the picturesque phrases which are Occa
sionally heard from the lips OF our new
girl of the petroleum riding, walking
rowing, driving, diving, and delightful
girl