Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-01-05
THE CHAPERON ABROAD.
LANDS WHERE FEMININE GUARDIAN
SHIP Is A SOCIAL NECESSITY. 4


irresponsible Existence of the Spanish
Girl-The Chaperon In Central Europe.
Rules in Belgium and Germany-Eng-
lands Female Dragons.
In those countries, and among those by
whom a chaperon is recognized as a social
necessity, no chaperons in any Christian
country have so severe a task as those of
Spain. From early childhood until young
womanhood the Spanish girl is generally i'm
INJURED within convent walls, presumably for
her education, although what she learns dur
ing those long years, except the rudiments of
reading and writing, how to sew and en-
broider a little, to use fan to perfection, to
wear her garments with bewitching grace,
and to use her eyes to the destruction of the
repose of all male beholders, it would be diff
cult to say Once out of the convent and Of
marriageable age-say IA or 15-she is placed
in the charge of duenna, who from that
moment never loses sight of her in daytime
| and sleeps in the same room at night Such
thing as a moments privacy the girl
neither expects nor obtains. If the gouvern-
ante absents herself, the young lady is first
|
church, to the opera, or for a walk, she is
| closely guarded; on the street, or the paseo,
she is sent step or two in advance, the
| mother or duenna, or often both, following
| so that they can see her every motion, and
that no daring lover slips billet doux into
her not unwilling hand. The consequence is
that, feeling perfectly safe and entirely ire
sponsible, she is the most arrant fiirt in the
universe.
In France, Germany, Austria and through
Central Europe the duties of a chaperon are
much alike, and are far lighter than they
were even fve-and-twenty years ago.
Throughout Europe no young girl, or to put
it more plainly, no unmarried woman, can
appear in public unescorted by some matron.
AS for male escort, that is, Of course, far
worse than being alone. Evena brother can
not take his sister to theatre or place of
public resort without a chaperon. In France
it is indeed the custom to keep the brothers
rigidly apart from the sisters after their Sth
year, except when in the company of the pa.
rents, because the whole educational scheme
is so different for the two sexes Often later
in life and after the sister is married they be-
come close friends, but no girl would be al
lowed to 60 into the streets or public places
with her brother; some one might not know
that it was brother, and there would be q
scandal To balls and parties the girl can
only 60 with her mother or some chaperon,
who for the time represents her. No sooner,
however, is the young French girl made
wife-perhaps to some man she hardly knows
by sight-than all this is changed; it is like
the lowly grub suddenly bursting into the
most gaudy of butterflies.
In Germany and Austria the rules, al
though strict, are not so rigid as in France,
the young ladies, both at home and in the
ball room, being allowed little more liber-
ty, especially where the Protestant element
predominates, in this differing widely from
France, where the Protestants are VIGOROUSLY
more rigid and Puritanical than their Catho-
lie fellow countrymen, denying to youth even
such innocent pleasures as dancing and other
harmless amusements.
Belgium, at least SO far as its capital city is
concerned. follows French customs, and
much the same may be said of ST. Peters
burg. In Holland, while the court etiquette
is the strictest in Europe, the girls are al
lowed in their home life almost as much free
dom as are English girls. Italy, but few
years ago the most formal country in mat
ters social, is breaking down her barriers.
The immense number of English and Ameri-
can girls constantly on the continent, and
who insist upon carrying with them the free
dom of action that they look upon as their
birthright, the wealth, beauty and accom-
plishments of many of them giving access to
the best society and compelling the admira-
tion of all, has done vastly much toward free
ing their continental sisters.
In England the duties of a chaperon are
much the same as in the larger American
cities. To go to ball, party, flower show,
theatre or other place of public amusement
girl must have chaperon of some sort who
sees her from her home and returns her to it.
At ball the advantage of the chaperon to
the girl is enormous, especially if the lady be
a woman of the world. If bore comes along
the chaperon claims his attention; if the girl
cannot say she is engaged for the particular
dance the bore has asked for, the chaperon,
at look, says: "You must rest this dance,
dear; you must not over fatigue yourself, I
insist; come and sit here by me-" 1t is the
same when the girl wishes to escape from an
ineligible, especially if she thinks some one
else is looking for her; II must 20 back to
mamma, now Tor to Mrs. Blank, as the case
may be). l promised to come directly the
dance was over"
The only continental country that permits
almost American or English freedom to it's
girls is Switzerland. Even in the French
portion-Geneva and its neighborhood-
girls walk unattended through the streets,
and at the most fashionable female boarding
school parties are given twice month to
which the college students and other young
men of fashion are invited.-E. j. Biddle in
Globe Democrat