The Dickinson press., 1888-03-17
WOWAN AND HOME.
MRS. SHERWOOD WRITES CONCERN
ING A CHAPERoME'S DUTIES.

Society at the Capital-Comfor: for Weak
Hcarts--Cure for Frosted i'cct-c"id
starch -%Femininity- Economy STRAY
Bits of Useful Information.
But if a girl enters the world of fashion she
must accept its laws and limitations. They
arc inexoruhlr, and she must accept them ii
she would succeed. American wualun ami
ably possess Il Strong sense OF proiiietv. They
have a truly healthy love for virtue. an alb
sence of morbid suspiciono of wrong, as .Aninri-
can men have IL natural loNeof law and order
and Il propensity to obey the law. Let us
hope that it is the natural out,,!.i"uia yotng
republic and owing To the exceptionally ra-
s,artful and ciivallaois nature ri American
men that an American woman is safe any
where. Bret Hartc aud all The play wI,i"iits
have treated lis to the spectacle o. The sight
of one young schooiluist,ess who charmed IL
whole colony of wild miners into submission
and clean linen.
But we are ceasing to be til" fresh and
primitive young republic. We are becoming
one of the richest and most powerful and
luxurious people on the face of the earth.
We can afford to care little for the opinion
of foreigners. But we do not wish To place
our young girls in u false position in their
eyes. We do not wish them to grow up OBJ
livious of good manner
The duties of a cllaperone are tircSomc.
They call for great unselfishncss. She must
accompany her young charge into society.
She must sit i'll the parlor Which, gentlemen
are calling. She must, especially after the
young lady is engaged" go everywhere
with her.
A chaparone should be an Intelligent
woman. Society requires a certain amount
of handling, which only the social cxler. M
derstands. Some women have this tact. aud
q great many more have it not. 1t is n sort
of genius.
No very young firtatious married woman,
bent on amusing herself, should lie selected
for a chaperone for young girl. Size is no
protection to the charge, and she lacks the
first requisite of q care taker, a sense of pro-
priety, and the second requisite, which is I'M
selishness. If any woman should have Il
spotless record it should he the c!apcrone.
Much of the loudncss and ~fastiless ri a GER
tain set in American society is due to this
adoption of young charerones. y girl mar
ried yesterday is in no wise tittcal for the
post. In Europe, if she were a princess or a
Erallu uucueSS. Slt NC!lu SLlll lt I'M pIitft
herself. 1t is amusing for an American 10
see always noble ladies, royal ladies, dla-
gooned by an elderly, watchful Lady Sophia
or Charlotte something, who never leaves
them.
Although we have thrown of the slavery
of pomp and rank, although Our yning wo-
men come as near to the Jus.o miiiu oG lil,-
erty and propriety MS any women in the
.-.,ll although t1,n,. o,.a ,-,c.l,- "a, ,,,,% =,
he envied of any pretty young thing in the
universe, this question of chapcronage is one
which should be more considered than il is.
1t would go fur to silence gossip, to promote
respectability.
We cannot, perhaps, Immediately elurn,,
the daughters of people who nave suddenly
stepped from the responsibilities of cru Il
prosperity into the etiquette OF the quiet
elegant, educated, thoughtful people via,
have constituted for q century what we nial
call our American blue blood. Tic twr
classes, however, have always been living
side by side, and gradually they ainal:.Hmate
1t seems impossible that any .anerica,
woman, with her quiet intelligence and he,
initiative faculty. can be So ohliyip,, If tlt
moprieties which she shocks as are some al
those who travel or stay at home. obliviuus OF
chaperonc, or careless of good manners. W,
can only refer as al explanation To this mis-
take To the lack of reverence. and to the i'm
itative idea that il is clever and indclcu
dent to outrage the recognized etiquette %
the best society all the world over. W,
Americans are very sensitive to lidirulc
Let us first see that we do not deserve it.
We may as well accuse ourselves of OH
national sins, and take tho bitter pill at once
1t is a foolish begging of the question, to pre-
fer to appear badly, rather than he told thu
we do. No harm will come to n girl froiI
the companionship of a nice and good chalv
rome. Her mother, if possible, if not lie
mother, then the next best thing.-M. L. w
Sherwood i'll New York Mail and Express.