Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-17
No Espionage For American Gi-s.

There seems at present to be 4 great
desire among some people, writes
Bessie Bramble in the Pittsburg Dis
patch, to ape this European fashion, re-
Gardlng young women as incapable of
taking care of themselves-of seeming
to think that the daughters of wealth
are so little fitted by education and
training for knowing how to behave in
the society of men that they must be
constantly watched-that girls in
society could not be trusted to be
modest and proper unless under tow
Of some dOwager, or maid, or govern
ess, or groom. But fashion which
applies only in Europe to the few cannot
be established in this country as code
of etiquette for the many. 1t is some
thing to be thankful for, and rejoice
over that American men with all tneir
faults, are not such brutes that I'M
married women cannot be trusted to
go out alonein society, or on the streets,
or in the cars, or to church, or to bust
ness. 1t is something to be glad over
that our girls are SO trained and edu-
Gated to be independent-that they are
neither innocent imbeciles, nor half
idiots, who could not be allowed to
walk the streets without a guardian, or
90 to 4 friends house without Il pro-
tectOr, CT enter a shop without a maid
The attempt to make the American
society conform to and be measured
by the standards of Europe established
by and for Il small caste, is a matter
for ridicule and resistance rather than
for adoption. Society in this country
has no fixed limitations of blood and
family as in Europe. Girls here, who
grow up free as mountain air, and
never had or felt that they needed a
guard, rise to the highest positions and
take rank with the best and noblest in
the world.
A girl here who goes to her daily toll
at tap of bell or shrek of whistle may
become a Queen as to wealth, and look
down upon Kings. A girl here who
goes alone to the factory or to the shop,
or to the schoolhouse to do her work
without a thought or dread of losing
her social position, is as pure, modest,
and divinely good as any Duchess or
Princess who is never allowed to be
out of sight of a governess, q chaperon,
q maid, or a groom. Moreover, an
American girl who knows what it is
to take part in the worlds battle for
bread, when she by fate or luck has
reached a position of wealth which
places her among the highest in the
country, loses nothing in prestige,
nothing in character, nothing in honor
because she spent her youth out in the
world making her own way alone.
Mrs. Stowe, who, when a girl, taught
school for a living, and who was never
attended by amaid or groom, and when
married did her own work on an in
come Of $600ayear,i is fully to be regard
ed and respected as the equal socially
of the highest-eyen Queen Victoria
herself, who hardly drew a breath I'M
watched, and never bought a thimbIe
or box of candy, or jumped the rope
upon the sidewalk, without dragon
of maid or a governess on guard.
Louisa Alcott began her career by
Giving out" and worked as teacher
and a writer, and will any assign
to her a lower social position than
some of the dumbheaded Duchesses of
Europe, who were educatedin converts
and who would lose character if they
appeared upon the streets without
guard? Mrs. Cleveland was brought
up with the freedom of an American
girl. VIII any one claim that her
social position is lower than that of
the Empress of Germany or Austria,
OF the Queen of Italy or Spain, who
were under guard every hour Of their
lives?