Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-04
The ChaperOn

Is the title OF one and a half column
article recently written by Mrs. John
Sherwood to the Philadelphia Press.
In it she claims that the American
girl needs the above protection. and
gives a number of reasons which,
from foreign point of view, prove
that she is correct. AS clinching
argument, she says: '"The Prince of
Wales, the best bred man in Europe,
even in his pleasures, has suggested
to more than one of his American
beauties that chaperon is neces-
sity." Doubtless he is right if the
above named beauty is particularly
attractive to him for we are assured
by Gail Hamilton and other reliable
writer's that by all the good fellows he
is regarded as a remarkably "good
fellow" The American gill does
need pure home influence, the ad-
vice of a thoughtful and unselfish
mother, and associations SO complete
ly above reproach that it is i'm
possible that they can contaminate
her innocence and inexperience /;
but she has no more need
of a chaperon than she has of
a pug-dog or a canary. Mrs. Sher-
wood further adds; "now in England
the houses of the fashionable would be
shut against this innocent young girl,
who is so Daisy Millersh (that is
the young girl whom the author has
previously described as having no
chaperon) as it would against the man
who cheats at cards; far more than
they are shut against the wo-
man who has degraded the name of
of wife and mother, especially if such
a woman bear an illustrious name to
such an one much is forgiven, but the
absence of the chaperon is never
forgiven" Well that is all right if
the aristocracy have 30 decreed it
they have perfect liberty to set up
whatever social standards they wish ;
but we are in America, not in Eng
land. 1 for one am glad to say,
(although l am ready to admit that
England does come nextto America)
and therefore l resent such inno-
vations as Mrs. Sherwood's chaperon.
What if the American girl is Looked
at, catalogued, described" She does
not go abroad to pose as a bit of
moral sculptor; to the contrary, she
visits Europe for the purpose of en-
joying or improving herself; and ii
she cannot be allowed the sweet
privilege of eating an apple or bis
cult, when she is hungcy, on the street
or in the cars, and if she is compelled
by the fear Of shocking the Dutch or
the French or the English, never to
address man except in the presence
of a third party, or to leave her hotel
unless she is attended by cher sister,
her cousin or her aunt" she had far
better remain at home. Mrs. Sher-
wood might as we'll urge upon
American mothers the necessi-
ty of forcing their daughters to
wear Chinese shoes and to walk like
the Celestial sisterhood on the sides
of their feet; and yet there are places
and people in this great, country of
ours where such foreign nonsense is
accepted as unalterable facts. In
Germantown, the most beautiful and
interesting suburb of Philadelphia,
am ashamed to state, all aristo-
cratic crazes prevail. Most of its
inhabitants are wealthy, educated,
and of long.standing; but because
the old Child Mansion. of kevolu-
tionary fame, is in the midst of
the town, and because innumerable
other old houses and names are linked
with its history, the Germantown
people close their eyes when they ride
through more plebian sections; while
they actually resent the presence of
either man, woman or child who
comes from Nicetown or Lioga. The
fiourishing but recent hamlets which
closely adjoin their carefully guarded
and historic town.
st. Paul,s Hospital.