Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-06
WOMAN AND HOME.
MRS. SHERWOOD WRITES CONCERN
ING A cHAPeRONE'S DUTIES.

ING A CHAPeRONE'S Ou les.
society at tho Capital-Comfort for Weak
Hearts-Cure for Frosted Feet-Cold
Starch -Femininity - Economy STRAY
Bits of Useful Information.
But if girl enters the world of fashion she
must accept it's laws and limitations They
are inexorable, and she must accept them if
she would succeed. American women ami
ably possess strong sense of propriety. They
have a truly HEALTHY love for virtue, an alb
sence of morbid suspicion of wrong, as Ameri-
can men have a natural love of law and order
and propensity to obey the law. Let us
hope that it is the natural outcome of a young
republic and owing to the exceptionally re-
spectful and chivalrous nature Of American
men that an American woman is safe any
where. Bret Harte and all the play wrights
have treated US to the spectacle OF the sight
Of one young schoolmistress who charmed
whole colony.of wild miners into submission
and clean linen.
But we are ceasing to be the 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 a false position IN their
eyes, We do not wish them to grow up OBJ
livious of good uhnners.
The duties Of chaperone are tiresome.
They call for great unselhshness. She must
accompany her young charge into society.
She must sit in the parlor when gentlemen
are calling. She must, especially after the
young lady is engaged" 60 everywhere
with her.
A chaperone should be an intelligent
woman. Society requires a certain amount
Of handling, which only the social expert I'M
derstands Some women have this tact, and
q great many more have it not 1t is q sort
of genius.
No very young firtatious married woman,
bent on amusing herself, should be selected
for a chaperone for young girls. She is no
protection to the charge, and she lacks the
first requisite Of care taker sense Of pro-
priety, and the second requisite, which is I'M
sefishness II any woman should have a
spotless record it should be the chaperone
Much of the loudness and fastness of Ger
tdlI otl III khulci CCCiCtJ 10 Auo W Wills
adoption of young chaperonss A girl mar
ried yesterday is in no wise fitted for the
post In Europe, if she were a princess or a
grand duchess; she would still be chaperoned
herself It is amusing for an American to
see always noble ladies, royal ladies, dra-
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 young wo-
men come as near to the Juste miliu Of lib
erty and propriety as any women in the
world, although they are vastly the most to
be envied of any pretty young thing in the
universe, this question of chaperonage Is one
which should be more considered than it is.
1t would 20 far to silence gossip, to promote
responsibility.
We cannot, perhaps, Immediately educate
the daughters Of people who have suddenly
stepped from the responsibilities Of crude
prosperity into the etiquette Of the quiet
elegant, educated, thoughtful people who
have constituted for q century what we may
call our American blue blood The two
classes, however have always been living
side by side, and gradually they amalgamate.
1t SEEMS impossible that any American
woman, with her quiet intelligence and her
initiative faculty, can be 80 oblivious Of the
proprieties which she shocks a. are some Of
those who travel or stay at home, oblivious Of
or careless Of good manners. Wo
can only refer as an explanation TO this mis-
take to the lack of reverence, and to the in-
itative idea that 1t is clever and indopen-
dent to outrage the recognized etiquette of
the best society all the world over We
Americans are very sensitive TO ridfcule.
Lot us first see that we do not deserve IT,
We may as well accuse ourselves Of our
national sins and take the bitter pill at once
1t is foolish begging Of the question, TO pre-
fer to appear badly, rather than be told that
we do. No harm will come 70 girl from
the companionship Of nice and good chape-
rome. Her mother, il possible. If not her
mother, then the next best thing.-M. E. W.
Sherwood in New York Mail and Express.