Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-26
WOMEN IN GOTHAM.
MANY WAYS IN WHICH NEW YORK
Is GOOD TO THEM.
No Other Place on the Globe Where
Young Women Receive So
Much Respect.


about them; but mean we girls who ex-
list on our own Independent basis, who,
whether we live with our families or not,
have earned our right to be individual en-
titles, SO to speak. We are, as well as 1
can make out, a New York product.
There is not another place on the face of
the round globe where civilization takes
so much account Of US and makes us so
comfortable
There are precious few others where we
are allowed TO exist Elsewhere our wings
are clipped and We become simply unmar-
ried women, neeaing and struggling for
husbands.
1t is very curious and interesting how
easily New York gets along with prob
lem that is logically so chaotic. Here, at
n time when the chaperone has been i'm
ported to every grade of society that
makes any pretensions to true respecta-
bility; when the American girl, according
to the canons of fashion, is being curtailed
of her rights to her young man and to
courtship after her own sweet will, this
same American girl has risen up-a nota-
bic minority of her-and gone about her
work in the world with an absorption that
has precluded her taking an account of
what Mrs. Grundy had to say And the
fun IS that she is doing her work SO well
and making herself so desirable that Mrs.
Grundy IS glad to take her on her own
terms.
OF course there are some places where
the conventionalities are right. One does
not go to a Patriarchs' ball without a
chaperone; but if one is in the way of an
invitation one is usually easily in the way
OF finding chaperone, and it is perfectly
amazing what young woman can do
among the incest people all by herself
Whatever credit is due New York as a
place in which woman can go around at
nlght-in any well-used thoroughfare-do
let 1t have, for it deserves it, | can testify.
When / say well-used thoroushfare' |
am confining myself to, my own expert
enee. | personally have no liking for tax
ing risks, and | never put myself in a
place where anything could happen to me-
or where l could even be frightened; but
/ know some young women physicians who
go about as their duty calls them, under
much less restricting conditions, and tell
the same tale.
One problem, however, has been solved
ladies maids are no longer necessity
as companions to parties, theaters and other
public places Nowadays, when an unpro-
tected young woman needs an escort she
sends for messenger boy.
| think that Is the funniest thing in
creation; the most futile concession to the
old order of things.
If the boy is little, what earthly good is
he? And if he is big he might easily be
construed as disreputable! Anyhow, ii
would be quite as effective and cheaper in
the end 10 have badge made bearing
some such inscription as: II am respecta-
BILE; and not only that, l am lady and
on my way to literary reception Owing
to circumstances over which | have no
control, no member Of my family is at hand
10 accompany me, 50 please treat me with
consideration"
As matter of fact, of course, there is
no need of anything. Ny experience is
that all the world assumes peoples re-
respectability till they prove the contrary
Nevertheless, | adopted the messenger boy
at once for social purposes. He is not USE
ful, but in a way he seems ornamental: he
is a concession to the pomps and ceremo-
nies in life, and it seems rather sudden
own self, party bag on arm, at friends
door on party night The messenger boy
seems invented chiefly to impress the ser.
want that opens the door. If / had re-
ceipt for Undertaking. him right there be.
fore ring it would do every bit as we'll
for unless have a cab land don't often)
no one would ever dream that that messen.
ger belonged to me. He goes on ahead
and lags behind, and stops to exchange
condolences with other messenger boys, and
!; altogether treats me with contumely. |,
is plain to be seen that he despises me
though don't know why.
Altogether, he takes me down quite un.
comfortably, so that by the time get tc
my destination and ought to be in my best
feather, am beginning to doubt whether
my hair is becoming, after all, and to be
mortally sure that that wrinkle | caught
sight Of under my left shoulder blade is
there rs permanency and was not the re-
suit Of twisting myself to get rear view
in the glass. These suferings and the fact
that with the immortal Gilpin / love s
frugal mind. have led me to invent grea
scheme on the messenger boy matter.
/ don't take him all the way
! don't have him to come to my palatia
fiat for me when the way is long anc
weary No, sir; on such occasions / BRAY,
the lesser dangers of the car conductor
and the travelling public by myself, anC
then ] 60 to the messenger station neares
my destination and get the boy there whC
is TO shed laster on my advent. Saves
money, you see, and cuts short the perioC
during which that wretched boy can subtl,
torment you.
He is rather poor arrangement as 4 so
cial feature, IS the messenger boy. wisf
they'd get up a bureau of maids, to be le
on similar terms. | like cutting arounC
with maid. You may be sure | do no
bother myself with anybody on business
occasions.
The way women alone are treated at tn,
theaters Is a wonderful instance of tha
common-sense fexibility. I've been prais
ing New York on the practical woman
question.
When was student in Cincinnati, be
fore coming 10 New York, some six o.
seven years ago now, none of the reputabl,
theaters would admit two women alone a
night to its seats Everybody remember
when there was discussion of simila
point in Washington when Miss Cleveland
went to the theater with party of ladies
OF course all that is provincial. The for
eign idea is far from the opinion that tn,
presence of man necessarily confers re
spectability. On the contrary, they thinl
his absence enforees temporary form 0
the article, a. any rate. But IN New Yorl
we are unique. The theaters have cod,
that fits the case as it is here, and any re
spectacle young woman can go 10 any the
ater in this town, entirely by herself, with
out provoking any noticeable attention.
The theatrical people themselves hav,
done something to bring about this stat,
of things here. They, without regard t.
age or sex, are devoted to the theater ane
when young women are PLAYING at one
house they often have chance to run il
70. an act or two at another, and no chanc,
TO get companion.
For instance, in the "Two Orphans,
whoever is playing Marianne Rose Ey
tinge's original part has nothing to d,
from the first act to the sixth; that j
plenty of time to hurry on her clothes ant
go see an act of play somewhere else, ane
nine times out Of ten that is what Mari
anne does In the plays now running her,