Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-03
Bessie Bramble Asserts That Our
Girls Do Not Need Chaperons.
BOYS NEED THE MOST WATCHING.
Good Mothers Will Always Rear Good
Daughters.
THE BOORs OF EUROPEAN SOCIETY
rwRrrrrN ron THE DrsrAron.l

she writes having guardians. 1.-THE first,
best and most-to-be-desired chaperon for
any young girl is her mother" so also it
may be said that the first, best and most-to-
be-desired guardian of young boy is his
father. In fact, as may be readily pointed
out, o boy really needs guardian more at
the age when he begins to SOW wild oats
than does girl on entering society. Mrs.
Dahlgren asks, ''Why should a mother
not chaperon her daughter?" On the
same ground of protecting him from the
wiles and pitfalls of this wicked world,
why should it not be the proper thing
for father or mother to chaperon their sons
who are even more prone TO go astray than
are the daughters? Numerous, happy homes
are oftentimes thrown into state of dismay
and distraction by sons of Is or 19 going off
on sprees, spending their days and nights in
riotous living, being enticed and beguiled
by artful and designing women, and making
entirely unsuitable marriages, which mar
their lives and bring unbappiness to their
friends, and yet nothing is said about their
being kept straight by the constant presence
of chaperon or guardian. 1t is not i'm
pressed upon mother by society that she
must keep her eye upon her son and accom-
pany him everywhere, SO as to prevent his
taking up with improper acquaintance, to
| interpose formidable barriers to his fallingin
love with ineligible girls, and to place In
| surmountable impediments in the way of
| his running his happiness by a mad mar
riage. The impression is more than likely
to the contrary-that her oversight, infu-
! ence and watchful care are no longer needed
or desired after the first faint symptoms of a
mustache appears: Not long ago a prOmi-
nent man affirmed in lordly fashion that
| q nf q hov ha nnk
from his mothers apron strings, and be
taught self-reliance and independence-tha
| at that age he should be taken from a
woman's management and thus grow up to
be man rather than milksop. Other men
probably have the same opinion, as so many
of them show a contempt for the mothers
opinions and thus incite in the boys q dis
regard for her wishes.
WHY GIRLS NEED cHAPERoNs.
But why should boys be let loose upon
the world at an early age, while it is held
that girls must be watched and guarded and
chaperoned until they are married, even if
that does not happen until they have
reached the season of the sere and yellow
leaf? The special duty of a chaperon, saws
Mrs. Dahlgren, sis to guard her marriage
able wards as far as is possible in receiving
the attentions of men," This construed by
the unwritten law means that the chaperon
is to discourage the advances and assign the
cold shoulder to prospective lovers whose
| fortunes and family-particularly the
! former-do not come up to the de-
mands of good match, and to encourage
| and promote the advances of the "eiigibles''
who have the requisite cash to Keep up
style, whether they have any claims to
character and brains or not. It is duly set
forth that chaperons are necessary for un-
married girls because they are held to be
''guileless, artless and confding," qualities
very lovely and attractive, but yet very
dangerous, as Mrs. Dahlgren observes. in
society owing to the inexperience of the
carefully guarded girls when Launched
from their home moorings into the swift and
dangerous currents of the voyage of life"
In view of the society girls-as they are
very being guileless. artless
and confding," most people will laugh at
the transparent pretense, while the idea that
chaperon can make their fond illusions
sale realities, is something to upset the
gravity of a marble statue or an adamantine
rock.
The chief reason as we gather from Sister
Dahlgren'splea for chaperons is ''the preven-
ton oil their unmarried wards from making
ineligible marriages" " but the newspapers
and common experience show that when
girls are mo t strictly secluded and guarded,
they are far more liable to elope with the
coachman, or the gardener, or the swIndler,
than when allowed to exercise freedom and
to enjoy the pleasure of congenial company,
1t is not wonderful that so many indie
pendent American girls scoff at this i'm
ported European fashion, and scorn it as
implying suspicion and distrust of their
ability TO conduct themselves With decorum
and proper dignity. They have been trained
to self reliance, moral sense, and perception
of right and wrong in the American style,
and do not take kindly to such
SYSTEM OF ESPIONAGE
as prevails in the aristocratic circles of
Europe where so-called gentlemen only mt
on their good manners in their own set or
caste. Two American ladies of culture and
refinement thought they might go out on the
streets OF Berlin, trusting to their gray hair
not to be insulted, but they were summarily
jostled off the sidewalk into the gutter by
some of the Emperor's grand officers, who
laughed and jeered at their dismay at such
rudeness When the nobility OF Continental
Europe is composed of such unmannerIv
Doors OF course protection is needed for
women; but where are the officers of the
army in this country who would SO treat
women of any age? 1t must take great love
and reverence for title much pride and
fondness for petty distinction. much bowing
down and groveling after high position to
enable American women to live with and
endure such men. What wonder is it that
so many of their marriages with impecunious
Princes, and Counts, and Barons, and petty
lordlings turn out to be most miserable and
unhappy?
But this European system of chaperonaee
for unmarried women is not as is claimed.
for the protection of the virtue OF girls-it
is simply foreign fashion which those in
love with European styles are endeavoring
to bring into vogue in this country in their
attempt to establish the same restrictions of
caste. Sister Dahlgren's remarks as to the
necessity of chaperons for the young ladies
of society do not apply. it would ap-
pear, to the thousands of young women
working in stores, factories, counting houses
and schools. These go to their daily en-
ployment alone without ehaDeron, whereas
by the code OF those who are attempting to |
establish the European system for the pro- ;
lection of young women this would be ter |
rible infraction OF good form, and subject |
them to the suspicion of improperly These |
go to their merry makings and recreations
motest idea that they need to be pro- |
tected by a chaperon from commit |
ting errors and indiscretions, and for |
the insuring of their proper behavior as re |
CARDS men. They no more dream of wrong |
or improperly than did their mothers be- |
fore them, who went to singing schools and |
sleighing parties and Fourth of July cele- |
brations with their "beaux," and to whom |
the name of chsperon was unknown. 'sVir- |
tuous mothers train up virtuous daughters.
said a good old lady from the depths of long |
experience, "and if the girls of society |
must have a chaperon always on hand to |
keep them straight it is quite evident to nv
mind that there is something wrong about |
their bringing up-or else men are an |
amazing sight worse than they were in NV |