Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

-HNUAlNaIN are lar more OlSLlncb
HHG<E1 than those of any other
cSas country, and hence the
MmnLTENs perpetual and never
ending discussion of
what lady may or may not do, and still be
considered above reproach. 1t is pity that
the old-time habits of American women are
becoming hampered and prejudieed by So
cial customs
The day when an American woman did
exactly what she chose has gone by. No
body thought the worse of her for her free
dom and courage. On the contrary, a charm
was added to her long list of attractions by
this very trait of her character. That the
day has gone by when she can do what she
pleases was we'll illustrated last week by a
party of Vassar girls who came to the city
and went 70 a matinee. The only thing
that the newspapers disagree upon con-
cerned the number of the young women
who visited the theater.
A great conflict is raging between the col
lege AUTHORITIES and the theatrical man.
ayers. The number of girls who attended
the matinee is placed at various figures
from 2 to 50. What surprises me most is
that anybody should care a rap one way or
the other. Suppose lot of college girls
did come to New York and attend first
class theater. The light opera which was
presented was of thoroughly inoffensiye
nature, the music pretty and dashing, and
there was absolutely nothing to which any
sensible man could object in the whole
performance. Since when has it become a
crime for girls to attend a matinee? It re-
minds me of the war of words which en-
sued after the hansoms were introduced in
New York.
DRAWING THE LINE.
For at least year very large and con-.
stantly growing class of people have been
writing to the papers persistently saying
that it was disgracetul thing for any
woman to appear in public in hanson.
There was no particular reason for it, of
course, as the hanson is a comfortable,
roomy and pleasant vehicle and thousand
times more pleasant than stuffy cab, and at
this time no one sees any harm in them. In
deed, the best and most careful women here,
as elsewhere in the world, rather fancy the
two-wheeled vehicle, and yet if anybody
were to turn to the files of the newspapers
about two years ago he would find the most
hot-headed and violent criticisms against the
use of those hansoms.
Another phase of the matter may be seen
in the time at present about the inaugural
ball and the subject of wearing low dresses
thereat. The women of to-day do not dress
half SO low as their grandmothers did, and
more important than that, the young girls
of to-day do not dress low at ALL The pop
ular theory in New York City is that young
girls go to balls and dinner parties with
dresses that display lavish expanse of bust,
back and arms. 1t is true that young
matrons and married women wear low
dresses here, just as they do in every great
city in the world; but the young girls and
debutantes always have the neck of their
bodices filled in with lace.
This perpetual harping on what is sup
posed to be indelicate in the attire of women
is a particularly unpleasant phase of .criti-
cism in my mind. / do not know whether
I am particularly obtuse or thoroughly
hardened in such matters, but / must admit
that I have not been able to see the evil
which men and women so constantly COM
plain of in the attire of American girls.
BATHING ALL RIGHT.
I have been on all the beaches from
Maine to Cape May and seen great many
thousands of women in bathing costumes. I
have read glowing accounts from various
correspondents of the awful suggestiveness
of the costumes of the young girls at Long
Branch, Narragansett and Atlantic City,
and I have seen some of the bathing suits
that were so vividly described. 1 believe it
all to be lot of arrant humbug. Why is
there anything more suggestive in we'll
fitting bathing suit than in a big and
voluminous one ? After woman has once
entered the water the outlines of her figure
are revealed whether her jacket is an exact
Eft or made ten times too big for her. can
,0t fha fn1 ind of he
either.
American girls, as rule, are 1.-THE,
supple and graceful to the last degree.
Their actions in the water and on the
beaches are those of happy and unconscious
girlhood. 1t seems to me it is wilful effort
of perverted imagination to ascribe to
them such nasty motives and to cry out for
ever against the indecency of their, attire
In the detail of the neck, for instance,
have never yet seen bathing suit on a
woman in America which was cut down
like a ball dress, though descriptions of
such have been numerous. The necks are
always high and the skirt is usually ample
enough to cover all the needs OF propriety.
1t is this sort of criticism which will event
ually rob our girls of their greatest charm,
and that is their uncoAsciousness of wrong.
1t must be said in a general way that an
American girl can go anywhere and do any
thing with perfect Indifference to the mis-
construction of carping criticism. A few
nights ago had an apt illustration of the
thorough confidence which American girls
exhibit in their ability to take care of
themselves. was returning home quite
late from the opera when L discovered a
light in window of big bachelors apart
ment house on Broadway. A man lived
there to whom wished to say goodbye be-
fore leaving for Europe, and 1 ran up to see
him. When he was q years of age he
came into fortune of nearly half million
dollars.
CONVENIENT RELATIVES.
It took him nearly six years to spend it
all. He worked industriously and inde-
fatigably. Not'a penny of it was turned to
any particular good. After he lost his
money relatives died at convenient inter-
walls and kept him more or less supplied
with funds. He is the sort of man whom
women describe as dangerous. 1 don't
know whether he has much conscience or
not, but I do know that he has many charm
ing qualities, and that his friendship is
worth having, and he is the most amiable |
ana amusing correspondent that ever had.
The elevator boy at the house knew me,
and went direct to his apartments Be |
fore 1 had reached the door L heard tre- |
mendous yelling within and 1 had to knock |
three times tosbe heard. Then the FOUNDERS |
voice in stentorian tone babe me come in, |
and walked into his bachelor rooms to |
find him walking up and down excitedly !
and debating like mad to 'stenographer |
He wore smoking cap over one eye, puffed |
a cigar and gesticulated with tremendous |
force as he reeled off what was apparently a |
love scene in the most dramatic fashion. He |
gripped my hand, pushed me into a chair,
showed box of cigars and some matches to- /
ward me and waved finger at me excited