Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-20


insinuates that s'she" would wear a
stocking which needed darning. wish
l had the ability to take up the cudgels
In defense OF the much written-about
American girl OF tie period. 1t is diff
cult 10 De girl nowadays, 30 much is
expected OF them, and If I were TO live
my ilie over again | think l would be
porh Doy. Then no one would object
70 my carrying q cane and nothing
nopler ln the way of q "careern would
up into a politician; which. if horn
with "'gift" of shrewdness and sharp-
ness and smartness, instead of goodneas
and virtue and honesty, would be an essv
matter to compass. Now daar M
Editor, may tell you of tgpicai Amer
lean glrl-by no means an exceptional
one-who will soon graduate from one If
our largest colleges. This girl is tower
OF strength to her mother during the long
summer vacations, SO deftly does she darn
all the family hose, from her fathers
down to the smallest atom of all. Her
Garning bears no resem blance to GobeIiu
tapestry. on the wrong side either. but SO
skillfully is it done one can hardly deter
mine wheresthe fabric ends and the darn
begins. She is also an expert in cakes
and puddings, preserves and pickles, and
well versed in that art of arts, the proper
boiling of potato and cooking OF a beef
steak. Now that / may further
vindicate my position, let me copy
an extract from letter written to
her parents, somewhat in diary fashion:
Monday proved a reIentlessly raipy
day, and we were obliged to give up our
skating. In the morning swept NV
room thoroughly and wrote for while
on my physics paper. In the after
noon dozen or 30 of the girls went down
into the parlor, where an open fire made
the room cheerful, and took with us our
weekly mending, while one of our num-
Der was deputed to read aloud while we
darned her stockings as we'll as our own.
L think this girl had the best of the bar
gain, as she had evidently saved up her
h0te-y stockings for several weeks, SO to
darn them in batch" There, Mr.. Ed
itor. what do you think of that? To be
sure these girls are Stuffed with erudi-
tion-all the 'ologies' of all the colleges,
and the knowledges of the past; know
all the forms and features of the prehis-
toric creatures; can describe the ancient
Tuscans, and the Basques and Etruscans:
the theology of Bramah and the scam
dals of the Vandals; know all the learn
ing that is turning in the busy
mind of man." but I do not agree
with you that they think ''they ought to
be waited upon, and that from the four
quarters of the globe ought to come seryi-
tors to do their sweet bidding" The girls
of this college realize the blessedness of
doing and serving. During last winter,
for charity fair, these girls-a number
of them-donned their big aprons, went
into the kitchen of ole of the cottages
connected with the college, and made a
dozen or more kinds of candy, for which
they received so cents per pound and
realized nice little sum- and few
weeks ago, in behalf of the Students Aid
Society, they got up theatricals, playing
Sheridan's "Rivals' to an audience Of
over 300-all women. They nettsd a
profit of $125. The costumes wore gotten
up by the deftN fingers of these college
girls, with the exception of that of Bob
Acres" which they hired for the occa-
sion. Perhaps some deluded man may
think making candy delightfully."- sweet
work, partaking of the character of play.
Let that man go into the kitchen and try
1t, in company with other men, be sure let
no maiden's bright eyes be near to stimuli
ate and encourage; and I am sure no
mortal man-unless it be Worth, with
his "Paree" costumes-can realize the
amonnt of work involved in the learn
ing, rehearsing and preparing play like
The Rivals. "Bob Acres servant says,
'I am sure Joe Jefferson does not per-
senate any better than did our Bob
Acres { y last night" Now, Mr.. Editor,
l hope your experience in the future
with American girls will not be SO un-
fortunate as it evidently has been in the
past. Suppose you devote your next
theme to the typical American young
man see what you can make out Of him.
That surely will not be misdirection of
energy or perversion of your talented
editorial pen. Yours very respectfully,
ANGELENo HEIGHTs.
Thursday, April 18th.