, 1890-04-29

Christine Terhuno Herrgck Writes OF Ono
Phase OF the Girl OF the Period.
copyright 1901

This has been calSd the children $ age.
With almost equal force might it be
termed the young girls age, for during
the past two decades she has been steadi-
ly growing in importance. What 4
shall make of herself absorbs the atten-
ton of intelligent thinkers far more than
does the question Of how to dispose of
her brother. For her education colleges
are founded, for her self support pro
LESSONS are developed-one might al
most say, invented-fOr her protection
as a worker, Christian associations, clubs
and protective unions are organized
Books are written TO teach, TO encourage,
to direct her, and there are not lacking
those who declare that her influence is
molding at least one important branch
of literature. The effect that the young
person" has upon fiction Is a fayorite
lament with a certain class Of writers of
the day who deplore that they nave to
avoid high seasoning that might cause a
smart to youthful palates. and TO modify
their treatment Of what they are pleased
to style the real side of life.
An editorial writer in n popular maya
zine recently referred to n late novel that
had excited comment by downright deal
ing with erotic phases, and defended
such ~plainncss Of speech by the assertion
that the average young woman, on whose
behalf parents and guardians were in
dignant with his novelist, was not only
familiar with such English classics as
Fielding, Smollett and Sterne, but that
she had usually perused also transla-
ions of the Decameron and the Heptam-
eron, and had a more than casual ac-
q~uaintance with other works Of n SINH
lar character.
So far as the writer Of this knows, no
one has yet taken the pains to contradict
so unwarrantable n statement. Their
author doubtless believed he was justi-
fled in making such an allegation; but
his association with young girls must
have been singularly unfortunate If those
he knows have been generally addicted
to the class Of literature he includes in
this category.
There are two popular beliefs current
concerning the girl OF the period. One
holds her to be almost an angel in her
innocence and ignorance of evil, a Great
urc whose absolute purity is only equal
ed by the total lack of perception that
enables her to live in a world like ours,
and yet never suspect that 1t holds sins
and moral unsavoriness.
The h class OF theorists concerning
girls 30 to the opposite extreme n i'm
pute to them n 'knowingness which
verges upon shamelessness The injustice
Of the latter view is parallelcd by the alb
surdity Of the former. Unless "A girl has
been brought up as was the Sleeping
Beauty, in n tower, or unless she is a
rank fool, she cannot escape the knowl-
edge that there is sin in the world. Yet
the c~o6nizance Of "how sad and how
bad and how mad 1t is does not detract
from her nat purity. The innocence
that can be s%orrowfully aware of evil
without being contaminated by it out
value that ignorance which either can
not or will not own the existence of
~wickedncss.
Every II who has had an extended
acquaintance with girls knows that there
are as wide variances in their characters
as in those Of men. Minds clean and
minds unclean are found among both.
There are women in whose presence the
most daring would hesitate to repeat a
salacious tale or %allusion, and others
with whom one feels that n SHADY
story, II cleverly told would be greeted
with applause. But be 1t said, to the
credit OF womnnlind at large that the
latter are the rare eNceptions-never the
rule.
81 have told just n naughty story
in my me- said a middle aged matron.
THAT was when could not lave been
more than Is years old. y party OF us
girls were spending "A Jolly evening To-
gethcr' ana there had been numerous
harmless merry Jests exchanged flnal-
~ there occurred TO my nllnd an anec-
dote "A recently heard, one with n
double meaning which, TO DO me Jus
tice' had not really appreciated. EX-
cited with Ii tax and laughter, an
nounced that knew an awful story
ana, after Que urging l repeated my
double ehtenure narrative. Inc moment
the words mad passed my lips their true
significance burst uPoh me- n would
nave given worlds 10 recall then. l
shall never forget the shocked silence
ihat settled down over the group, VINO
had lnnocently construed my quallhca-
ton OF awful TO mean SIMPLY 'droll''
10 this day the blood PUSHES unglingly
to my cheeks as recall that dreadful
moment. 1t taught me n lesson have
never forgotten.
Really nice glrIs-to use TINS adJec-
tive IN lieu OF one better, but less express
slve-do not read impure books II they
know II any more than they Willingly
make coarse remarks or tell stories that
ewes eve to S,i the SYf fact hat ' sim exists Stss' they '" Tet
unsuliled' II TO DO TINS avoid contact
with pItch IN any form, whether IN clever