Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-24
THE pARIsIAN SOCIETY WOMAN.

Max Nordau, well-known European
writer on social and economic topics, has
brought about his ears great deal of
sharp criticism because of his recent ex-
pressions upon the Partisan woman. Nor
dau is SO ungallant as to say that the aver
age Parisienne is wholly unnatural, that
there is nothing about her that is not
marred by arti6ciality; in language, car
riage, manners, ideas, she is the creature of
formality and devoid of naturalness. He
adds that by the time the Paris girl is
fourteen she is versed in all the arts and
devices of the boudoir, and her girlhood
is ended
Absolute simplicity, by which I mean that
stage OF development that might be called moral
Eexlessness, when the little girl has identically
the same ideas and point of view as the boy of
the same age, is never to be seen in the Paris
girl. The moment her little intelligence begins
10 dawn she ceases to be an unconscious child
and becomes little woman, realizing her sepa-
ate position and her antagonism to the otner
sex. She tyrannizes over her brother and even
allows her papa to feel the weight of her power.
Her manners toward male visitors are marked
by eomically dignified reserve, and she treats
the little boys who come to play with her coca
u
eludes every idea ofintimacy.
He adds that her education is narrow
and superficial, and her physical develop
ment so cribbed that she is bloodless, del
icate in health and subject to startling
changes of mood, and vacillates between
impulses and passion. OF domestic econ
omy she has no real information, and she
enters upon marriage with the least posi-
BILE knowledge of the duties that should be
the delight of the housewife. OF course
he is speaking of the upper class, so-called,
the 'charmers," the beauties and the
daughters of affluence, leisure and fashion,
and those others who endeavor to initiate
them. OF the middle class he has to say
that they are noted for their industry,
their vigor, love of home and maternity
and their business tact.
The value of NJ. Nordau's comments to
us are found in the attention they may
lead US to give to very large class of our
women. That considerable per cent. of
American girls are being brought up to
purposeless lives, and unprepared for the
duties of the home, all will admit. Each
year appears to increase the number of our
pampered and valueless class of women.
We have this, however, with which to
console ourselves, that the social customs
here do not constrain women of any class
to such seclusion, such privacy, such help
1essness as fashionable life and the GUS
toms of her country decree for the woman
of Paris. The perfect freedom with which
our women may move about unattended in
street, park and on routes of travel, goes a
long way to make her self-helpful and to
give her truer ideas Of life and lis response
bilities. We have not here the grand
danes" either, to rule with the severity of
slave-drivers ever the growing girl. The
conventional life is not much sought by
parents in America for their daughters,
and woman here enjoys girlhood to a
later date than the less-favored Parisienne.
Nevertheless, the fashionable tendency in
America is to unfit our women for the du-
ties that are incumbent upon home-build-
ers, and the criticisms of NJ. Nordau may
awaken some inquiry, with good results, as
to the drift of fashionable life and the
aping of Partisan systems in America.