The Red Cloud chief., 1891-09-04
DUTIES OF A CHAPERON.
An Institution About which There IL
Great Deal Of uumbug.

an bustttuttou hoout "ubCu hufTt - ~
Great Deal of Humbug.
The chapcron is almost universally
recognized As an indispensable feature
Of social life. That there is a great
deal of humbug about the institution
is not to he doubted, nor is it often de-
MED, for it is forever receiving addi-
tional proof. With nice girls as her
charges. it is not to be supposed that
the chaperon has a particularly arduous
task. A willful girl n circumvent
her chaperon whenever she wishes to
enjoy more liberty than the modern
duenna is willing to grant. All chaper.
ons are not equally worthy of being
Entrusted with the care of a young girl.
There is the frivolous, flirtatious young
married woman. who rejoices in her
husbands absence as m opportunity TO
rehew the delightful times of her girl.
hood Such n one is only too ready TO
chaperon any party of young ladies for
the sake of being once more one of the
gay Sc, from which she had been sup
posed 10 he willing to retire when she
married a man older than herself, and
presumably jealous of his wife. But
the last Person in the world fitted for
iaithiuiiy o'Scharging the duties of the
chaPeron responsible Office Is the
woman who Is 10 longer young, be She
wife or widow, and who, crazy for the
attentions of young men. knows of no
other way to attract them TO herself
than to pretend I" chaperon a party of
bright and interesting girls The our
ladies' attract the gentlemen, and the
chapcron makes of with them herself.
She inveigles young and easy-going
men into all sorts Of philopena f~orfeits
and little bets on the outcome OF games
of billiards or lawn tennis And
whether the bets he payable in candy
or champagne, she sees that they ara
paid to the uttermost far,hing. Woe
to the young man upon whom She
f~astens for the evening; he will not DO
able to escape from her clutches until
he has treated her to ut least ops
Queen Charlotte" not TO Speak Of
anything quite SO plebeian as a bo,,l.
| of beer.
II Is sometimes considered very smart
to outwit the chaperun. Once in ,
while a chapcron will he found readv
and willing To help a wild girl To our.
wit her mother. 1t is a popular thin,
70 laugh at the severity of parental con.
| troll and to mock nj its restrictions hr,
the girl who will willingly enter into a
conspiracy TO deceive her loving, self.
sacrificing, although too-exactiny
mother. is not worthy Of respect |.
she could but know just what the very
young men who take advantage of her
willingness TO deceive her parents
really think OF her. she might well hest
tate before giving them additional
cause to think lightly Of her. But what
shall he said Of the chaperou who takes
the young girl under her protection"
(heaven ave the mark giving express
promise to the mother that she will
take her place while with the girl. and
then deliberately make opportunities
for the girl IN do just what the mother
had forbidden. even planning the lie
that is TO still further wrong the un-
~suspecting parent? A chaperon that
will take a young man for > dummy
and with her charge depart nom nally
for \ walk. but really for a row with
an Objectionable young man Tor the
fourth party. returning 70 the m0ther's
side without him. is an untrus;vorthy
woman There is this fact that all
young girls should remember when
they are intimate with married women;
they need not be surprised i. when
any trouble comes, any little breeze,
any misunderstanding. 10 have the
married woman slide out of al in the
most ~nonchalant manner in the world.
leaving the young girl Is q scapegoat
and one on whom the discreiit most
certainly will fall. It's so every time.
San Francisco News-Lettsr.