Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-26

Dut no matter now mucn her eXuOerdncC OF
spirit may make her at once the life, the
mischief and the romp of the bedroom. she
| may DO as innocent as a lamb, with no
thought of anything but harmless fun,
while the thoughts of young Miss Prim,
who Affects to be so much shocked by her
schoolfeilow's merry antics, are running in
a much deeper, more dangerous channel.
Girls who feel that they are trusted will
generally resolve TO be worthy of the trust
reposed in them. This is exemplified in
America, where chaperonage was practi-
cally unknown till comparatively few
years ago, yet social life is certainly as
pure, if not purer, there than in any cour-
try in Europe, where chaperous have been
an Institution for centuries OCTDA
A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE.
It is very doubtful if any other woman
writer of America ever achieved an amount
of popularity aud financial prosperity equal
to that gained by the late Louisa NJ. Alcott
whose very first story, 'Little Women, was
such an instantaneous and pronounced sue
cess as to enable her to practically dictate
her own terms to publishers. Miss Alcott
was as obliging as she was brilliant, and
when, but short time before her death,
requested her views on the question OF
chaperons for girls she very kindly noted
down for ME the following observations,
which have lain in dark corner OF my desk
until now:
"Chaperonage for girls is one of the
usages of good society. Now, what is the
real spirit of the observanceS which that
society requires of its frequcnterS for the
preservation OF harmony and their easy in
tercourse together. 1t is true that one may
have a spotless reputation, a good educa-
ton aud good breeding without being
really good at heart and without being a
Christian. Yet if we examining the laws
which good society lays down for our
guidance and government, We shall find
without doubt that they are such as
simple Christian, desiring to regulate the
meetings of number OF people who lack
the Christian feeling, would dictate.
1t is quite true, however, that good So
ciety will never make one a Christian. A
man may be charming in his manners at
party and every one present may pronounce
him most agreeable and perfect gentle
man, yet that same individual may go home
ard become privately Intoxicated or beat
his wife or be cruel to his children. If So
ciety finds him out it will certainly punish
him. but society has no power TO search his
house or intrude upon his hearthstone. and
therefore it may be a very long time before
it does find him out.
Yet as far as its jurisdiction extends,
good society can compel us, II not to be
Christians, at least to act as though we
were The difference between the laws of
God and the laws Of men is that the former
address the heart from which the acts pro-
coed, while the latter are directed to the
acts themselves without regard to the
heart. While the one waters the root, the
other waters the branches. The laws of
society are formed by the unanimous con-
sent of mankind, and, in all essential points
they differ very little all the world over.
The same spirit of friendliness and good
will actuates alike the Turk when he shows
his politeuess by feeding you with his fin
gers, and the American host who shows his
by carving your portion for you
If the ordinances of good society are care
fully examined and analysed it will be
found that they all have wise purpose and
tend TO good end. The ordinance that
Young girls under certain circumstances
must be chaperoned, is no exception to this
rule.
Now, there are chaperons and chaperons
Some are agreeable companions, some are
grifins. The best chaperon for young
girl is her mother, and mothers, if they
know what their duty is, will always make
friends and companions of their daughters,
rendering themselves so delightful and in
dispensable that their girls will insist upon
their presence at every excursion, picnic,
dance, theater party, drive, or other diver
sion for which chaperon is required, as 4
desideratun, without which one-half of the
anticipated pleasure will be missed.
Without the advice and guidance of a
chaperon, how are girls first 10 learn how
public places9 1t will not do for US to trust
too much to instinct.
mo indeed, murmurs n tremulous voice
from the other end of the roonl-grandma-
mas corner. in my younger days l never
came into room as you do, Arabella, as if
you could walk over everyone present and
never give it thought. Nor did creep in
like you, Helen, as though in the passage
outside I had been doing something l was
ashamed of. Nor did l ever plump down
upon a sofa as you do, Ada But Just
here poor grandmama is interrupted by
general laugh from the girls who hate chap
erons, who loudly unite in declaring that
she is wholly out of date and knows moth
ing at all about the matter
The good and wise old lady might have
gone on to lay down immutable rules for
good breeding. She might have said, with
the great Lord Chatham, probably the best
bred man of his time, that ''Politeness is
benevOlence in trifles;'' or she might have
remarked with Rochefoucault, that at is
the mind that forms the Manners" but
who among chaperon-hating girls would
have listened to herr Arabella would have
called out, ''Who cares for such old fogies
nOwl" and Helen would have added that
she thought Lord Chesterfield and ''all that
humbug about manners a complete SELL
Chaperons should suggest TO their charges
that in society they should strive to be, at
as early an age as possible, what they will,
in later years, wish they had always been.
Too many young women of the chaperon-
hating class think it clever to be loud, posi-
tive, rapid and slangy in manner and con-
versation. An agreeable, modest, dignified
bearing is fine heritage. Having this,
young girl will soon learn after her intro
duction to society by a capable chaperon,
the great art OF being civil with ease.
LOUISA NJ. ALCoTT.