St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-27

elgn countries; second, the cOntagiOn of
the ehaperoning system; third, the in
creased knowledge or herself possessed
by the woman of today. IE our close
neighbOring with foreign lands we have
to a remarkable degree become imbued
With their prejudiceS. Our American
eagle screams as loud as ever, but his
scream of late years has taken OH for
eign accent.
Because the American girl is the only
girl on earth who is allowed independ-
ence and freedom of conduct, our men
and our cynical Anglomaniac women
are beginning to question her use of
that independence.
A foreigner said to me one day: 81
have about made up my mind that the
man who marries an American girl
must be one of three things-indiffer-
ent. trusting, or fool"
L asked him to explain himself.
Because he knows absolutely moth
ing of the girl he marrles," the foreigner
replied. "Your country customes rem
der it impossible for him to know
whether he is marrying a virtuous girl
or otherwise. He must, therefore, be
Indifferent on that subject, blindiy
trusting or fool"
''Since you foreigners are madly in
fatuated with American girls, you are
calling your own countrymeh Names"
answered. You seem to prefer the
doubtful American girl to your own
cOuntry's models of virtue"
True, quite true" he said. "The
American girl is the most charming, in
terestfng, alluring and entertaining girl
on the face of the earth, but l Insist
her virtue is necessarily a doubtful
matter, owing to the dangerous free
dom of her early lifev
demanded further explanation of
this startling assertion, and the foreign
er continued:
Il have an acquaintance who is gay
and handsome young bachelor. He
lives i'll the suburbs of one of our large
cities. Each morning he goes to town
to attend to his business affairs. The
train he takes is half-filled with young
school girls from twelve TO sixteen years
of age, who belong TO the best families
OF the suburban towns, and VINO attend
the city schools, returning home in the
afternoon. They are unattended by
maid or chaperone, after the prevailing
custom of your country. and their par
entS have implicit confidence in
the good behavior of these
girls. American mothers must have
led very innocent lives to trust
their daughters as they do. My friend
made the acquaintance of several of
these young girls during his daily half
hour ride, and he confided to me the
fact that two very beautiful girls about
sixteen years old had consented to take
luncheon and attend a matinee one day.
He asked lie to meet them at certain
restaurant and act as escort for one of
the girls. l was quite willing to do so,
and must confess passed most charm
ing afternoon. The girls were amaz-
ingly witty and entertaining. and
treated us like old friends. They re-
turned home at the usual hour, and
their parents were never the wiser for
the little eScapade. One of them was
married last year, and is a social leader
today. Her husband, of course. knows
nothing of her past. In no other coun-
try i'll the world could such thing hap
pen and not at once blast the reputation
of the girl forever. and prevent any
honest fellow from marrying her. Our
girls in other countries are so carefully
guarded that man knows when he is
getting virtuouS wife"
land the woman knows she is getting
the extreme opposite" | responded.
But from the frequency of famous di-
vorce scandals in your country, and
from the tenor of your novels, fear the
virtue does not continue after marriage.
However, you have not proved these
two American girls were lax in virtue
only lacking in Judgment and discre-
tion."
The foreigner shrugged his shoulders
"Girls who would do what they did
would do more" he said. THAT is what
l told my American friend, who seemed
inclined to regard their conduct as the
mere ebullition of youthful spirits. To
me it Seemed an exhibition of lax morals.
My friend confessed he would not like
to marry girl who had committed such
a folly"
"Many girl may commit worse
| folly than you have recounted and not
| lose her Yirtue,o | replied, land may
| make the best of wives afterward, and
regret her early indscretiOns as long as
| she lives; but there are hundreds and
! thousands of American girls who do not
/ take unwise advantage of the liberty
accorded them, and who are quite as ~
nocent Though not as ignOranD as your
! convent and gOverneSS-trainedg girls"
But the foreigner shook his head.
"WOmen-yOung women, are not to be
trusted with freedom" he said. ANY
| man is fool who believes girl per-
| feetly virtuouS reared in that way.'
As this foreigner soon afterward went
nearly mad at the rejection of his suit
by an American girl, his criticisms do
not amount to much. Still, they show
the influence of the foreign mind upon
| our own. Our American men are be-
coming innoculated with the same
| prejudices. Next to this comes our
farce of chaperOning system.
1t is curious fact that the manners
| of men toward women and their ideas
| of honor degenerate as woman sur
rounds herself with outside projections
to her virtue. Before chaperones were
| thought of the freedom of action of the
American girl was considered a matter
| of course by men and admired. Now
| that we make pretense OF caaperoning
| girls. men seize upon the least open de-
| parture from this pretense TO accuse a
! girl of lax morals.
The foreign-born girl comes into the