The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-11-01


AXM3%dof young girls: / don't
$VFENMM mean In the way yourg
S@S men are fond of them,
h but as an observer Of
human nature and of Vanity Fair NAV
Wen be. There is a certain freshness
ana sweetness and evanescence abont
them like the charm of flowers bnt-
'einies and birds, and besides this a
eraclousness and attractiveness like that
one feels in all frisky, confiding. fond
young creatures like kittens and lambs
ana suchllke helpless, frolicsome and
trustful creatures.
For myself / am devoted to girls
Wherever may be, and | have been. [
Deileve, IN most parts of the habitable
globe. Everywhere have found girls.
and everywhere there have been MANY
traits OF identity and some Of difference.
All were nice, and do not know that if
would could tell which like the best.
Our own girls certainly have the most
character; also. as a rule, they have the
most beauty. But the question is, Are
not they, so far at least as the great
cities go-are not they more young wom-
en- of the world than girls p,t,- ct simple?
There has been great deal said both at
home and abroad upon this subject. but
1t Is one that is always coming up again,
and we should not blink the discussion
of it.
Is the American girl not enough girl,
or IS she too much of girl:
1t is certainly true that the American
girl accepts, in fact assumes, RESPONSE
bllities that no other girl in the world
would dream of doing, and the conse-
quence is that she sometimes appears
lacking in that modest humility and
timid appeal to her elders which is one
OF the charms of certain other girls; for
elgners, in fact. are apt to mistake her
calm self assertion for boldness and
want of self respect, and acting upon
this mistake they sometimes meet with
rebuffs so startling that they rush into
another mistake and set down the Amer
lean girl as shrewd, a sharp tongued
and sharp tempered vixen, and please
themselves by saying that no man in his
senses would ever venture to marry her.
In fact, the American grape is for him
a sour grape.
And yet how could we wish this free
ity for self defense and aggressive war
fare less, when we consider that these
very traits are the foundation of Amer
lean character, and that these very girls
are to become the mothers of the men of
the future?
An American girl fought through two
years of the Revolution and gained
among her associates reputation most
honorable to her modesty as woman,
although no one suspected her sex to the
last. Grace Darling was all American
girl, and more than one or two others
have emulated her noble courage under
similar circumstances. American girls
have taken their fathers places in COM
mand of ships, in the conduct of flight
from Indians, in the saving of burning
houses; in fact, doubt not with little
research one could find an American girl
in nearly every position Of trust or of
command which a man of her age and
physical ability could fill. Shall we,
then, desire to see her watered down to
the level of the shrinking and blushing
inqenue which ia the French ideal of
girlhood?
But on the other hand, the girls who
are called TO fight in the ranks, or TO
s'man" lifeboats, or rescue their helpless
mothers from Indians, or to save burn
ing buildings, are very small proper
ton of the whole, and this very courage
and ability are apt in private life to
make restless and uncontrolled and
perhaps assuming character. Our Grace
Darlings in city society are very apt to
get the name of being fast" or IMAM
nish'' or loud just because they have
such an amount of surplus energy and
force of character. Besides this our
girls have another splendid quality
which is apt to lead foreigners to make
mistakes about them. They are not
afraid of men, because they feel them
selves perfectly competent to con-
troll any circumstances in which
they NAV be placed and to meet any
attack that may be made. They are
Unas who meet the lion with perfect
tranquility, because they know they
can lead him whittier they will. The
lions instinct generally leads him to the
same conviction, but in case he is stupid
and don't see it the American Una is
onite CAPABLE Of converting her lily stalk
into a wand of white hot steel and CIV
ing Master Lion lesson he does not
soon forget. There is I suppose no glrl
in the world so perfectly capable OF
taking care of herself and doing it well
as the American girl. In her womaniy
y;rtne she is next to the Irish girl, VINO
"a is well known, is the most vlrtuous
Of her sex, and in Judgment, GOODNESS
and knowledge of the world she Is D!
far her superior.
In fact, I think we may honestly claiia
that the failings Of our American girl'
are simply what the French call 'thf
faults of their virtues" that Is tnt
somewhat troublesome excess OF unem
ployed strength. -, ,,,ovorb
Daisy Miller has passed into proVerp
Bnt is she a type? never have forglvel
Mr. James for some traits III ms Por
traiture. and yet there is great deal o
trntb in the innocent audacity' the rear
loss criticism and the simple careies.
mes, ness of public opinion that stamp MI
- ora cannot but feel a Ger