The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-20
THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD.
Bome Observations OH tho Almost Inc:
z Fiji H,avatthla 0uh}aNk

Some O~bssrvatlons OH tho Almost Insx-
hnustibls Subject
OF The period. too, IL the literary girl.
This young woman In these days of uni.
versal sable hosiery Is NO longer u blue
stocking, even though she may cherish -.
pirations towards Harper's or the Century.
II was a western damssl who met Mr.. Will
liam Dean Howells, and, being pleased by
his persona Atty, asked him to write some
thing in her autograph album. and, upon
reading what he had inscribed, exclaimed:
"Why, MIR. Howslls. ] should think you
would try to write something for publica-
that In print" There are far voree things
in print than are evolved from tina brains
of our girl writer's. who. though rarely
phenomenal. yet seldom attempt to wisld
the pen without having something g say
ing .hersiu from tho schoolgirl whose
teacher finally dismissed her because she
had NO capacity and whose indignant father
sent her back with the message that he
could afford to buy her one! AZ for the
pinnacle OF fame, the plensy-oi-room-a..
the-top theory 10 \ ~fsllacy! A pinnaola, is
In its very nature . remote, dwindlinR
height, and who gains il must struggle for
his pre- eminent foothold and %ruthlsssly
displscs less stslwart climbers. IL is dowu
ON tho basis of mediocrity that there il
DLe0ty OF loom, 0uu Ia i A0Iu euoes WAN
few exceptions, our girl writer's stand. II 10
none tho less probable that with several
strinRs to their bow-a moro desirable
equipment In literary than in sentimental
Archery--they will, with a little practise,
aim straight, twsnG with = will and hit the
mark Of public approval. IL.
Then there ia the charitable girl. who, II
she doesn't join a college settlement. prates
about the ''amelioration of the masaes."
visits her poor families aud attends COM
mittss meetings. She lives in . fashion
able nsiRhborhood and often has . carriage
and coaohman at her disposal, but she con-
siderately leaves these at y distancs from
the scene of her ministrations. for which
shs c~onscientiously don her plainess Rarb.
She bangles her bracelets for the inevitable
baby. while she bestows advice upon baby's
mamma. She is not the girl who asks WHY
il the poor eould not obtain bread they did
not eat cake. though she knows little more
of the necessities OF the so-called lower
GLASSES. But her heart 10 in the right place
and il 10 net her fault that fate has spared
her this unroyal road to knowledge.
BY no means least, in the opinion OF her
admirers. Is the society girl pure n sim
pie. She hasn't any fad except TO be in
the swim and make herself charming TO
those about her. She 10 usually prone to
high church E~pisoopalianism. and after q
winters tale of teas, tbsater parties and
ravishing gowns, she observes Lent soTupu
lousy. She trips dsmurely forth, carrying
a dainty prayer-book. to vespers, whore
with meekly bowed head she mu1murs her
''Good Lord deliver U.s." and IL into the
midst of her responses . will-o'-the-WIsp
vision of the Easter bonnet which is to
crown her sunny lock, less than forty days
hence. dashos unbidden. do not condemn
her too severely. Curly gold locks cover
foolish brains" but all too soon the gold
must minRle with an alloy of silver. the
smooth brow submit to tho burrows plowed
by envious time and the soft eyes be sur
rounded by criss-cross, threadlike indenta.
tions. and It will not matter whether she
browns herself with flowers and ribbons or
penitentisl cinders. so that she keeps we'll
within the bounds of elderly propriety.
The thcme 10 we'll nigh inexhaustible.
Shall mention not be made of the SYM
phony concert girl, who, contrary to ali
known laws of Instrumentation. harps
upon every instrument of the orchestra:
the cooking school girl, who can concoct
souffies and consommes, but to whom
bread is a sphyn1-like mystery? Then, too.
there are the esthetic girl, nov happily we'll
nigh extinct; the college girl. who revels in
Greek and philosophy as her less intel
lectual sisters in the latest novel; the
Browning girl, whose head ia turned askew
by the poet of whose pages the unelect say
the differences; even the woman-sufraRe
girl, whS, though She holds that 'taxation
without representation is tyranny" is not
without her full share of charm, and the
general utility, or 'all around" girl is per-
HAIRS the best of all. for she can turn her
versatile hand and brain to anything that
makes a girl what nature intended her to be
"a delight and blessing to creation New
York Sun.