Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-09

other women have not discovered the possi-
bility Of leaving the old one.
bicycling was the subject In the midst
OF a breezy description of the possible ap-
pearance of certain society women as chap
erons aboard bicycles the hostess flung her
little bomb.
Didn't you know that chaperons are not
insisted on now for girls who bicycle?" she
asked.
A couple of elderly dinner guests who had
returned to the drawing room in time to
catch the question looked amused. and the
satirical one OF the pair smiled an appro-
pirate smile as she said:
"Ah! no doubt the bicycle will be very
popular this season in that case"
The hostess laughed.
That expresses It, and, OF course, you
Will try wheel at once. II seems ridicu-
lous to think of the bicycle having a hand
in the downfall Of chaperons, but it ap-
pears very much that way now. This 10
my experience. I have two sons. Both
my boys disappear every pleasant day for
several hours. When they come back, IL
| ask where they have been. the answer
is Out with the girls bicycling
Who went?' and they mention couple Of
girls who are going into society next season.
AS to chaperOns, never one Is heard of.
have been talking this over with the mothers
Of several girls. They agree that when
their daughters go out with their bicycles
they never think to ask where they may
DC BolnS OF suggest the necessity or a CHAP
eron. They know that when a couple OF
girls start together somewhere very hortly
couple of boys meet them. Usually the
gang as they express it, gets together.
Now, those girls are too intent on keeping
the pace the young men set to get into
mischief. They are going to get to Clare
mont in the fifty minutes time limit, and
the girl who keeps up best with the boys
is the fayorite. They don't dismount ex-
cept for few moments before returning.
1t Is the athletic spirit again. and all very
favorable to the release OF the chaperon
from many of her duties. Such a thing
wouldn't have been heard of five or six
years ago, when we were ultra English.
Then a chaperon was indispensable, and
the proudest boast of a society mother
was that her daughter had never been
left alone a moment from her birth to the
time she was handed over to some young
man at the altar.
What is the matter with the change?
Just imagine some of the chaperons rid
ing on bicycle. Don't you see II a girl
had to be accompanied every time she
wanted to ride the bicycle. there wouldn't
be much bicycling? and the change goes
yet further.
katherine p, you know is like a daugh-
ter in this house." and the speaker mem
toned one Of the best known young women
in New York.
I'VE were talking over this very thing
yesterday. | said il looked as II the bi.
cycle would be mere popular this season
than driving, because the girls had to take
a ehaperon when they wanted to drive with
a young man.
"'Oh but we don't do so now, Mrs. A.
broke In Katherine. I don't and then
she named at least dozen of the leading
| society girls who are in the same list. II
seems that lately 1t is considered allowable
| to drive with a young man, sans chap
eron, out to the Country club or I'm some
! locality not too conspicuous. That Is a
long move from the strict position on the
chaperon question that has been main
tained by New York society"