The sun., 1895-05-18
The American Girl.

Mrs. KATE TANSATT WOODS defence Of
| the American girl against the charge that
she is weak, silly, and frivolous was only
necessary for the instruction of those who
do not use their own discernment, but fol-
low the judgment Of cheap and vulgar or
| ignorant critics.
The girls of the society OF fashion, OF
| whom she spoke more particularly in her
address before the Professional Women's
League, are now remarkable for their vigor
and both their serious and pleasure seeking
activity. They are accomplished horse
women, are eager in outdoor sports, sensi-
bic in their Dress retired in their manners,
and their interests are larger and broader
than ever in the past. Whatever else may
be their defects they are least of all open to
the accusation of fecblcness and frivolity.
II all the men with whom they asso-
ciate had advanced equally in their
moral and intellectual development,
1t would be fortunate fer the race; but the
women have gone ahead faster than the
men. They are usually the superiors In
cultivation, both social and mental. They
have brighter minds.
AS it is, this improvement Of the femi-
nine part Of that society shows itself In
the new generation. The increase in
the stature and in the physical endur-
ance and intellectual vigor of both
young men and young women, has been
notable since the range of feminine activi-
ties, interests, and ambitions has been ex-
tended, or during the last twenty-five years.
Those girls described rs weak and frivo-
lous have better inheritance of vigor of
If,t1 irI arI bod, tha,, thatr ,nft h
ers received The young men in
the colleges are more stalwart than
their fathers. usually overtopping them in
stature, and having brighter and keener
intellects. We are raising up a lot of doc
tors. lawyers, and men of science who will
give new lustre to this country. They will
also carry into all departments of business
enterprise better equipment OF education.
These young men can be trusted to push
forward American civilization. But, as we
have said their progress has not been as
notable as that of the girls. The day when it
was fashionable for a woman to be weak
dependent has passed. Frivolous indoor occu-
pations and timid withdrawal from contact
with outside life and its interests have been
replaced by vigorous activity in all the
affairs of society, and in the ambition to
become the comrades of men in their broad
er occupations. The young women are wait
ing, ready to share political responsibilities
They are Mortified no longer by the sugges-
tion that they should be admitted to the
suffrage. The organization of women which
struggled to obtain the suffrage from the
Constitutional Convention was largely COM
posed of representatives of the society espe-
cially accused Of frivolity.
Generally the American girl has improved
in strength and become less frivolous The
hardest and the cleverest students in the
public schools are girls. They are entering
freely into every employment that does not
demand rude muscular power and rugged
endurance. They are better able to take
care of themselves than formerly. They
are getting over nonsensical notions
that dwarfing restrictions are essential to
feminine attractions. They are not afraid
that they can know too much or do too
much. Meantime they are improving in their
looks and increasing in their charm and
their desirabiity as companions and COM
rades, and men are finding it out.
The American girl needs no defence
against accusations like those refuted by
Mrs. WOOD, and least of all at this time
when her advancement in every field is SO
conspicuous and so indisputable.