Evening star., 1896-01-04
LEAP YEAR THOUGHTS
As Brought Out in a Conversation
With College Girls.
PAULINE PRY has some REFLECTIONS
Alleged Tendency UnfavorabIe to
Matrimony.
ADV VICE TO GIRL S

|
| am greatly upset by something 1 havs
just learned about the calendar and women
| and ] have been to talk the matter over
with Vassar girls. only to be worse upset
than before.
| Do you know that after this year, girls
will not have another chance to propose
fer seven years? that by the arbitrary
ruling of the calendar, to maintain the
| average of the years, the year 1900 will moi
be leap year?
L thought 1 might inspire vassar to lead
| a movement to have aehew calendar legis.
| lated. which should insure to women the
regular recurrence of their bissextile righ,
| to WOO, but I have found Vassar girls are
not the girls dreamed them.
Those who are in town to give a dramatic
performance tonight are six In number, all
high in authority at Vassar. Miss Ida G.
kruse of Colorado is editor-in-chief of the
"Vassarian," the college year book, which
corresponds with similar publications OF
mems universities. Miss Lizzie Madeira OF
Washington Is president of the Wake Rob.
bin Club, a society devoted to the study OF
birds one hundred different varieties OF
which, attracted by the opportunity for
| hlgher education doubtless, make their
mann Of Tennessee is president of the Qui
Vlve Club. the Debating Society of Vassar
and is also president of the Southern Club
an organization Of the southern girls in the
college Miss Jessie Hart of New Jersey lie
president of the Alpha Chapter of the
Phflalethean Dramatic and Literary Socie-
~, and Miss Harriet Richardson, sister OF
Dr {. w. Richardson of Washington, is
Henriette Scranton of Michigan is editor
in-chief of the Vassar Miscellany the col
lege monthly. Miss Helena Hill, daughter
OF Congressman Hill Of Connecticut, is
enitor OF the 80 Glass Book
Some Erroneous Impressions.
Individually and collectively these girls
disappointed all my preconceived opinions
OF the effect Of college training upon the
gentle sex. For one thing, not a mothers
daughter among them was chewing gum.
though have been told that wealthy girls
at Vassar have their gum manufactured
to order. as smart" youths at Yale and
Harvard have their cigarettes done
STAMPED with their crest or monogram.
Then you know the brand of woman's
shirt on the market called the 'vassar"-
hard-boiled. mannish thing. That's a
libel, too. II you'll believe me. The real
Vassar girl is essentially feminine in her
attire. With my naked eye 1 could not dis
among them, and when 1 asked them
frankly II there were any concealed about
their persons. they looked me squarely in
tne eyes and answered no. They said that
IN the gymnasium they were obliged to
take three hours training in bloomers a
week. For this they may substitute a
bathing suit, and swim in season, or an
empire gown. and do Delsarte. or, donning
short skirt over their bloomers, play
basket ball.
You play foot ball do von noto', +
asked.
NO." they answered with one voice. so
II M a
now such report ever got abroad
We have our field day Of athletic sports, -
they said-"5umping, racing, tennis, and
that sort Of thing. But it is eminently
proper. and we do not look at all like
Charles Dana Gibson's dream of us in
Life The girls at Smiths wear foot ball
suits, but, while we play with foot ball
in our game of basket ball, we are never
rough. and our dress is perfectly conyen-
tional Except on field day, we play in an
inclosure. where nobody can possibly see
Equal Rights of Men.
do you train like men who 90 in for
athletics at college?"
NO." answered girl who has a record
in basket ball for kicking, I'VE don't have
any special training. We keep regular hours
urder all circumstances and the most we
do is to give up candy, though, really. no.
body but freshmen eat a great deal of candy
at any time"
Do you wear ccrSetS ~
Very few of us. but We have abandoned
tight lacing not so much on account of
athletics as because We no longer think it
Is pretty. 1t Is impossible for girls to be
graceful in corsets, We think"
What do you argue in your debating
society-the rights of woman?"
Never: we do not like the New Woman
snd SO do not take upon ourselves any of
her concerns"
This was said so sweetly as to not possibly
offend any New Woman who might have
heard 1t, and any man present would have
1elt that Vsssar is one delicious hope of
preserving the equal rights of men, so free
from aggressiveness, so unreal and tradi-
tional in their gentleness, the vassar girls
appear.
As to CO-Education.
"Why do you not favor co-education of
the sexes?' inquired.
well, We debated the question in the
Qui Nive Society recently, and 1t was de-
c1ded that the principle is correct, but that
practically 1t does not serve the highest
purpose of either sex. A number of girls
who had attended co-educational institu-
tions gave testimony against the practice.
and we all agreed that what is gained by
breadth Of experience a girl loses in deli
cacy of feeling, and a man loses in his
esteem for women. There seems to be a
certain sacrifice of reverence due woman
resulting from the familiar intercourse of
the sexes in college"
How about falling in love?" I asked.
DO you think it is compatible with a wo-
mans higher education?'
They all expressed approval of the time
honored practice, and declared they believe
the good comradeship developed by college
associations broadenS a girls nature so
that she is happier in her relations with
| men than the old-fashioned girl But can
didly, 1 must confess I failed to detect in
the manner in which these girls discussed
love anything to reassure the future of
men.
Indeed, figures show that of the 1,S05 wo-
men enrolled on the register of the Asso-
citation of Collegiate Alumnae only 2S2 Der
cent have husbands.
No matter Pay attention to the lot of
the men they neglect to marry, and il Vas.
sar girls and other college girls have NO
pity OIL their loneliness and helplessness
do you, high school girls, seminary girls
gfrly girls in general. be watchful and per
form your solemn duty this last leap year
urtil 1904.
Every one be up and doing
With hand for any fate,
Any single man pursuing,
Woo him early, WOO him late
Trust no future, howe'er pleasant.
Let the dead past bury its dead;
Act, act, in the living present
Heart within and man ahead
PAULINE PRY.
All About Great Brffaiu