The herald., 1896-05-10
THE IDEAL AMERIeAN |; Girl Cir !.
BY AMERICAN GIRL
written for The Hera,d

| (Written for The Herald.) -
The man woman, the woman mar
| and the bloomer girl each in their turr
| have had the full light turned upon them
and shades of departed glory now peo-
| Ele their solitude.
But may we not in the diving embers
/ of the evening of the nineteenth cen
tury, yet know and feel the presence OF
| the ideal American girl--a womanly
| woman.
| In ages past woman strove to be wo-
| manly-womanliness was considered one
! or the indestructible jewels. But
| bloomers came-and-you know the rest;
| then the man woman. and woman man.
| Which is the most despicable?
| We have been told that the late die
| tionary devotes considerable space in
| able definitions of the harmless little
| word .devif'-no doubt the other por-
| tion of its sacred pages are given in
defining man-woman. and woman-man.
| But when one peruses the pathetic
story of good life. well spent, it comes
home to them as the most perfect life
That can be lived. Such is the life of the
ideal American girl, who is coming to the
front as the self-reliant and independent
young woman.
Will she marry? Certainly But she
will not be an advocate or practitioner
of the present form of matrimony.
She will look little beyond the bridal
title or buy prince for whom she
must pay SO dearly
Marriage VII not be the height of her
ambition-leaving a certainty for an
uncertainty, self and selfculture amount
to far more, and intellect far outshines
beauty.
She is entertaining and yet has fash
ion of putting down gossip and silly talk;
she is restful sort of girl, and not al
ways wanting to do something that will
tire you half to death: and by the time
she reaches the marriageable age it is
hoped that nobler specimens of man.
hood will be visible-than now exist
The ideal American girl has come, and
come to stay. Hers is a Singularly rare
and we'll balanced organiza ton. with a
general harmony of physical power and
mental development; a higher order of
intellect and presence of mind.
Steady in purpose, reaching a helping
hand to others, persuading to higher
and better things-a gift of making
friends. even of those who do not agree
with her
She stands by and vindicates her prn-
ciples even when such action shall tend
to jeopardize employment. position or
character, paying no attention to the
surmises and sarcasmS of the supposed
to be American male citizen. who does
more talking than thinking or acting
and are calumniators who are to be
trusted to the slow but steady Justice
of public opinion.
The thoughtful mind of the ideal
American girl cannot help turning a
steady glance backward for fifty years
or NOR e. making comparison between
the men. who were men, of that day and
this. 1t seems that man has rapidly
deterforated-he gives more thought to
outside show than to real merits. What
wonderful piece of mechanism is man.
Natures masterpiece, none above thee
or beside thee! And yet two little
words are all necessary in defining thee.
Man-vanity, perfection.
If the laugh of the ideal American girl
seems to you little too frequent, or
her tone trif1e too emphatic. overlook
1t, for the sake of the true life and ex-
ulting vitality to which they are the es-
cape valves
The glancing eye. the glowing cheek.
the 1.-the and graceful figure tell tale
of healthy, vigorous physical develop
ment. which is natures beauty. An
this. coupled with we'll developed soul
and mind. brings before us the ideal
American girl. in the highest sense of
the term. She is ready to take hold of
the duties of life and become a worker
In the great system of humanity and
not sit down to sigh over work given
her to do or simper nonsense, or be dis
couraged over trifies Cike mem. but in
her track will be sound philosophy; in
her thoughts boldness and originality
anu in ner heart heavens purity Life
without her would be dreary failure.s
AN AMERICAN GIRL.