The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13
s. 4 MUSCULAR DIVINITY. Sg
$3.50 - A#R
The Girl Graduate of Today Only Sweet sgs
eSSSs But Athletic -
sclal Correspondence of the Globe.

Special Correspondence of the Globe
POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y, June TO-
In a fluffy white aureole and with the
scent of jack roses about her comes the
sweet girl graduate to add to glorious
June a~croWning glory:
= That is the way we outsiders view
her advent. At least those of US who
have the least bit of romance left-and
! most Of us have more than We suspect,
even in this nlercenary era-look at it
thus. She is a sweet scented chimera
Of the new summer. She comes like the
meteor and fades out of our vision like
the rainbow.
This is the time honored and leg
endary view of the girl graduate. 1t is
supported by all the annals of poetry
and fiction and is generally accepted as
the true one, but as a matter Of fact
there is really a great deal less of non
sence and frivolity about her than she
is generally credited with. Probably it
used to be so. There must have been
some foundation in fact on which to es-
tablish the romantic notions that we
cling to so tenacious1y.
But just consider. The young wom-
has an A. B. or an A. NJ tackled to her
name now. She has wrestled with
logarithms and calculus and the dead
languages for four long years. She
has struggled for the higher education
and she has captured it. Under those
soft masses of hair which crown her
shapely head there are plans-deep,
serious plans-for the future. True,
they will probably be lost sight of at
the first sparkle Of an engagement
ring, but for the present they are there.
This is where the girl graduate Of
today differs from her prototype Of a
score of years ago. In days gone by
the heroine of commencement day was
creature of frills and fancies. She
knew a little table French, a little
music and had a nodding acquaintance
with the classics. A few other elements
went to make up the finish" which the
seminaries of that day gave their grad
yates. Her ambition was to shine"
III society and to marry after her sec
Ond season. She was frail and spirit
| uelle. A surplus of confectionery and
pastry had ruined 'her digestion, and
| lack of exercise had made matters
worse. 1t was not so much brain fag
as indigestion which made a years rest
\ wonder she had romantic notions and
s7was called sweet In a half sarcastic
! way.
The average girl graduate Of today
deserves a better adjective. She has
few frills and fewer fancies Not only
does she possess better mental de-
velopment than her sister Of twenty
years ago. but she has muscles that
the other never dreamed of. She has
biceps and triceps. They are part Of
the higher education. It is likely that
the girl who stood highest in political
economy was the same who pulled
stroke oar in the senior boat crew
Last year the best running high Jump
at Vassar field day was won by one OF
the honor girls. She cleared forty-six
inches.
What would the graduate of 1877
have said had she known then that her
daughter would take a lively part In
foot ball game In 1897 and throw
dozen handsprings when her team
won?
In most seminaries and colleges for
young women the physical training is
no longer an elective but compulsory
feature of the curriculum. 1T Is also
one OF the most popular. The time
which the mothers Of the college girls
of today spent in eating chocolate
creams and reading forbidden French
novels the latter employ in playing
basket DaIl, IN uOlllS IOV-ydrU OaSneS
or practicing the giant swing on the
horizontal bar
Her mother made fancy work" and
plastered the furniture in her room
with tides The daughter adorns the
walls Of her den" with trophies of
hard won victories on the tennis court
or the gridiron. Her mother took an
occasional carriage ride or desultory
walk. She thinks nothing OF taking
fifty mile spin on her bicycle. Her
mother wore silks and linen, and every
draft Of chilly air meant cold. She
wears a sweater and stout boots, and
the cold. wet days of sping have no
terrors for her.
I had heard much about the athletic