The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
CHApERONINGi YES, BUT
IrDEPEHDs ON THE GIRLS WHETHER
PL EASURE or DRUDGIsRY.

| Not NJ btuupIe 10 Enhe y bnrty OF u OWnH ~ Owen
Abroad fer the Summer ns u might seem-A
Pnrty er'One That was werse Than n Boxes
To take q party Of girls abroad for the sum.
MGR may scom q simple thing, but any one who
has tried It will swear that simplicity isn't the
stpiking feature Of tho experience. Still, tho
number of women willing to undertake such
ohaporonnRo increases every year. Tho thing
has grown into n regular business. and people
with money and daughters arc bcsioged every
spring and fall by professional chaporons. The
othor day, at q ton, a Washington woman who
has made n great success Of the business, and
has practically lived abroad for ten yehrs, was
talking about tho life.
at sounds delightful she SAID lsughingly,
and some things about 1t are delightful; but
you don't see the other side. The work is dread.
fully wearing, and ono hos experiences that arc
enough to turn ones hair white. 1t oil depends
upon the girls; and l have an easy enough time
now. because l can afford to pick and choose;
| but when 1 began l was glad to take any ono
who belonged to a respectable family and could
| pay well. Oh, those first tripsi' She looked
volumes Of memories and drank tea silently
for n few moments.
How did you happen TO take up the work !"
some one asked.
"Well. you know we had lived in Washington
since the delugo and had known all the diplo.
motto circle and the people worth knowing who
had drifted through there. When our money
went I tried to think Of something I could do
that wouldn't make my relatives hair sit up.
Teaching and art needlework seemed to be tho
only things for 'decayed gentlowomen' who had
no great talent; but my soul loathed both ofthem,
and I was in despair until Kate Field suggested
this scheme. 1t wasn't the slightest trouble for
mo to find girls for my first party. I had
been abroad so often, and I could make
t.vuAlf to,,> H. a. IL r--
guages. and I knew any number Of desirable
people In all parts of Europe, as 1 could guaran.
tee an ontree into the best circles every where.
That social card Is q winning ono with both girls
and mothers. The fathers don't care 30 much
about II. The fathers are the ones who approve
Of chaporons. though. There are so many men
who have money and want their daughters to
travel, but who can't take n long holiday them
selves. They don't want their wives to 60 with
the girls. because that breaks up the house; so a
reliable chaperon is hailed as the best solution
of the problem.
"If any one thinks the work is a slnecure. I
wish she would just try It. OF course. one does
get It sinplilod in the course of years; but at
fret It Is awful. The mere business details are
bad enough-the looking ahead far enough to
have desirable rooms engaged, compartments
reserved, carriages ready. and everything
planned 90 that 1t will run smoothly. Then one
must have inexhaustible tact and sympathy. II
q chaperon can't make her girls adore her, she
would better give up at once. She must know
how to amuse them and give them q gay time
without allowing them to go a hairsbreadth too
far. She must have them SEQ everything of i'm.
p~ortance without allowing them to get bored or
tired. She must know the prejudices and GUS
toms of society in every country. and not allow
her girls to sin against the proprieties. Unde-
sirable acquaintance must DO frozen. Hotel
keepers must BIO propitiated, but awed. She
must have an infnllible remedy for homesick-
ness and fatigue and bad temper and hives and
feas. No emergency must find her unprepared.
oh, It Is awfull' There was tragedy In the way
in which she put her teacup on the table.
"Of course. as I said before, 1t all depends
upon the girls. There are girls who make the
thing q Joy. They are hungry for sightseeing
and eager to learn. and enthusiastic over every
thing, They actually cry for more art galleries
and churches and ,tombs. 1t is heavenly to
Ser 90 ali f1 the 't work. mai The ot Trouble ubI m IS that S a Eiri
Of that, sort. isn't often handed over to a chape.
s epnis 6 msnns' s shs belongs belongs i to a family y, Of MED MED
one can't allow ones self the luxury Of chaperon.
ing girls who haven't plenty of that commodity
to spend; and the wealthy ones are likely to be
frivolous and troublesome.
'Once l went abroad for a year with one girl.
She was the wealthiest girl in-well. I'll not
tell you what State. but she was from the West.
hcT ldIucT Ol6reu mc CD.OUO ana my expenses
If I would take charge OF her for a year. AS to
our expenses. he didn't put any limit upon them.
f fS da0@ when 'h the ' dnuF Eas came aEE s9 TO W 20 Ri re.
ton l decided l would have no trouble. She was
remarkably pretty. Her manners were almost
the clothes and reform the manners. She
seemed good-natured and rather shy, We sailed
of the wrath to come: That girl fiirted with
every one, from a Hindoo Prince to the cabin
ment out she would do something to cause Cos
sip; and yet when l .wrestled with her she cried.
a thous sSsm the child III q roaliS did nnt know fUnsr bette shat l
I'VE got through England pretty well. except
ono night at Cambridge. when l was i'll and she
a young coilegian who had aimed at the table
with US. When We reached tho Continent my
went rumors OF the girls wealth arrived before
us; The paper, t told fabulous SL stories about it,
peop Tef and tdfffe oFtS SDs'G SSate Sy 0ef fS Paris n"f | sfaass;
earned ny bread by the sweat Of my brow.
but soeS;l9STing German sttashe q IN:
we were settled in Berlin and !he German Off.
upon the men who fiocked to the house. But
one day the maid came to me in tears and told
night with the Baron's private secretary. NAT
urally. we stopped that, and I cabled TO The girls
'a
whether | should take his daughter home. lie
answered that he would come for her. and we
went to Nice to wait for him.
The night before he was to arrive we went to
bed early. He came at q in tho morning, went
to her room. and found a note beginning: Dear
est Papa: When you read this I'll, be the hap
piest OF girls and a Princess, She had married
an Italian Prince. in debt up to his ears, and with
no redeeming feature save a pair of black eyes.
How did her father take It'll Oh, he swore elo-
guently. but no forgavo her, and he certainly be-
haved royalty In regard to me-.
THAT Is one experience. Then. three years
ago, l took six girls abroad; and, at a tiny viii
lago In Italy, ono Of them was taken seriously i'll.
The doctor fooled about for q week. and finally
said she had smallpox. We had oil been OK
posed; for she had been with us constantly. The
ers nor money had any effect upon him., He
simply said we must move out at once. There
was no hospital, and we couldn't get away from
the town, and no one would take us in.
what In the world did you do T. asked tho
fat little woman who had started the conversa-
ton by saying something about the delights OF
chaperoning.
oh. l went to the priest. I've found that is
the only thing to do when ono Is in a little for
AIsN lAtat.. url lik..Ka M LnnAlnaalt nH.AY,.