The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-03-20
THE SOUTHERN GIRL.
An xhamna Mslsoa PAgs Knsws aaA Do
aarfbna Her.

An rhammn Mslson PAgs Knswu ana Do
ssrtbes Her.
OF the pictures which Thomas
Nelson Page presents Of his people
Of the south IN his recent book. 30
cial Life In Old virginia Before the
War" that Of the southern Girl 10
best because she still lives. still
walks by our Eide and charms us
with her delicious, low, musical
speech, with her wonderful beauty,
with her subtle power. says the
Nashville American Mr.. Page
draws the master and mistress and
makes them live again In his strong.
vivid charucter sketch. but they are
creatures Of the past The nam
my" too, has all but passed into
that poetioal life.
But his picture Of the southern
girl 10 very real, 10 very precious.
for Il 10 of q girl you know. She
and breathes In the hslmy perfumed
atmosphere, created for her. amid
flowers as delicious m her sweet
self. She 10 the girl whom you saw
yesterday; she of whom you are
dreaming today. See II this picture
IL not hers:
They filed a peculiar place In
the civilization The key was SET
10 them. They held, by q universal
consent. the first place In the sys-
tenn, all social life revolving around
them. She vas gently bred Her
people for generations. since they
had come 10 Virginia, were gentle
folk. They were 80 well satisfied
that they had been the same in the
mother country that they had never
taken the trouble to investigate IT,
She was the incontestAble proof Of
their gentility.
I'm right Of blood-the beautiful
Saxon tempered by the influences Of
the genial southern clime-she was
exquisite, fine, beautiful, a creature
of peach blossom and snow; .anguid.
delicate, saucy, now imperious. now
melting. always bewitching.
"She was not versed in the ways
of the world, but she mad no need to
be- She was better than thst-she
was well bred She had not to learn
20 be a lady because she was born
one.
"A protracted devotion was re-
quired Of her lovers, and they be-
gan early. They were willing to
serve long, for she was a prize worth
the serving. Her beauty, though II
was often dazzling. was not her
chief attraction That was herself,
that indehnable charm, the result
Of many attractions. in combination
and perfect harmony, which made
her herself. She was delicate, she
was dainty. she was sweet She
lived In an atmosphere created for
her-the pure, clean, sweet atmos-
phere Of her country home She
made its sunshine. She was gen
orally a coquette, often an out
rageOus fiirt. II did not imply heart
lessness II was said that the worst
firts made the most devoted wives.
II was simply an instance. an In
heritance; IL was In the life.
Her heart was tender toward ev-
cry living thing but her lovers.
Even to them she was soft in svery
way but one HAD they had q I'm.
ger ache she would havesympathix-
ed with them, hut in the matter Of
love she was memorable, remorse-
less She played upon every chord
of the heart. Perhaps IL was be
cause. when she gave up, the sur
render was absolute.
she was indeed a strange crea-
ture, that delicate, dainty, mischisv-
ous, tender, God fearing. inexplica-
BILE southern girl With her hne
grain, her silken hair, her satiny
akin, her musical speech, pleasure
loving. saucy, bewitching, deep
down lay the bedrock foundation Of
innate virtue. piety, womanlineas,
on which were planted all for which
human nature can hope and all 20
which IL can aspire
Words fail 20 convey an idea Of
what abe was As swell try to drink
the beauty Of the rose OF the per
fums Of the violet To appreciate
her one must have seen her, have
known her, have loved her"