The age-herald., 1898-08-12
WOMAN AND SOCIETY,".
 BY ANNIE KENDRICK WALKER.

VI communication reached the Social De- pertinent of the Age-Herald a few days ago which contained two clippings from Alabama papers and a request to know the course pursued by Birmingham belles in regard to a weighty subject which seems no less renowned in peace than in war.
 These newspaper notices go at once into the depth of the subject. The Tuscaloosa Times says:
 Who can deny that Tuscaloosa is u progressive town? An indefinite rumor reaches us that some of the young women of, this city have inaugurated a reform movement that is unique.
 .The proposition is to live down that old saw of Solomon, or some other 'numL- skull,' that woman must be sought'-as though woman wasn't as good a seeker as man-and even a greater success at any thing but wickedness.
 There is a little newness and awkward ness about the practical working of this new departure, but that will adjust itself in time. For instance, one young man said he was requested by young lady to allow her to escort him to an evenings enter tainment, which request he granted; but as he lived some distance from the place
 
 know whether she would come for him in carriage or expect him to foot it in his new patent feathers. This difficulty is trivial when compared to the delightful sensation of being sought by the girls.
 The Uniontown Herald makes the follow ing comments
 "A report of the progressiveness of the Tuscaloosa maidens is being rumored throughout the state. -is said these maids have cast aside the old proverb. Woman must be sought and have resolved in their newness that man must be chased, the sequence of which is the young gentlemen are deluged with notes for permission to escort them to entertainments and to go driving, many of the maids possess con- veyances of their own These leap year procivities have proven embarrassingly awkward in some instances, Ss the young men were perplexed to know whether the fair escorts expected them to walk to the entertainment in their new patent leather shoes, but in time they will learn of which maid to expect the proper thing"
 A number of Birmingham young women have been discussing the subject, and while their opinions may not lead out to clear conclusion in regard to the methods adopted by Birmingham beles, yet they have de- cided that in the event that they follow in the pathway of Tuscaloosa maidens, they could not find more charming examples in all the social life of the state.
 ''This idea that woman must be sought is not a fallaceous one said a girl with her woman's intuition. "The papers are always getting up some excitement about feminnities. If a girl does invite man , to be her escort 1t is nobody's business, and if she has a carriage of her own, the man would naturally expect her to use It, but no man wants a girl to rent whole carriage just to take him to party. It is such an exceptional case for girl to ask man to act as her escort that l am not surprised that he should become excited over it. With so many of the men in the army, there is every excuse nowadays for half dozen girls asking the same man to escort them.
 T should not object in the least to club bing in with a lot of girls" said demure Priscilla, and the man to reat go aloms conOs also: .As "Ss @a,a as great con only the result of the old-:esbtonaa alo-n in the south that girls cannot walk a block to the street car, after sundown, without ones grandmother or a male escort.
 There are any number of girls, said one somewhat given to criticism, "who do not hesitate to ask a man to escort them. It is not any new thing. man told me some time ago of a girl here who asked him to accompany her to one of the dances She wrote him a note, and he answered it the day of the dance, expressing his re- gerts. The funny part of 1t was that the girl told me that the reason she did not go to that dance was that the man was so late Tn inviting her mat Sne ueCliIleu.
 "That is the way I would do,' said a belle of three seasons. If were to make such request of a man would wait until the last moment. wouold not want him to think I was so anxious"
 But" said the Priscilla-like one, "there is not anything to be ashamed of. If 1t was really necessary, I would simply say to him that he had often invited me to go with him, and now turn about was fair play. would explain that my carriage would be sent for him, and that he must not think of sending me flowers"
 debutante who had been silent up to this time looked up gloomiy. How will it be in my case?" she asked. "I have not had your opportunities for going out, and if one was comes He'd to invite only men who had been zttentive to one, then will not have very much showing"
 The experienced belle looked at her se- riousy "Debutantes," she said, "need not worry their pretty heads over anything. You will be besieged this winter, and you probably will be married at the close of the season."
 Two or three bachelors have given their views on the subject. "I have had very little experience in the natter said one. '1 hardly know the sensations. feel that have been very much neglected. Those e Tuscaloosa men are very much in the luck. Birmingham girls are such spoiled and petted creatures that rather than ask man to escort them to an entertainment they will stay at home and sew"
 with my knowledge of the beauty and charm of Tuscaloosa's women," said a young bachelor, "the men must be very unappreciative to bring about such a con- dition of affairs. In my own experience have had only two women who urged me to escort them to entertainments, but know of other men who are quite accus- toned to it.