The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-02
GIvEITHE GIRLS AGHlNCE.
APLEI ron TRErRIaHTs oFrrrONRN
Or THE ~ TURE

II wnnt to make n new plea for womAnN
rights Nsald n young woman the other day.
thoughtfully laying Town her paper. MOTT
isn't the ballot and It isn't dress reform andi IL
Isn't bachelor apartments for women. les
something quite different.
II have Just been reading here n fancrta
J sort OF sketch. It's n charming enough bit,
representing n rich. man to have made out
testamentin which, having thrown aside hls
wealth as being of none account he. proceeds
TO more important beuuests. For instance,
here Ia oneitem:
"IRive TO good fathers and mothers. but In
trust for their children. nevertheless, all good
little words Of praise and all quaint pet names.
and / charge said parents to use them Justly
but generously, as the needs OF their children
require
Isn't that delightful? The rest OF IL is In
the same tenor. and II IwereR n man 1, shunld
probably have a warm. enthusiastic sense Of
recognition toward the writer. For. to small
boys and young men. herRives tho lions share
OF his requests He gives to the boys oil ftho
useful Idle fields and commons where games
may be played; also all hills for coaHting
and streams and ponds for skating. and sanl
meadows with their flowers and butterflies.
and TALL woods. and Sail distant places to be
visited :nalso places by the freside. with tallP
pictures TO be found In the Goals.
"Then, to young men hes gives 'boisterona.
Inspiring sports. and so on. Finally he Gays;
'Ileave to them Young men alone the power
ofumaking lasting friendships and Of possess
ing companions
TO little girls and big ones he leaves noth-
Ing individually. He leaves certain delights,
such as 'dandellons and daisies to children in
general, and he bequeaths stars and roses and
other necessaries 10 lovers withoutm making in
vidious distinctions as TO, sex. For which, OF
course, / am truly thankful. But, why leave
the woods and the wonderful distant lands and
all the skating and sliding places and tile
meadows to the boys? ..
want to sayasOmething serious. ,Iknow
It Is the fad not to be serious, but / want to be.
inst this once. Girls and women who have
been made'acquainted with the joys of woods
and fields love them with as deepand strong q
tenderness as any man ever, did. / want to
enter'a protest-a protest against the unwrit-
ten theory that girls should be brought up IN
side OF four walls. The trouble is in theatti-
tude otRrown-up people. .WhyAdo they not let
little girls play ont of doors asa matter OF
course2 The trouble is that when a girls love
Of Highland air and sunshine and thessky is,so
strong that 10 won't be denied. everybody talks
about 1t. Grandmother shakes her head;
grandfather ways his. but ina pleased way,
because the girl i full OF l9ye for the things he
tTTsai sSS. Ru ana "a , Tes ! ahliE% as 90 q @sst sne g
e3urse: The girl has to insist on herright to
the open air.
conscious. She gets introspectI We. She pazzias
over herself. She wants to play where and
SIMPLE desiresets TIE family n y0 by' lie @ ears s sHls
the neighbors 20 Whispering; In ninetyLnine
R Rias ia %S trained ike Ike any s@S Shi Sin bic ae she % WI III
was Q little girl. / always had a knife. 1 played
marbles: IN bed ss1 e toR,, made kites and fewthem.
Now you cannot say that tiiere IS anythinK
i%=spititise, s4sr 1Gs e sisS 5o ars ef @iISiseTs tsse ess
t hoass, q pIaPiPE wIES do shd Sta SnISgs oa tSs ma ln,ss1s
isms 81 ero%n-uppeopie Luckily my idtieTaad
mother had sensesenoogh to encourage Inesin
rocks %e ;so and p pr S%ssSir thr e@a hf; Rondeff SSye Soa w
meadows to my hearts content. Eevefthelessts
was not allowed to escape an undersurreyt aota
girls were. Ny father .piayfully called me
oBo6SeEt, and ny mother was much more Ln.
under the cushion q a ehair: was sat aponand
ev .id will never toreett; either; one q my Kite.
put on my little sunbonnet and went .fort6,,ko
fly my chef d'9!vre. IT was AFTERNOON the
E Sliati RaT t Upon 't my sfforis. 'A lT lssh ki fe9 dew ep 20
Psrteetion; and I fingered long the spoft:
f fSsss sSn %y rS ssia' # W. nh I ssat tas ct tfq ias iiff Ssd e :
blister 6Iss eF Ups IPSSn oh my , ,shI9' which was actually the
My father and mother had company that
patr9nislng ladies and gentlemen shook my
unwilling band. asked me how old 1 was. and
proportions. / should have passed over such
Inquiries IN ~ silence; bnt my mother proud OF
ularsi And then what @ chorus, arosei
10 n oN wSi,s a lItbt Iss Slsla ny l;n Eites.SS and lS1, Sc SaS md
derneath my sunburn. and my little soul fairly
sqmirmed in unnecessary modification and re-
Now; what nm trying to get at e this:
s S5Sy saGG 'EEs%Ptfhsii IN WHY fSe nf TRe result IL f 3 sSa i
down TO Books sRd lack lustre plays saered,to
mattel mat out q blind. childish '4 defapcs: 'TSsS1
everybody calls her a tomboy. and all the COM
pocket editions OF Observation-Disclosures mind
mixed metaphors-are always surprised that
the tomh9yturns out womanly and disnitied'
All Sf this. naturally. applies to girls living
fdS Sal1fs' q S" Outdoor Do T lie, Il But Si tnere el are t SHsE
meadows. and the Joys mentioned in, the rich
Fight 70 6ast In the smli eS'e Of The good bowl
earth. for the earth does smile. And It is their
right to {. do th ,s;, Eyblthout being looked upon az
You know could keep on talking q IlonE.
40 any good anyway Not much mort, good
rich Rentleman's will. the one where he be-
Queaths, 10 young men alone the power OF
making lasting Friendships and OF having COM
panions. This IL ansoIt ~ retroactive bequest.
The idea undoubtedly is that only young men
possess that power now. wish there was q
bureau Of really vital statistics: a buresu
which, conld gather the facts. about truthful
ness, honesty. LOYALTY. backblting, swindline.
uuselhshness and the real essentials OF life.
OF course there h. such a bureau. But. ash Is
presided over by the recording angel, it Is not
exactly available here on earth.
However, as NEARLY as can decide, without
having hccess TO the records, men and women
are. pretty much ola muclTness, qhe phy streak
ism all masculine and tEnf an feminine, Men
n monopoly 81 This virtue and women q
OF that one. 1t Is a question OF indi-
ylduals. and l'vettn iden ti'atnren md women OF
80 will average mp pretty evenly In this matter
OF lasting friendships and having comrades.
The world brides itself nowadays on being
from traditions, IT, has Just be-
gun 10 get rid a them. ! wish we could all go
into dry dock once in so often, like the var