The San Francisco call., 1899-09-10

a FTER Mrs Burton Harrison
~ wrote her story Of "A Bachelor
Maid" the subject that had
given SO much occasion for talk and
newspaper discussion dropped into
desuetude. II was seen that the bach
elor woman was not fad; she really
existed and intended to exist. So the
world stopped railing at her. and ac-
cepted her as something that had to be.
Now this case in London OF Miss Inez
Broome, the gay and independent
bachelor girl of brains. means and ped
igree. has set the world a-talking again
about the single woman who feels that
she has a right to do as she pleases
and act just her brothers do.
It is true that Miss Broome has re.
nounced her bachelorhood. She has
married a brother Of the noble Craven
who some years back welded the New
York heiress, Miss Bradley Martin. But
the bachelor maid who became a bride
has not renounced her independence;
she has simply elected to be her hus-
bands chum and comrade for life. 1t
is not likely that we shall ever hear Of
10 such extremes in her assertion of in
dependence as did the gay Miss
Broome. She. perhaps. shocked the
proprieties a tr1e too far. Neverthe-
less, she served to bring the fascinating
woman bachelor once more into promi-
nence.
The popular idea of the bachelor girl
in the minds Of those who do not
/. i
young woman who laughs at conven-
tionality, smokes cigarettes and drinks
cocktails all day, and who is both bold
and coarse. In reality the bachelor girl
is neither bold nor coarse; for the
former, substitute independent. In re-
gard to the latter, she is certainly not
one of those who mistake prudishness
for modesty, yet she is withal refined
And she is feminine, fascinating and
sweet.
The feminine bachelor is very much
misunderstood by her married sisters;
also by those of her women relatives
who are not bachelors Somebody has
defined the difference between an old
maid and a bachelor maid as lying in
this: The former is still looking out for
a husband, while the latter IS perfectly
the distinction is not exactly This, but
something sufficiently near 1t. The
"a bachelor woman would not take amy
-lold thing" as a husband rather than go
without. If she marries she wants
friend, a companion, man who is her
equal in brain, heart and soul. If she
never meets this ideal she can still be
happy She is not always a worker;
she may be a society girl. But what
ever she is, she is an admirable type OF
the best in womanhood.
In New York you find no end of these
women bachelors. Sometimes they live
In flats, en- duo, en- trio, or in quintets
. or seXtets. They go to places of amuse-
ment without male escorts ind fear Is
to them a term unknown. All ranks
of society have representatives among
these bachelors and they represent all
men; no, they have plenty Of masculine
friends But they meet on equal
ground. The men respect and like these
women, like them all the better, per
haps, because they know they are not
expected TO fall in love with them and
propose matrimony because they hap
pen to express fondness for their So
ciety.
They do fall in love sometimes, of
course they do. And when the bachelor
girl marries she usually makes the very
best kind of a wife. She appreciates a
good husband, and, because she is not
willing to be his slave, that does not
make her the less dutiful and careful
of his comfort.
Ask the bachelor maid if she ever
thinks of marriage, and she usually
says: "Oh, yes; sometimes. But her
single blessedness does not disturb her
tranquility.
1t is a matter of interest to con over
the names of some Of our local bachelor
women. We can show none Of the
G1el t-vtair1
young women who believe that inde-
pendence is d pleasant possession, and
who are in no hurry to change the
prefix Miss to Mrs"
All over California one can find these
happy bachelor girls, some of them in
public life. but many more in society"
The latter are usually interested In
clubs Of culture, or music, or painting,
but all represent fine types of Call
fornian young Womanhood
The school departments OF TINS and
other cities are full of bright bachelors.
Miss Mamie Deane is perhaps as rep
resentative as any of this type. Eliza
D. Keith was i'm journalism before she
entered the School Department
Two bachelors who have distinguish
ed themselves in the world OF art are
Marie Withrow and her sister Eva; the
latter paints splendid portraits, while
the former teaches vocal music. They
are in London now.
Journalism contains the names Of
many clever bachelor girls. There is
Mabel Craft, for one, University and
Hastings Law College graduate, and
the author Of a successful book. May
Eleanor Gates, Eleanor Croudace, Gen
evieve Green-theSe are but a few Of
the many bright girl bachelors who
write good newspaper stuff.
Maren NJ. Froelich is devoted to art
and has no time to think Of much else
these days outside Of her orders for