The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-11
HE GIRL WITH A LATCH KEY.
Constance Mcrrifield Writes on Eli
quote for a Bachelor Girl

CONSTANCE hcrrficid Writes on Eli
quote for a Bachelor Girl
Nhen the new woman sDrang into OK.
stence she received a latch kew as bo,
professional badge. 1t meant that sb,
could 80 and come when She pleased
without asking If she might denart ~
Mehuon a time for her return.
The latch key was a good thing for tbe
new woman-is a good thing for any wo-
man. but like all other good things #
must be used at the right time.
New York city is filled with nov. v,o-
men. There is scarcely any woman IN
| town who Will confess 10 being am oid
woman, although my friend, Mrs. Erred
! vanderbilt did say that she was one NJ
! the old fashioned sort. But She is the ev-
| eeption. All the rest say that thev are.
! or would like TO be-, one Of the new sort
| NOW TO be new woman Of the right
! sort is a wonderful thing But 10 be a
| new woman OF the wrong sort IS a ,erfi-
| bic thing.
The new woman Of the right SOFT
dresses comfortably though prettly. read
What she pieases; sews when She must.
and is very We'll up on topics of the dav.
deads the papers. She sewed AN dav.
complained most Of the time. and i'm the
evening was Obliged 10 paint and powder
wei before she could go t0 the theatre
because or the ravages made by needle
work and worry.
new woman OF the right sort is very
attractive because of he-- ideas. Mr.
Bryan said the other day that an i8o,
was a wonderful thing. ] heard him re-
marx az the dollar dinner that an idea
would reVolutionize the world: and that
an lued turned loose could never be chain
ed up again. The new woman has so
many of these Ideas that She Is positively.
fascinating and IN an my experience
which is necessarily from my profession.
a broad one j have never seen n now
woman who failed 10 keep her husband
fascinated II she We're married II she
were a bachelor girl she had more suit
ors than she could refuse comfortably
each year.
/ know the term new woman IS un-
popular with the men. but the new wo-
man herself is very popular with them
She is the mice little gr' whom AN men
Ike Would you believe that Mrs. Pot
ter Palmer is one Of the now women. end
that pretty little Virginia Fair was one
also. II IS true they have both t.d
me so, Mrs. Palmer said that If she had
been in the Windsor fire She could have
gone down a roDc hand over hand. and
Miss Fair proved that she knew how 70
act I'm a fire by rescuine her Jewels and
her clothes and the best Of the hric-a-
brac before stepping out of the villa
which burned al midnight while she was
on her wedding tour The old fashioned
woman would have taken 90 screams.
Do
fascinating and partly because she is
criticised past endurance the new wo.
man sometimes takes . step too FAR ana
becomes too new In the summer she
Will slip away 10 the races and put down
a little bet Of her owD. looking and act
ing a tribe ont OF the conventional. In
the evening she may Join a too gay party.
one Of the sort that never has a chap
ercne
At other times she may affect the man
nish suit and. when 40 home with
friend she may. just TO be socitbia.
smoke a cigarette
These are the indiscretions Of the new
woman. but after all are they rs bad as
the indscretion of the old woman?
Thc old woman firts desperately behind
her paint and powder. while she Grill
oises the mannish new woman but the
mannish new woman knows that she is
at heart twice as honest as the married |
nirt who screens her smiles behind the !
ian.
New York is full Of bachelor girls who |
live alone I'm very nice little establish |
ments Of their own. They earn the mon !
ay 10 support them and they are proud |
N the opportunity 10 do #, too. They |
boast Of their ability TO do 10: and II !
'ou have the pleasure of knowing Them. /
'ou know that they have created such |
irtistic little apartments that it IS q
pleasure 10 visit them Nine times out Of
en- there is no chapcrcne but the new |
-irl is so thoroughbred so truly honest.
% thoroughly ingram, that, when YOU
ave gotten used 70 her you admire her
The old woman on the other hand al
yays has a chaperone. often II g her
mother: and. behind this outward badge
4 responsibility. she lives. Why. any
ody with a grain OF sense will tell YOU
bat there are more indiscrctions COM
nitted by the conventional woman. liv-
~ with her mother. than by all the new
'omen combined
The conventional woman thinks that
he can do as she pleases II her mother
in the house. and the poor old lady
ozes in the corner while the convention
woman saws and does things which
ne new woman would consider beneath
erself
1t is a splendid thing TO be a bachelor
iri. or a new woman, u means health.
nd life and independence Any woman
IN be II II she has the brains. II does
Ike brains. but women are discovering |
lat they have them and there are more
aw women every year.