Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-06-14
sya5hinatou Standard
THE AME RICAN GIRL.
by sarah Bcrnharlt

from the stCrcOtypcd English girl
good to look at and good to talk with
1t was apparent even then, that AIer.
lean girls would become famous in
Paris for their unusual gifts OF con-
vcrsation and their general good looks.
soon was able to drive down any OF
the great avenues at home and pick
them out as saw them pass. They
had more distinction in their looks
and manner than the girls of any
other country; y freedom in their
work and a conscious pride in their
expression. They never have had diff.
ficulty in making places for them
relves in the life OF Paris.
But, though | knew something OF
them abroad, it was not until my
present tour Of this county that ! be-
gan to know them as they are They
have many qualities for which | look
in vain among the bellies OF France,
and they can rival my countrywomen
now in beauty and dress. First OF all,
/ think they have more general cul-
ture and are better educated. | have
been astounded, in going about the
country, to observe the number of
large and flourishing colleges for wo-
men which everywhere exist. One
can hardly believe that there are so
many women seeking higher "educa-
tion," as you call it here. And the
young women have met showed the
results of this education. They were
able to discuss innumerable subjects
intelllgently. ! could hardly men,
ton any branch of art OF which they
were ignorant and usually they could
talk well on the drama, poetry and
art generally. Another thing which
impressed me was the fact that so
many American young women can
speak French. If an American act
ress were to visit France she would
have some difficulty in finding other
women who could speak English, but
here have had but little use for my
poor stock of the American vocabu-
larry. Wherever I have gone l have
been able to speak French to most
people with whom I come in contact.
America is great place for education
and American women are as we'll edu-
Gated as the men. I am sorry that
this is not also true of France.
In Paris l used to think there was
one distinct type Of the American girl,
but now l have come to believe that
there are many different types. l
have this winter been North and
South and East and West, and have
found Western girl and Southern
girl and Northern girl and an East
ern girl. Eastern girls are more like
the girls of Paris. They have more
style and care more for dress. But
they sometimes lack the wonderful
beauty / have seen in Southern girls,
and the remarkable compilations and
graceful carriage of the girls who have
grown up in the far West. l shall
never forget the beautiful, charming
women of New Orleans, and other
Southern cities. They are charming
hostesses, too, down there.
The working girls of this country,
like tho women of France, are am
bilious, and willing to work, that they
may make place for themselves in
the world. They say there is hardly
q profession in which they have not
made beginning; and, from what 1
observed, can we'll believe the truth
of such statement. / have run
across women authors, painters. law
yers, doctors, decorators, dentists and
publishers. I become more and more
astonished as find the wide range of
woman's effort in this country. It is
only beginning to be 80 in France.
Our women there are good workers,
however, and are finding that the
higher walks of life are open to them
% we'll as to the men, and are trying
to make record for themselves. It
should encourage the women of
France to study feminine achieve.
ments here.
They say, in France, that, when
women work and seek to become we'll
educated, they neglect their home
duties. 1 cannot see that this is so
in this country. The American home
is never neglected, except when the
mistress is always ain society,"" as in
90 many foreign countries. There are
families in New York and other large
cities where the children are given
over entirely to the care OF nurses
but, in the majority of cases, I think
American women prefer to personally
superintend the training of their little
ones. This is an encouraging sign. 1t
explains, possibly, why American wo.
men influence the life of their country
to a greater extent than do the women
OF any other land.
The announcement comes that oil
has been struck in Thurston county
The announcement is not startling
We have always thought that about
every other year, near the time of the
legislative sessions, oil in paying
quantities has been struck by at least
two-thirds of the members of the
legislature. "Oil" in Thurston county
is not hard to find. The difficulty il
-, hoiov olaotoJ - tho