The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-02-07
AMERICAN #0MEN.
THE DlsAGRsEA8LE ONE PICKS MANY
FLAWS IN THEM.

dressing anu 6iNes some strlkinS
Hlustrations-Disco to Each
other Another Error.
''IIme. Bernhardt never demonstrated
her cleyeEness better" said the disagree
able woman. than when she said thar
American girls were the finest in the
world. The French know how to pay a
compliment, and when she, a representa-
tive Of a nation that produces the great
est feminine charmers of the world, de-
clares the American girl the superior in
fascination it is the very cream of fat
terry.
Not only did Nine. Bernhard make
the statement 10 a press representative
on her return home but before she left
this country She continually lauded the
charms Of the young women of Amer
lea as She toured the cities. and she even
peuned magazine articles in their praise
Bouquets began to fly between Bern
hardt and the women of America soon
after her arrival in New York, when an
American poetess wrote some verses as
cribinr to the clever Frenchwoman no
blity NJ soul, sweetness of disposition
and deliCacy Of temperament that would
remove a woman from the earthly sphere
to that Of the angels. And Bernhardt
clever woman that She is, did not miss
her cue. but replied with all modesty that
she wasn't as nice as all that and from
then on deluEed the American girl with
praise from ocean TO ocean.
1t is a fact that, while the men OF
other nations. notably the English. the
Russians and the French. find the charm
of the American girl irresistible. the wo'
men OF those countries have not taken s.
kindly 10 rs. The first fact is probably
the cause of the second. Women rarely
admire the same type Of femininity that
finds favor in the eyes Of their brothers
or their husbands. English women regard
American women a. eccentric, and
Freucawomen think Us awkward. An
American who goes to live in Paris has
TO be made over before she will do.
"Frenclmen have tried in vain 10
teach Us how TO wear the gowns that they
make 50 much better than we can our.
selves. hut in only a few instances have
they succeeded. When Worth found an
American woman that knew how to wear
the frocks be made for her, he said she
was 50 beautiful that She should be kept
in a frame We don't dress well, and
even when our clothes are designed fol
Us and made for MS by artists we don't
wear them we'll You can 20 TO Monte
Carlo any time and pick out a dozen
women without distinction of birth and
with little education. and our greatest
bellies could not approach them in the
matter of correct dressing. Bernhard
knows this. probably. but she did not
mention it.
AT a flower fete given at an Amer
can summer resort a season or two ago
l watched the beautifully decorated car
riages pass by and noted the women who
occupied them. gorgeouSly gowned in silk
and lace, with hats rivaling the glories of
the sunset and parasols far excelling
them in richness. Beauty, wealth and
the most magnificent Of floral arrange
ments were there, but the whole effect
was garish. | asked myself why, and
there was hut one answer-the women
were oyerdreSsed. The flowers and the
splendid horses We're detracted from by
the clothes. 1t was like a great picture
in a too gorgeous frame. Everything was
there III plenty but good taste and re-
fnement in the dressing. There was too
much display They were distinctly too
dressy = lameutably, crudely, hideously
dresSy.
"On a similar occasion afterward in
Paris the carriages rolled by laden with
roses and lilies and violets. but the wom-
en- within them were robed simply as
nuns. They wore white gowns that did
not look too new made of cloth and mus
lin and lace beneath parasols. chic. but
] q I. r,.vh sfa.s--
The carriage is very beautiful and
worthy of prize. and ! am here. That
is enough \ white rose with its green
leaves laid against the hair of one pale
beauty was more exquisite than the finest
hat ever sent from Paris to stun New
York. And this was the land of hats,
"'Are these great queens or prin-
cesses.' | asked. these distinguished
looking danes. that they dare show them
selves in procession like this. with cam
eras aimed at them in all directions and
yet show such an apparent disdain fol
clothes?'
mo was the answer. they are near
IL all French actresses, and they have nc
dsdain for clothes, but they don't try tC
put everything on at once, as you Amer
leans do
American rush animates US in oul
dressing just as il rules men in theil
business Offices. The men rush them
selves TO nervous prosuation so that We
may rush our clothes. There is no deny
ing the fact that we are overdressed
oyerjeweled, oyerfeathered and overfur
red. The vice is in our bones. We <
a-shopping with good resolves and deter
mination. and something shiny or span
gled or snowy lures US like the brigh
beads for which the Indian girls long.
Next &c our overdressing our creates;
fault is our discourtesy to each other as
contrasted with the cringing way in which
we are always trying TO fascinate men
A Frenchwoman or q Russian or an Eng
fish woman even is confident of hel
charm. She knows what she can do. or il
she doesn't know she pretends she does
1t is more subtle than cur way. We II!
too hard. I've seen nice American girl
roll their eyes at a waiter when they OF
dered plate OF ice cream. IL was a man
and that was sufficient. To each othe!
we are not Ike that.
I'VE are better hearted and more gener
Gus and kindly in reality than the womeI
Of any other nation under the sun. but W,
don't show it in our dealings with eacl
other. We criticise each other fiercei!
and furiously, and then we fall on eac!
others neck with Judas kisses Oh
those kisses! They are almost as plen;!
and as unnecessary as the bowknots.
We could only be kinder TO each othe
and keep our kisses for people who coull
appreciate them"'-New York Sun.