The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-06-05

This paragraph Is intended 10 be a little
preachment exclusively for st. Louis girls
All others can safely skip to the ."s-m
DASH below. They won't be interested.
A fortnight ago. during that never-to-be
forgotten week of club women and press
men. Miss Lola Kirschner addressed the
combined forces. out at the German build
ing. one afternoon, as you will undoubt-
edly remember, IL you were there She
said many interesting things concerning
) her impressions of Americans and Amcri-
: can manners among them some compari-
sons between Continental men versus
American men in their treatment OF and
e Difference toward women. i understand
that some of the French and Germans in
her audience thought she scored them all
; rather heavily and was unfair in her COM
PARSONS. but that is neither here nor
there
What I am trying TO reach is, her state
msnt that the American educational sys-
TENS. the rearing of boys and girls togeth-
err. is. responsible in largest measure for
the right-minded attitude of American
men toward their c-ountrywomen. We nave
thanks to our glorious s~chools-been
started right.
= We progress when surrounded by Amer
lean men and American ways of doing
things. quite as we nave started, and we
: end in either marrying and bringing up
= our daughters in like manner or else in
comfortable spinsterhood. with the priv
fege of writing how other women's daugh-
ters should be brought up.
But sometimes there comes a period in
our feminine history when the American
man steps back out of our limelight and
generously-or srudgingly-gives the for
; eigner a chance. This is the period lust
now. 1t may never happen again to many
Of US. With curious foreign eyes, firta-
tious. inquisitive and sometimes coldly
speculative and calculating eyes on us, it
behooves US to be careful.
To. be carcful-I emphasize it.
My dear, charming St. Louis girls. whose
beauty, whose style, whose lovable ways
and gentle Southern speech make me pos
-ifively thrill with pride in you and arec-
ton for you every day that I see you at
opening receptions and cadet balls, don't
"let go" one single atom of your dignity.
your splendid American poise. your re-
spect-compelling attitude toward the male
biped. that makes each and every one of
you a bit OF royaltyiin her own right.
: Foreign men are charming, many of
them have birth n breeding and fasci-
mating Continental manners that come
with travel and the mingling with high
born and cultured persons. But they have
been reared under such vastly different
conditions-they know almost no young
women on terms of perfect equality-that
we are a positive bewilderment to many of
them. They misunderstood our f~rankness
and they take advantaE-sometimes-of
what We only intend fort chan and good
fun. Hence. be careful.
j your A~women-they are the most ex-
traordinary part of your whole country;
they have my utmost admiration and re-
rpect." didn't Prince Lun say before he
left? Keep that respect, my.dear st. Louis
girls
h.Amertcan girIsshave-aw-so much less
reserve-aw-thans our own girls" said
another foreigner whose nationality was
perfectly; obvious by hts strong accent.
but I like them so very much, don't
youiknow;" he h~astened!to add, as he saw
my eye resting on one,pretty creature. a
dsbutante last winter, seated at a refresh
sment table with four men about her. BAN
Sdinage going on, thick, and fast. and the
girl in an, easy attitude, perfectly sure of
. herself and her: powers of attraction.
Wrong? OF. course 1t wasn't; only that
Nnglfstman drew comparisons in his
mind between the reserved English girl
whom he has always known and whom
: he VIII doubtless go home and marry, and
thanked. his; stars.that she hadn't the free
, and-easiness of the other.
The Germansiregard ust with even more
es~gtoniehment than theS English. and the
at all.
do you mean ito say that st. Louis
young men and young ladies meet fire.
quently at entertainments where there are
NJ older persons. and that they go to
places of amusement-two of them