The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-07-22
TIE AMERICAN GIRL
Copyright 1s04-Ju',e L. Copeland

And though the cities Of the west did
not rise in Knight, their plienoMenal
growth would make old Rip van
Wrinkle rub his sleepy Dutch eye
should he again awake.
It is a rapid age, and speed In
thought and action is the watchword
OF the advance guards OF the new
civilization. In the midst of this
whirl OF events, the American girl is
no laggard. Since the sixteenth CEN
tury the public school has provided
educational advantages. Oberlin col
lege was the first to open her door To
women. Today nearly every college
In the land has its girl students.
The American girls of tile present
! time have their home club, where
| they discuss domestic science, and
their state clubs where they discuss
questions Of ndtional Importance.
They elect delegates and send them
to Washington to present their views
on these questions.
A few of the western states have
fgivens women suffrage rights, but our
own estate, South Dakota, seems
somewhat backwSid in this respect.
The lawgiyers have evidently Thought
best to experiment, and have allowed
women a small part OF t4aefr great
prerogatiye. She votes apFKe polls
on matters educational, in her county
or city, and has proven thatth candi-
date who can get the women OF his
precinct to vote is the man who is
lelected school director. r.,
!. The ae1acan girls are pushing
their way successfully in the pro.
| fessions and they step wittetliefl
! brothers in all j ~ labor, Except
where physical strength and en-.
/ durance are required. She is able to
Y carry on large enterprises. a woman
is often at the head Of a large depart.
Iment store, and SeAss Ss,tt 81. the e trolling
power in ageliSl Rf nat61 I'm.
1portance. He11ight. risp Nh touch
is known in literature and the lecture
J, plasforln acknowledges her graceful
presence, as we'll as her terse sayings.
y II the women teachers should answe,
!, to roll call an army would respond.
independents, but not too assertive
ylyacious, butnot.too. gay, her charm
ing personality tascinates her mos
4 hated enemy. In her leisure hours yol
Twill often find her deve .oping muscle
! on golf links, tennis field, or boating
on river or lake. She rides wheel
drives in the park, and speeds llel
! automobile. When winter spread
slhis carpet Of snow 8 ovej
i the ground, she slides over stll,
) beautiful in the gayest Of sleighs
and her skates are as swift as AM
! Ion the ice.
4 Conservative people sometime,
& lspeak Of her as "the new woman
but they render her homage ant
I admiration SO long as she does moi
affect mannish dress and manners.
J. The very atmosph OF this west
q ern continentfs tingling with new
{ Ideas. She feels the impetus ofgreai
I thoughts surging about her Be MOI
Isurprised that she is progressive, FOL
! tshe belong 10 the Vest.
j The American girl is like com,
lposite photograph. There is resem.
llblance To- dffferens people in The
picture. You are introduced to The
I, ,American girl anfl you wonder at lei
|, French dress, her Englisl eyes, hel
Il German taste for music on must
|, lremelnbcr that her ancestors came
!. from all the different nations Of the
world that thereof Of the family tree
/ breaches from across the Atlantic.
IShe is The comp posite pictnrssof many
u natl libies subjected modern
I sIculture.