The Washington times., 1906-08-31
THE GIRL WHO STAYS AT HONE

These are the haIcyon days Tor the
girl who stays at home.
Her game is such good one that
one almost hesitates through sheer sis
ter sympathy to give il away, because
the very next trains from mountains
and sea may come in loaded 20 the
guards with forIorn damseIs who have
been "summering-"
For generations the myth has been
accepted as a stern fact that the stay
at-Eome summer girl had about as
much chance as "a lump Of yellow taffy
ia the sunlight
She was pitled by mankind, patron
ized by womankind ana abhorred by
Adown the long, dreary, sizzling
three-month vista Of the heated term
ttO quote society Journals) she sazed
discOnsOlateiy.
Each new personal about lucky
mafdeus who contemplated sOiOurning
where resorts flourish but man is not
filled her with deep ard Overwhelming
"What shall do2" She used to wall
as the humidity Crept alike into her
1riZZeS and spirits. reducing them bOth
To a state of dark. limp detection.
How can / ever expect TO have any
pleasure when I have 10 stay in town.
And so confident was she OF having
a miserable summer that thanks TO the
influence of mind over matter, she
usually had It,
Wildly exciting shopping trips down
town I'm what she enormously termed
"the cool OF the morning were followed
by the delights or sleeping all afternoon
and sitting on the steps at night
Certain edllaUt chaps generally hap
pened uy and paused for an hours chat
and mild Jaunt 10 the drug store for
soda.
Yet even they were so impressed with
the belief that n stdy-at-hOme girl wa 8
some sort of "a blot Ou "a familys es-
eutchaun that their speech saVOred of
pity, and was therefore calling IN the
For after all. mems ideas on most
subjects are merely reflections OF what
the women think
euthuSiuE over the bully good time they
had for two weeks or from saturday 10
Monday at resorts where bevies Of local
And the stay-at-h0me girl listened in
Each mail would bring highly scented
and more highly enthusiastic letters
from those same girls, gloating over the
scenery and meals and glorious dancing
floors.
Oh. YES. and "a new man" would he
inevitably mentioned as sort of god on
wheels. 10 whom the whole DeVy OK
maideus were paying devotion
And the stay-at-home girl read and
went and vowed that next winter she
would refrain from candy and matinees. |
and even starve herself If need be, In /
order to get the funds for summer
81 course she never did il. because |
when winter came the theaterS seemed
so vastly more real and essential than
a vague, way-on summer hotei-
Stul. the thought cheered her Ike the
idea of resolutions she was going 20 /
make when the new year arrives.
But then gradually and yet with
startling abruptuess at the end great
Va 4rFffa IfuhF hrff-a the EITI who
has TO stay at home.
Such a joyous. brilliant, all perNad-
ing light that she tossed her cherished
pOmpadour hat into the air and shouted
with boyish glee.
why did the girls who went away al
wavs want TO know from her what
Thomas and William and Henry We're
W6v did their letters 10 her invariably !
bulge with tributes 10 the ballroom !
floor and contain only casual refer
euce To the dances enjoyed upon IT.
Why did the men creatures VINO were
merely shifted at and dismissed as Just
possible" become so endowed with
superuuman virtues at the seaside!
Why why why. went on the buzZlng
queries like bees i'm the girls hive OK
brain until finally the realization came
because man Is such scarce article
there that he has 20 be hunted down
Those girls, with all their friny gowns
and gew gaWs would exchange the
whole ocean Irout ana mountain Siuc
for q chance 10 Saunter down the main
street al home and sight the faces Of
men beloved.
They were openly patronizing and in
WardIy enViOus. aud the stay-at-home !
gave herself pat on the mental1es
and said. Maria, you're an idiot
How could there possibly be enough /
men to go round when from their own
lips she had il that "Over- Sunday trips
and a short. all too crowded fortnight, /
constituted the amount of time spent |
away by the right sort OF young. tel- |
lows spare Of cash. but broad OF /
shoulder, and oh. so rich i'm the manli- (
ness that is good 10 look upon
SO reasoned the City's summer girl. !
driven actually TO logic through stress |
of feeling.
Hitherto she had conscientiously /
avoided dressing, as did the rOllicking /
girls who went away. wv hite sleeves /
and parasOls are for tna seashore, they
don't do I'm town, was presumable /
truism hammered into her picturesque /
soul each year until she had accepted /
Il as final
But the same spirit which has caused /