The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-10


questions should be addressed to The
Arbiter. care The Washington Herald
That interesting and widely-quoted Ger
man weekly. Die Woehe. is responsible
for the statement that The aristocratic
English lady is the only member Of her
sex who can manage TO give and attend
receptions and parties. go 10 balls ana
bazaars. hunt travel. accomplish thou
sand duties-and yet be a good and de
voted mother" a statement with which
We are forced to take issue The defining
adjective could read American as well,
for whether il is TO or against her credit
the American woman does all this and
she does II quite as well as does her
English sister: but it is worth while to
Try and attend receptions, parties. go 10
balls and bazaars. hunt, travel. accom-
plish thousand duties and yet be q good
and devoted mother? What does II avail
TO burn the candle al both ends?
The main things We lack in America IS
Tepose. the sense Of leisure. To a woman
born and bred on the other side. the hec-
tic character Of the life here is a revels-
lion II Is impossible for Well-disci-
plined and well-trained English OF Ger
man woman 10 properly understand her
American sister On the other side the
life Of a woman Is carefully thought out
and planned while she is still in her
cradle, and in those countries where the
marriage de convenience still obtains the
parents decide upon the husband. but
with US when q girl goes out in her first
season unframed. unsophisticated. and in
experienced she IS forced into place
that It would Re difficult for the most &C
COmplished woman Of the world to flI
and il IS she who must do the deciding
the American mamma absolutely declining
the responsibility II is a sad thing 10
put heavy weights on young shoulders.
but here in this country It has seemed
necessary
Molly Stark was young woman. and
so were some Of the others who nave
been al the head and front Of things
But how 10 change this state of affairs.
how 10 make the American young
woman less independent when il Is her d.
rect Inheritance and certainly a great
part Of her charm. is a question. Euro.
peans think and write about the American
girl, editorials galore appear and she is
the subject Of ante and post prandiaI dis
cUssions, bu; those who write about her
and those who discuss her by word OF
mouth neglect 20 look into the past and
so lose sight OF that fact that our SRI of
to-day IS the descendant Of the makers
Of a great republic, not the spoiled and
petted daughter of an ancient nobility
The Puritan woman. who preceded her.
came 20 this country from the quiet in
terror Of an English home % a life
strenuous and throbbing. II was not her
province 70 sit comfortably or 20 bake.
brew. and mend, and await the coming
Of her lord as her mother had done. and
as did her sisters left behind IN the Ola
World She fought the savages. titled
the soil. and at the same time bore and
brought up her children. Is It any Won
der that the daughter OF daughters so
born should Be different? Must they be
measured by the inch rule Of convention
ality2
In years 10 come perhaps Yes. but TO-
Gay We are too near the epoch that
launched a new republic and made the
American girl Of the present possible. All
this auTOpOs Of a letter signed An ad-
mirer Of but not q believer in the Ameri-
can young woman but does she need
any defense2 Is she not her own ex-
cUse, her Own reason? Granted that she
IS q power TO be reckoned with, that she
has invaded the AImanach de G0tha. rifed
royal palaces Of its choicest sons. IS il
not her privilege She may not be as
subtle, as clever. as much Of an intTi-
gsnte as her French sisters. but she Is a
power 10 be reckoned with which. whether
its pity or not IS a fact. and although
no one would seek 10 change her. all Of
her well wishers would like TO make her
yoke little easier 10 bear. 10 make her
way less strenuOus-but how. when she
has passion for that same strenuositv2
At one OF the Cabinet receptions last
week young woman whose name ap-
pears at every social function during
the season looked worn and tired and
hardly Up 10 the duties that she had IN
dertaken- IN fact. she seemed so weary
that her partner for the german that
evening offered 70 excuse her, much 10
her confusion and dismay.
of course. I an tired, she said. worn
out absolutely no good, but I Ike 10
be tired" That's the point OF view Of
the young American woman Of to-day
She wants TO overdO- There is a remedy.
Of course. but all remedies are disagree
able. and in this case the cure would be
worse than the disease. Il would be 10
interest herself in something quite out
side social affairs. 20 teach the orphan
boy 70 read as Lady Clare de We're
was advised 10 DO. the orphan girl 10
sew" or, If she Is not willing to give
Up society entirely. not 10 take II too
seriously.
Very much interest has been expressed
in what Mrs Taft VIII do regarding a
social secretary. That there should be
some one in the White House to take the
weight from the shonldars of the wife