New-York tribune., 1910-11-12
THE AMERICAN GIRL
Tales Written About Her and fol
Her.

Tt is with a sense OF bewilderment
that one turns from the reading to the
reviewing of a shelfful OF girls tales of
school and college life. We have got
once and forever beyond the tedious
didacticism Of the Old-time literature for
the young, with it's insufferable priggish-
ness and preternatural and premature
solemnity, but 1t is not unreasonable
even now to insist upon certain stand
ards. The standards of character and
conduct Of these books are unexcepton-
able. but they present a strange jumble
of manners and social environment, In
which far too much stress is laid upon
money and the Importance It buys. Real
ism appears to be the chief aim of these
writer's. especially in the reflection Of
the girls speech, with its gush and its
slang. but a little unobtrusive editing
of it in stories would certainly do no
harm If young girls away from all
close supervision talk of themselves and
their chums as "cOngenial ladies" II is
time to call halt to the employment
Of the vulgarism in the books written
for their entertainment. And to read
of fluffy. frilly, gay young girls from
some of the most luxurious homes the
country can show" suggests serious re-
Election upon the tendency Of some Of
the changes that have gone on among US
in the last twenty-odd years.
Another cause Of bewilderment, but of
another kind, is the multiplication OF Sc
ouels Even an elastic and well-trained
adult memory cannot carry the contents
of their predecessors in his mind from
year to year. except in exceptional in
stances. Occasionally the authors of
these combinations thoughtfully provide
an explanatory first chapter, but as
often they do not, for. after all, these
| books are written TO be read by the
young. who do remember. and not to be
reviewed by their elders. The sequels
| first then.
Miss Katherine Ruth Ellis carries the
adventures OF her quartet of heroines
into a third volume, entitled The Wide
| Awake Girls at College 0ittle, Brown
& Coz, and leaves one of them on the
threshold Of life, betrothed and happy
It almost looks as If Miss Ellis were
ready TO abandon the ''Wide-Awake'
field with this book a proceeding tC
which, one supposes. her young readers
Will object. She established herself as g
favorite in this field with her first book
Anna Chaplin Rays Sidney" series
comes to an end with sidney: Her Sen.
Tor Year Qittle. Brown & Coz. which
| @hA h1Ir @r To, To hos
now run through six deservedly popular
volumes Sidney is president of hel
class-the scene is Smith College-and
In order that no curiosity may remalI
unsatisfied as to the future OF her girls
the author satisfactorily settles severa
budding love affairs on commencement
day. A clever, wholesome story, lik
all its predecessors. Fairmount is not 1
college, but q fashionable finishing
school, wherefore It Is appropriate tina
Miss Eta Anthony Baker lays stress. II
her second chronicle of this institution
upon the fun and frolics of its pupils
rather than upon the curriculum. Henc
"FTolics at Fairmount" Qittle. Brow
& Coz. There is the annual love-feas
with Stanleigh Hall. the neighborins
very serious college preparatory. and tn
annual water tournament between tn
two institutions, and. do not let us forge
it. the romance of one OF the teachers
Young men from Columbia and Prince
y ton figure In the gay proceedings. On
OF last years signal successes. Mis-
Mary Constance Dubois's deightfr
Lass OF the Silver Sword" nnds Its con