Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-11-28
THE AUSTRALIAN GIRL.
Not Pretty Nor Athletic Nor Chic,
but Dainty and Happy.

~ llISt tiilIIo llldl SlIuCk NE
returning to Australia says a cor
respondent of the Queen. was that
the Australian girl had developed into
a veiled lady. When 1 left nigh upon
Is years ago a gossamer was sign Of
the 'hushie, the girl who was forced
to take some care of her complexion
if she meant to have one at all.
But the hushie wore her veil ac-
cordingly-over her face. The Perth
lasSie now has her three yards of
gauze turned back over her hat and
streaming down her back with grace
ful sweep. like z novice. or brides
maid. I conclude that she drops them
modestly outside the town when en-
countering flies and mosquitoes.
AT Adelaide | saw more girls with
streaming wells: again at Melbourne
though fewer there in consequence of
the perpetual battle of the winds. In
Sydney I lighted on the apothess of
the veil. White. blue, mauve, pink.
green, red. every other tint you can
! mention, it comes tripping down the
street. swirling on the breeze, entang-
ling Your shoulders as you sit beside
it on the ferryboat, challenging the
brilliant blossoms in the public gar
dens.
But for it Sydneys streets might
seem hot and dusty: it gives them the
touch of color cleaning in sunshine
which forms the charm of Oriental
cities. of which you miss here. Bevies
Of girls. with many an older woman,
trJoning along the pavement in whit"
dresses or French muslin, their hats
wreathed with roses. their tinted.
gauzy wings yelling their shoulders
how they bedeck the scene!
"The first few days | could notice
only the veil. After that | began to
study the lady. and much to my aston
ishment it struck me that she had not
grown a bit. Whereas on returning to
England after II years absence l was
introduced to new generation of i'm
mcnsely tall. athletic girls, their Aus
,ralian cousin remains much as | left
her. small dainty thing with the
lcisurely walk of old.
ITO be sure she can hurry when
catching train or boat. but as a rule
she prefers to saunter out of Difference
no doubt to climatic conditions,
Neither does she appear to go in Wig
orously for athletics. She plays ten
MS, certainly; l have read of female
cricketers, but at this season, at any
rate, you do not meet her armed with
golhng paraphernalia, and I have not
heard the word hockey mentioned.
She has, however. developed a new
health accomplishment: she goes in en-
hdsiastically for surf bathing. an
amusement Inla., ri Of Como ,.oa -, -.
Sydney is tremendously proud of its
surf bathers, and we went across the
bay to Manly on purpose to see them.
There was no mistake about this being
toe geuine article-love of the water
Tor the waters refreshing sake
None of the witching costumes that
you see flirting with French waves.
none of the floating ribbons and stock
inged limbs that dawdle on an Ameri-
can beach. no hats to preserve the face
from freckles. The Workaday cos
tunes are ugly exceedingly; even a
wen buIlt lass looks a dripping fright
as she emerges from the surf i'm her
uSht lifting woven Canadian nor is
there modest cloak held out to en-
veiop her as she scurries back to the
dressing room
But she has been enjoying herself
extremely, battling with the waters
shooting the crested wave and has
acquired 2 fund of joyous energy
"nereWlth to take her daily task. It
is on Saturday and Sunday that Manly
Beach is thronged with bathers and
iookerson. This mixed bathing was
at first, l understand. holy horror
10 the prudish; it is now accepted as
a matter of course. and you see whole
families disporting themselves to-
sether. AS in the Old World.
ODDLY enough. though. the brown
girl has become the fashion in cons BE-
quence; you do not, often meet her.
Perhaps Australian Skins are more
impervious to tan thar oth"~s. ~ ole,
the new girl is learned in the use of