The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14
IDEAL YOUNG GIRL
I THE
By YVONNE SARCEY

| Our young girl of to-day Is a much
criticized creature Old ladies are fond
OF declaring with considerable en-
phasis that her manners nrc anSthins
| but what they ought 10 be. far from
| CONNIE II faut," and YOU understand
what this expression means In their
; mouth To he CONNIE ii fault In the
eyes OF the generation that preceded
MS means absolutely and hopclessiy
perfect: the expression stands FOR a
symbol OF sweet. timid clinginS ana
docilc young girl OF their time.
/ Was the young girl OF those days
with her shy bushes and hashful man
ners superior or Inferior TO the young
girl of to-day? The question Is very
often discussed but 1t seems TO me
rather a waste Of time. Every season
has its fragrance as every generation
| has its merits. And 1t is even the
strength and beauty of the various
cpochs that. although their elements
| arc tho same. th:y always appear new
and line their trail alonS the course
| OF centuries with multitude of Tow
ers, each one possessing its own IN
iIvidual color, each Whispering 10 the
| nass.rbv: 81 am memory; enjoy my
! charms and do not compare thcm with
others. | Loyalty reflect an epoch. My
! shape aud color may not agree with
! the fashions Of your days. but love
them anyway. for they arc harmonious;
delicate and sweet. and they fuihiied
the ideal that We had.
DO YOU remember our grandmothers'
| ideal young girl? Her hair was smoth-
! ed well down. tied In knot at the
/ back OF her head. her looks modest AMI
shy, her hands neat with nails trimmed
| suuarcly. her nose was, always buried
| in some kind of embroidery. she was
| inuuisitive without daring TO show 1t.
| in secret she read books of the shame
| less existence OF which she was sup
posed TO be profoundly ignorant, she
|
novel, and while she was apparently
busily engaged tying UP the preserve
! lars OF her mothers she was In renli-
/ ty dreaming. dreaming madly of Mon
| sleur Ernest. that handsome young
man she mot at her last ball, dreaming
| of everything that was concealed from
| her. but which she nevertheless guess
! ed or knew all about. dreaming of the
world papitating with life all around
! her. hut which she missed because
they had stuffed her cars with cotton
and put blinkcrs in front OF her eyes.
Her nuttering heart walks falteringly.
trcmblingly towards tho unknown. She
/ has been told: Look out. always
! look out--hcrc is a snare, there three
! rocks. yonder a prccip!cc, down there
a river. II you were not so careful
| ~ protected and guarded, to-day By
! your mother. tomorrow by your hus-
band. you would be in deadly peril a
hundred times a day"
And she thinks with delight of Mon
slcur Ernest's strong hand which IL
will DO SO nice TO hold in her own to
T! avoid the snares. jump across the three
rocks. pass by the precipice and cross
the river.
y hundred times she has been told
"a nice young girl must beware of
everybody and everything" and as a
F.! result her life Is u constant dread.
] Like the young swallows sitting in
/ their nests sticking outside their heads
watching the moment when they may
slip away. she is living In fear and
expectation, never daring to express an
/ opinion nor laugh real heartily. nor
| enjoy the reading OF n really good
book nor the masterpieces of art, nor
| take the cotton ont OF her ears and
beg, "J.et me listen to the music OF
the world. even If It makes me cry"
, nor tear the bandage from her eyes
and say: "Give ME light, beautiful
golden warm light. which my twenty
years are yearning for"
The young girl that were brought
| UP ny our grandmothcrs. who were
timid. hashful. hut ready to take up the
istrusgle, and who understood 10 wit
nesr sliAni1v thu daath Of their Ideals,