The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-02

or limitations of what smart" and dash
| ing matrons and widows are choosing.
| Split skirts to be worn over spider web
silk stockings and no petticoats; waists
| of lace and net so thin as scarcely to
veil the shadow lace lingerie worn be-
meath; pumps cut low in the vamp, with
dazzling buckles and even sparkling
| heels; sporting coats in garish eolors and
| blatant stripes instead of simple sweat
ers; evening frocks SO tight of skirt as
to make even the Bunny Hug a danger
GUS dance, and bathing suits not of
modest, line enveloping flannel and
SERGE but of silk which clngs when wet,
the very quintessence of suggestiveness.
All the sartorial weapons of the oriental
! siren offered to Miss Sixteen! Small
wonder she is a woman among men be-
| fore her hour.
A brilliant woman of the world, who
recently sailed from America, remarked
with regret, Il saw young girls only
among your very rich and exclusive old
families. They alone dress their girl
children simply and properly, as the
aristoerats of Europe still dress theirs.
Your American girl of moderate circum.
stances initiates in dress the music hall
singer who faunts her intrigues and
her extreme costumes on the same stage.
Tell this girl that she should not dress
in this courageous fashion, and she says
you might as well be dead as behind the
times. She is not even of the times but
ahead of them poor, ignorant, absurd
little creature!"
There is something very sweet and
appealing about the slim, indefinite figure
of girl, even in the awkward age, with
the hint of slowly developing lines. But
deck it out in the trappings Of the wan
ton, in the garish semi-precious stones of
the harem, yes, the powder and rouge
spash of the beauty parlor, and poor,
distorted little creature becomes carl
cature of tender budding sexhood over
which her own parents may well weep
in shame.
What are your daughters reading;
Ask the public Librarians who, If they
be thinking women, would gladly censor
the books they must distribute 10 young
girls.
Recollect how you used to laugh when
you found your sisters crying over the
Elsie Books" "St. Elmo" "The Wide
Wide World" Dora Thorn" and East
Lynne? You wouldn't laugh to-day if
YOU would come home Unexpectedly
some afternoon and find your seventeen
year-old daughter reading, wide-eyed,
such books as "The Yoke" Three
Weeks" and "The House of Bondage"
Doubtless you would snatch the book
from her hand and set a match to it;
but the fye-cent circulating library at
the corner drug store will supply an
other, copy, or her chum will lend her
one.
During the past theatrical season, q
splendid and artistic production of Lit
tie Women has been touring the coun
try. A woman friend of mine who laid
the foundations of her literary taste in
Louisa Alcott's books happened o. stop
in a small Pennsylvania city during the
run of Little Women" She dropped in
to the Saturday matinee and found the
theatre crowded with women-women of
her own generation, grandmothers, moth |
ers and aunts, laughing and crying with |
Meg, 10, Beth and Amy. The grand !
children and nieces of these |
women were sitting dry-eyed and bored. |
At rival theatre, cheap dramatiza
ton of "The Common Law" was being |
played That house was crowded with |
Young girls The modern girl cannot un-
derstand that exquisite spirit which per- i
meates Little Women" but they re-
spond TO the sex thrills of plays like
THE Common aw."-From August
Review.