Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-26
BY LADY GROVE.

The greater freedom enjoyed by girls
in whose families a generation ago the
daughters Of the house were never al
lowed to put their noses out Of doors un-
accompanied is an immense stride to-
ward saner view of life adopted by
present-day parents.
Years ago, as a young married woman
remember remarking to an old friend
of mine how ridiculous it seemed that
l could go out as I pleased, and that
her girl who was older than ], should
have to be guarded II she so m1ch as
crossed the street.
"Ah," she wo aid say to me, walt, my
dear, till you have girls of your own out
and you will see that you will be just as
, particular as / am"
Her prophesy has not been fulfilled.
l should think very poorly of any
strong, able-bodied girl who was unable
to look after herself either in the streets
OF London or anywhere else. The dangers
. to which a girl are exposed from her
fellow human beings are few and far be-
tween; the savage tramp or the accom-
plished villain is the exception and not
the rule. There have been incidents, the
recital of which makes ones blood curdle,
but the circumstances which make these
occurrences possible are easily guarded
against.
That a solitary girl should not be left
on the doorstep of her house alone, late
at night or in the early hours of the
morning. l certainly think. She might
find it difficult, or, at least. unpleasant
to defend herself against an evilly-dis-
posed prowler who might attack her for
the sake of any possessions that seemed
! profitable to him to attempt to acquire.
But this remote danger is easily averted
without any interference with a girls
rational liberty.
! To bring girl up without self-reliance
and sense of responsibility is the un-
! kindest thing that can be done. l know
girl whose mother is not only old
| fashione ], but old. and her tall strapping
| girl is usually accompanied in the street
! by timid but rather pretty little maid
The maid will leave her precious charge
and be forced to brave the snsres and
dangers of the return journey alone.
Now. as a matter of fact. II there were
| any danger the risks the pretty little
maid would run would be far greater
than those her buxom but not singularly
attractive mistress would encounter
But respectabllity still has her slaves.
and she is being hard pressed to main
tain her dying power, so do not let us
grudge her her few remaining devotees
Respectability will have to yield her
place to respect-worthiness. and with the
advent of the lstter's reign, the satel-
lites of the former hypocrisy and show,
will be replaced by true mo1esty and
common sense.
At balls. the stricter observances have
been superseded. When l was a girl,
going to balls, it was lie rigueur that
one should present herself to her mother
or ehaperon after each dance. | remem-
once, after having ventured to infringe
this rule, being sought. found and
severely reprimanded l did not see then
i do not see now. what useful purpose
this strict limitation to time imposed
upon each couple could serve, but l had
never heard then of the tales. whether
true or otherwise, that occasionally reach
me now, Of young men and maidens
doing their sitting OUT in a passing
hanson that they coolly hail outside the
front door of their hostess house. There
was a time when for a girl to go in a
hanson at all was considered a very
fast" proceeding And I have a very
, distinct recollection of feeling very dar-
, ing and naughty when l INDUCED In
so reckless an adventure
At my first queens ball las they were
called in those days.. the year was
presented. l heard OF a girl who con-
sidered herself fortunate in having met
an old family friend. middle-aged and
with poetic tendencies. under whose
escort she left her mothers side. They
did not dance. but wandered off to q
cool sequestered corner in one OF the
rooms of the many-chambered palace
where the soothing strains OF the blue
Danube valse played by Mr.. Liddie's
famous band, reached them family. The
regulation time having more than elapsed
the anxious mother sought her charge.