New Britain herald., 1915-03-29
(Anne Herendeen in New York
 Tribune.) '.

1 Il 1 perhaps less coy, than her frankly ] parasitic sister,
 1 Thus sayette Samuel Merwin, novel; l ist and champion of the modern girl. "Elucidate," I requested, tucking 1 my dainty orthopedics further under my dreadnought skirt Mind you, I am for her." said the author of The Charmed Life of Miss Austin Antony the Absolute'' 'The Honey Bee,' etc.. etc. 1T won't be in terviewed on anything unless you make a note of the first of all l made the note
 For her? I should say I an! Women, all of 'em, are deeper, finer and closer to the root Of things than men, and the so-called modern woman or girl is simply the same thing, only little moro so, because increased freedom is making her more herself and less what men from time to time have decided they would like her to be. Eventually out of the now mod ern girl will evolve supertype which well, frankly, when that time comes, l shall wish I were younger.
 But in the mean time, during this transitional stage, charming, delight \ crossed my knees with unconscious grace.) "she is also the most perplex- ing. contradictory yes. irritating, ob- iect anywhere about. On, she is won derful copy for your literary man.
 I couldn't help bridling slightly at that "You just ought to De one for a. week. I told the author severely. "I guess your personality would get mix ed up, too. What with your dear par ents pulling at you one way and your childhood friends pulling another, and the man you fancy being engaged to not believing in Economic Independ- ence"-
 My dear girl, please. please"-and I had the satisfaction of seeing that had moved him deeply-''don't include me among all those outsiders am with you I am of you, and--if you made that note I mentioned-you will testify that I am for you but you must admit you are amusing"
 I wrote down "So Are You in my notebook. and then >smaied across at him brightly and asked him to go ahead With being interviewed if he didn't mind, because it was getting late and I had to meet my aunt for a Lenten service at St. Mary the Vir- gins and then get back to my diggings to dress for Tannenbaum ovation
 ''Very very funny at tmes.'' con- tinued MT. Merwin, settling back in his chair and observing the ceiling .amusedly through his tortoise shells Che needs them to make him look more like q student of life and less like a rested business man). ''Take, for example, the everyday matter of paying for meals Or carfare.
 "The standard philosophy of the modern girl runs, I suppose, some thing like this: You, Thomas, Richard or Harold have suggested that we dine together and I have acquiesced. not by any means to please me. Therefore, since am not merely the toy of your moment of recrea- tion but the companion of your merry making, insist upon this party being
 Dutch'-correct me if I am wrong;;" added MT. Merwin. a shade anxiously, and I hastened to assure him that so far he was perfectly right
 "Weu,'' the author went on, "thev start out. Since Miss Modern Girl will not hear of taxi, they mount a street car and she pays as she enters This produces a strained situation : which lasts several blocl1s.''
 "Yes,' I couldn't help putting in ''men are so absurd about street car tores. They seem actually agraid of what the conductor will think
 They then proceed to the restau- rant" said MT. Merwin, where the man, Thomas. in the dark as to just how much the girl earns with her oc- casional costume designing, abandons his dream of a real planked steak dinner and accedes to her suggestion of, oh, just an entree and some salad. Later, however. she leads him into all kinds of excesses with French pastry and extraordinary desserts and with out really having dined at all, he watches the bill mount to an amazing total which he pays while she is chat ting with some awfully interesting theatrical people at the next table, "She probably settled with him on the way home, I told MT. Merwin with dignity.
 Quite possibly said the author meekly, s'but the point was feebly trying to make is this, that the modern grl, in swinging as far as possi ble away fromthe old ideal of trying to please the men in everything,
 has reached the dangerous point of never pleasing any one but herself in anything, and after all," intoned MT. MerWln, lnefe IS some beauty Tn Sdc- rifice, and this thing of leading your own life doesn't count unless you lead it where it may do somebody else some good. Life is a job. and a job consists of effort and constant adjust ment to the desires of others You don't agree with me ?'' smiled Mr. Merwin. That's as it should be- That is your job for the next decade, creating new standards for yourself and new ideals for men. A while ago