The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-04-12
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
And "LRUSHES"
Chaperon, Asked Her Opinion of The
Mad Infatuation Which Young La
dies Develop For Each Other,
Gives it Very Unstintedly.

One of my girls" has written to
ask me this question: ''Do you think
| 'cfushes' in the high school exactly
! sensible?" She goes on to explain,
by crush l mean that one girl gets
crazy about another girl-that is,ad-
mires and looks up to the girl so
much that she becomes silly about
her. In a course of time the girl re-
ceives candy, invitations to the thea
tre, etc, all of which she accepts
with a mere thank YOU to the girl
who is wild about her. Will you
| please express your candid opinion
of crush, as 1 suppose you were
once high school pupil yourself, ,and
l would also like to know when and
how such a term originated?"
There are so many really charming
things which girls do which are not
exactly sensible that we could not
use this term to condemn a habit of
hers, but sometimes Chaperon thinks
that crushes, as they are called, can
be described in positive terms and
called extremely foolish and in many
instances positively harmful.
In the first place, to be the object
of such conspicuous attentions as are
oiip" Oi GU opoh u uSH pOSlIlfCly
embarrassing to a girl whose friend
ship is really worth cultivation, and
the older girl who deliberately en-
coErages 1t is generally looking for
this material things to be gained by
it. No one can benefit from q friend
ship which is all on one side, and
that Is what this unusual affair is.
Not that many of the younger girls
really crave friendship from the OBJ
ject of her devotion. From what 1
have observed the younger girl in
duiges in all sorts of unhealthy emo
tions and makes a perfect orgy of
this love which has It's foundation
upon nothing solid. In the school in
which the Chaperon was educated
there were no "crushes." 1t was a
co. educational college and the boys
and girls INDUCED in "cases," which
We're as water compared TO the heavy
wine of these crushes between girls
In few instances did they interfere
with study, and they certainly were
less expensive, since it was not even
permitted of boy to send box of
candy to the girl at whom he might
be nasting "sheep's eyes" Never
once did 1 ever hear of a girl receiv-
ing a note filled with such unhealthy
sentiment as this fashion of 'crushes'
seems to create.
Teachers hate the custom-at least
the best teachers do-and, although
it sometimes happens that they them
selves are the objects of one, they
would like to stamp them out of the
schools. Some of the girls 60 into
them because it Is the fashion, and
xryhsl.E ~
studies to some extent, they come
out of 1t without harm.
But the Chaperon would rather her
daughter have eases" with half
dozen nice boys and write and re-
indulge in one crush, with its notes
fliGe With such maudlin, sickening
sentimentality as are seen in some
of the notes which pass between
these girls.
So, little Miss Chuzzlewit, you see
the Chaperon feels quite strongly on
the subject, and she is very glad, in
deed, that you wrote and asked her
cially and you will certainly keep
yourself sweeter if you save your
sentiment until you are quite grown
up. In the meanwhile make real
honest-to-goodness friends, the kind
who each will "chip in" dime for a
Dutch treat The kind who talk about
sports and dress and-yes--boys
Make friends who are honest to you
and who do not expect you to write
poems on their eyes, and who do not
spell friendship with a capital and
then have no real conception of the
term.-Balto. News.