The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-21
The American
 Girls Inheritance
Katherine Reardsl

Many years ago, this beautiful land of ours was but a vast extent of hills, prairies. and forests, where roamed wild animals and savage men. Here came little bands of settlers from Eu- rope to be the first Americans: Eng fish Cavaliers to Virginia, seeking gold and adventure: thrifty Dutch traders to New York; earnest Pill ligious freedom in New England. These were the advance ranks of a host of pioneers from other lands. English Catholics, English Quakers, Scotchmen,A French Huguenots, and Germans. All this medley of nation aHties, religious faiths. social condi- tions and customs was poured into America, Gods great melting pot, to yield that true, strong metal, the American race.
 From these pioneers. from all who have since 1abored to make our land a home, the American girl has her vast inheritance
 All through American history rings the keynote Liberty" The settlers came seeking freedom to worship God in their own way, and since then, re- hgious freedom has always stood as one of the fundamentals of our Re public.
 The spirit of freedom also obtained in another directionTin social inter cours. In the new home, woman's
 
 indispensable. Together they worked, the woman beside her husband as his helper in the field, braving with him the trials and dangers, sharing the op- portunities of pioneer life. The very isolation of this life tended to bring the family closer, to break down old barriers of restraint No longer could woman be regarded as the plaything l or servant of man.
 l This pioneer mother, this coIoniol dame had proven her worth, had won l her right to be appreciated as the staunch, brave, patriotic, alert, high I spirited woman that she waS l. A century later, the American Rev olution demanded all that Americans had of courage and bravery, and the woman's character was broadened | and deepened, for nob1y did she re- spond- These splendid women of '76 are noted for their intense loyalty, determination, resourcefulness and steadfast faith in the outcome-char- acteristics that are a priceless heri- tage to American gir1hood. The seed of liberty has grown till I it pervades the whole life of America. | Politically, America is free-free to govern herself: religfous1y Americans are free-free to worship God as they | choose; socially, Americans are free free to live unhampered by artificial I customs and conventions, free to de- velop life to its fullest extent. i Two great inheritances, then, fall to the American girl The first. wrought by the spirit of liberty of her i ancestors. comprises all her many privileges: the second, incurred by her i duty to posterity, comprises her re- l responsibilities. An even greater heri- tage is this, for without the responsi- bilities, the advantages may do more :! harm than good. But if she remena- bers that she holds her heritage in l trust for coming generations, she will prove faithful to that trust. passing
 on an even nobler heritage than thai | which she has received.
 In the life of our American girl
 this two-fo1d heritage applies in sev'
 era1 different fields. The first advan- tange that she has inherited is the
 right of Health. Once women were
 coddlsd and petted.S The modern gfr i picks up her tennis racket, swings hel l golf club, pulls at the oars, dives into the lake. all with the alert vigor ant
 active determination that character