The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-03-30

THE AMERICAN GIRL
AS I SEE HER"
Nv n Normal Girl


someone, for what qualities did men
admire women9 The answer was:
beauty, purity, and a good DISPOSE
ton" which TO some extent in
cludes just plain common sense.
Not every girl is so fortunate as to
be real beautiful; my mother used
TO tell me that pretty is as pretty
does" and ! still find these words
very comforting. II is possible
for every girl to improve her looks,
not by paint or powders, nor any
kind OF cosmetics but by always
being clean and neat. Paint and
powder always attract the atten-
ton Of the worst young men. The
conspicuous gown seldom adds 10
the beauty Of any girl. There are
men though who like To have the
conspicuously dressed girl for q
special friend, but when they Sc
lect a wife, they really select the
girl who dresses plainly and neatly
The attractive American girl Is
no longer the pale, delicate and ner-
vous creature, but she is the rosy
checked girl who has q round face,
good muscles and enough flesh 10
cover her bones. The greatest
trouble with the American girl is
that her ideals are not high enough.
Most Of them know what they
themselves and their sex should be,
but only a few of them expect their
boy friends 10 measure up 10 their
standards. Boys expect their girl
friends and their wives TO be pure,
good and sometimes beautiful, but
girl will marry the cigarette
lend, the drunkard, or almost any
thing, and she doesn't think II very
strange either.
Some OF us are shocked and feel
like hiding our faces when we go
10 some movies. vaudevilles, or
theaters. The silly smile' and
1.-THE sweet girl" the conspicuous
gown" and passionate lovers"
make us feel ashamed and wonder
il real girls in real life are such
fools. The boys wonder IL all girls
are alike, and IL they are as the
places Of pleasure" represent
them. But after all we do not say
much about it, and are foolish
enough 10 attend such places-and
with our boy friends too.
We are again vexed-some Of us
at least-when we pass a country
store or a billboard, where adver-
tisements are made attractive" by
a painted picture OF beautiful girl
or woman; yet we never say we OBJ
ject TO such things. We wonder IL
companies and business firms will
ever learn 10 respect us and adver-
tise their tobacco by a picture OF
the user after the effects OF IL has
led him on To other degrading
habits.
We shall welcome the time when
the American girl is recognized as
mans equal. physically and men,
tally: she already exceeds him NOR
ally and religiously. Physically she
may never be mans equal for the
simple reason that she is different
by nature, and thinks OF herself as
being a woman and not expected TO
be really strong. As regards our
we are often embarrassed
by hearing some preachers, teach
ers and lecturers make the common
remark that the girls perhaps don't
understand the particular subject
or illustration they are explaining.
OH when will the American girl
awake TO the fact that they must
win recognition.
II is our own mistake that causes
us TO have what is known as the
two standards. or double standard,
OF morals in America. We soon fall
out with the girl friend who goes
bad" and no longer associate with
her. She is cast of never TO win
back her place in our society. not
even to gain our friendship, no mat
ter how good she tries TO be. She
remains an outcast. Yet one OF her
old chums will marry the man who
degraded her, and will compliment
herself on getting such dear
good man" for her husband.
When will such conditions cease
TO exist in America? Certainly not
until Americas girls demand OF
their boy friends, associates and
husbands the same high standard
OF morality that they themselves