Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-15
By Dorothy Dix

Inc E0dSOn all all Olu
said the fourth woman, sis because |
was too strictly chaperoned as girl.
Doubtless the duennG business
works out satisfactorily in Europe,
where marriage is a family and a
financial affair and arranged on that
basis by the parents of youths and
maidens.
But in America, where marriage
is q strictly personal experiment, the
chaperon theory is a disastrous fail
ure that blights the matrimonial pros
poets of every girl to whom it is con-
scientiously applied.
"In this land of the free we de-
mand free social intercourse between
the sexes-freedom for young men and
women to get acquainted with each
other; freedom for love and love-
making without any watchful eye spy
ing upon it, or any listening ear caves
dropping for s1ft speeches. Put the
bars up against this free companion
ship between a girl and young men,
and you'll shut out every suitor.
"This is why a chaperon is a first
aid to old maidenhood, and why the
dragon never has any need to use her
claws. The one and perfect way to
isolate a girl from all masculine at
tention is to have a duenna always
on duty. Mothers skirts perpetually
in the parlor will scare young men
away as cffectually as a smallpox flag
would.
"Now, when | was a girl | was as
attractive as any of my girl friends
who married and settled themselves
well in life.
I was no great beauty whose
charms were so supernal that they
would lead men to take any risk, or
dare any difficulties to obtain my
hand, but was what you would call
nice girl-pretty, vivacious, good
dancer, companionable, and with the
charm that comes from full-hearted
enjoyment of everything and being
anxious to please and be pleased.
Everything In My Favor"
Moreover, my people were more
than well off, so that | had lovely
clothes and beautiful home. When
l came back from school to the small
city in which | lived | was eagerly
welcomed by the young people, and
| the young men manifested every in
dication of showering me with atten-
| tions and making of me something of
a belle.
rigid ideas of propriety, and they in
augurated chaperon system that
couldn't have been beaten outside of
harem. l was never allowed to re-
ceiva a call from a young man alone.
My mother or my father. or both of
| them, felt it their sacred duty to sit
up and help me entertain my beau.
| The result was a CHASTITY boredom for
all concerned.
"Left alone we two young crea-
lures would have babbled along hap
PLY together for hours, and through
our inane talk have gotten to really
know each other. With an elderly
critic sitting about, making mental
note of our foolish and puerile re-
marks, conversation froZe on our lips
eve tried to discuss Shakespeare
and the musical glasses, but it was
a rank failure, and as soon as he
could, the unhappy youth fled the
place of torment. And | was glad
to have him go and end my embar-
rassment.
"Of course that boy never came
back. Neither did any of the others
who were put through the same or
deal, and in q little while my par
ents did not have to help me enter
tain my callers, because l had none,
They had driven them all away.
The Poor Young Man
"It was the same way when / was
asked to go to a party or the thea
tre. The poor young man, who could
barely, perhaps, afford the price OF
two tickets to a play, had to buy
three, and pay for mama's supper
afterward.
"I think I was asked twice to the
theatre before it was rumored about