The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-24
Dorothy Dix Tails
BIZ DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Wrsssg.
Tho Chapcron Question:.

Tho Chapcron Question:.
A woman. who is the mother OF
daughters. asks me how stand on the
chaperon question.
Frankly. / don't standiat all. I am
sitting astride of the fenceTand don't
know on which side to alight. 1t
looks so un-American and so much
like the slave of-the- harem business
on one side. and so dangerous and full
of snares on the other side.
No one will deny that every young
girl not only needs some older woman
to look after her, and protect hAH-
but she also needs Tor it to be gem
orally known that she has a guardian
who is keeping tab on her. and all
with whom she associates. So far the
chaperon is all TO the good.
1t should not be forgotten. however,
that a watch dog can keep friends as
well as enemies off of the premises,
and that while chaperon may pos
sibly keep undesirable men away
from a girl, she can most certainly cut
them off from eligible ones.
Here's a case in point that has just
come under my own obserYa ton. 1
have been at a summer hotel where
there were many mothers and daugh-
tiers. One mother was the conscien-
tious chaperon who is always on the
job.
She never took her eagle eye off OF
her daughterNda or night. Wherever
the girl went mother tagged her. II
daughter played golf. mother sat
where she could command a view of
the entire links. II daughter was
asked to go automobiling. mother as
Sumed that she was also invited and
crowded in. II daughter was laughing
and talking with a crowd OF boys and
I rFHVs l h~w 4r.f.,
daughter was having a tete-a-tete
with a young man mother turned the
| duet into a trio.
The girl was just the common, or
garden variety of Girl-pretty enough,
| bright enough, sweet and sensible
and attractive enought to have Joined
| in with the balance o. the young peo-
| pie and had a good time, Ind perhaps
| have one of the nice young men fall
| in love with her, If she had been left
to herself. and to go it alone a little.
| But she had no stupendous fascina-
ton, no ravishing beauty to enable
her to carry the handicap of mother.
and even run in the popularity race.
to say nothing of winning out. No
one wanted to be burdened with the
society of mQther, and so. as il was
| impossible to have the girl without
mother. the girl was simply left out.
l overheard some young chap plan
ming a little party they were giving.
The question of asking the girl was
| discussed. Il wish we could" said
one youth, but il you do the old lady
win come along and I'm not going to
be the goat who has her wished on
him. Nor !" Nor l." chorused the
others. So the girl was left sitting
with mother on the hotel veranda.
when the laughing. merry thronS
drove off, victim of too E..uch chap
eron
| Furthermore mother will chaperon
her into the Old Maids home. for she
proudly boosted that she never per-
mitted her daughter to go to the thea
ter without her and that she had new
er received a gentleman caller alone.
Now among the 400 who may need
chaperons more than the 1000. 900 do
and where expense need not be con-
sidered. it may be well for the chap
eron to accompany a young couple
everywhere they go. but the average
youth in business does well II he has
| the price of two theater or opera
tickets. or can buy a lunch for two.
! 1t puts him entirely out of the run
ming IL he has to drag the girls family
along with her. So the girl with a
chaperon is perfectly safe from being
invited to see improper plays. or
proper ones. either, for that matter.
Nor is there any danger of. the girl
whose mother always helps her enter
tain her beaux ever being pestered
much with masculine society. When
want to see her. and not her mother.
and they want to see her out of ear
shot of her family. Foreign men APP
pear to be able to make love before
third party. but 1t is an accomplish
ment our men have not yet acquired
Copyright, 1920. by the Wheeler Syndicate,
Incl