Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-11

their opinions they carry weight.
And women prominent in the
,ocial life of Philadelphia for years
have expressed their thoughts on
many things-but especially on the
changes that have come since they
we're in their teens. They open
chapter of old Philadelphia and give
The world hasty glimpse at the de-
m,ire maiden of those days-the
days when Philadelphia had more of
the habits of the Quaker than now.
The war and the automobile have
wrought tremendous changes. From
Mrs. George Boxer, who made her
debut in 1868, when the memory Of
the Civil War was still green, to
those who have 'debutante daugh-
,ers of their own this year--all tes-
tify to the Importance of the part
nlayed by the two forces.
Older Generation
Fr0Uns on Present
Some of these women think the
modern age, with all the rush and
dash has developed type of girl far
superior to their day, while others
lift hands in horror at the present
generation, and with sad shake OF
their heads, mourn for the good old
days that are no more.
NIre. Boxer, who embodics all the
traditions Of the old exclusvencss that
made Philadelphia society the most
sristocratic in the country, told OF the
yesterdays of life in Philadelphia--thH
1uiet time when she was u girl. Mrs
Boxer. as Miss Edith Wharton. was
belle of the year 1SGS-back in the
days when there we're but tcn dcbu-
'antes q season. and when those ten
we're virtually ''nobodys.'
"Tor YOU know" s.iil Mrs. Boxer.
~mniscently, "in those days the dcbu.
tantcs never held the center Of the
stagc the way they do now. Tho dcbu-
tnntc vas nobody, anu uotnlhS ePeciu'
was ever given for her.
And Mrs. Boxer drew a sorry COM
parison between the girl Of today and
The girl of her times. Years ago she
was the hostess of the Monday Evening
Dancing Class, class for the debu-
,antes Of the season, and next to the
Assembly. the most important social
affair. That class met six times Il
year. 1t has since died out.
"The girls were brought up very. oh
very much better in those days. Drink
ing was unheard of--and as for smok-
ing" Mrs. Boxer raised her hands WITH
mn expressive gesture that spoke more
Of tbc horrors Of smoking than ahS
number Of words.
This awful makeup that the s'rls
nowadays put on their faces was never
oven thought Of Our elders used 10
.ov 70 n, that only Western girls used
powder and that We would be like them
II we used it," Mrs. Boxer smiled at
the quaint custom Of blaming every
thing novel ur pWful on the wild ana
voolly West. "And' she went on'
"yirls werc prcltier without the make
up-and they stayed prctticr longer.
The girls used to be much more
natural and unaffected then. am
afraid tho girls Of today are common
md vulgar. There. may be some we'll
brought up girls, but have not seen
hem. 1t does not pay to be polite no"
of course, If the girls happen to know
Who you are. they are polite. but II
they do not, they are not courteous
Or the old-time poltencss, there Is
none--and the manners are awful.
This change seems to have conc
with the war;" said Mrs. Boxer
'doughtfully. trying to put her finger
exactly on the cause Of the vast DIFF
ference between the sweet refined girl
Of the nineteenth century and the wild
young miss of today. And to any one
raised in the staid mid Victorian Phila-
dplphia Of the COS, the modern gr
must be somewhat of II shock.
with the war, the girls became in
dependent. Even the closely sheltered
girls left home to do some sort ot wal
work becoming nurses, though thcS
had no training, and meeting all sorts
Of men. All this gave the girls n dit
'crent outlook On life. Yes, ! thlnl
the war is greatly responsible for TIN
change in the girls