The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-04-11

interests center in the community in
which she lives, in her home, and If
she is married, in her family. 1t is
this type, whom many would dub as
"old," that l wish to defend against
both the extreme types above out
lined.
Zane Gale, author of the novel,
Miss Lulu Bett," with which we are
all acquainted, has written new,
and in many ways stronger novel, en-
titled. Faint Perfume" Leda Perrin,
the principal character in the story,
is the type of woman | have in mind.
She is a writer and returns to her
home in a small town to take a nee
essary rest. Her father, a minister,
dies shortly after Leds's return, and
she is forced because of her economic
condition, to make her home with her
cousins Mrs. Truman Crumb, head
of the household into which Leda
comes to live, and her two daughters,
Tweet and Pearl, represent a type OF
woman, who is more shallow and
fnicky than old fashioned in the
sense we are here employing it. They
live in a narrow world of small incl
dents and affairs. They have no out
look on life, while Leda sees things
through broad vistas. Naturally
there is a mental conflict. Although
Pearl Crumb, who marries an English
writer, Barnaby Powers, has travelled
much during the nine years of her
welded life, she still clings to the
harrassed point of view of the
Crumbs. In fact, she finds her way
of thinking (if we may call it that
so incompatible with that of her
husband, that she obtains a divorce.
Leda has many interests in common
with the writer, Powers, and therein
is the cog upon which the main
theme of the plot revolves. Incident
but must have born with her some
the plot one that will provoke
thought on the part of the reader.
This story demonstrates to us that
the ideal modern woman is not made
by education and experience alone,
hut most have born with her some
fertile ground upon which the re-
suits of education and experience can
grow and develop.
In seeking after self advancement
and pleasure alone, many modern
women have lost the feminine charm
which is so essential a part of the
character and makeup of the more
stable old woman.
r. LeClerc Phillips. writing on
THE Decline of Feminine Charm"
in the New York Times Magazine, re-
Gently said: 1--WE have the movie type
of feminine beauty, lacking in either
distinction or individuality, gushing,
inane and democratically common
place, a type that is being persistent
ly copied by the large majority OF
young women, who aspire to good
time by either the 'ingenue' or
'vamp' style, according to taste; and
finally we have as representatives
and custodians of feminine charm,
our fiappers."
DR.. Emile Reich, in his book,
Women Through the Ages" takes a
decidedly hostile thrust at the new
woman, when he contends that in
spite of all the schools, seminaries
and universities for women in this
country, and in spite of all the ma
gaines and publications put out for
women alone, nothing of lasting val
ue has been produced by them. He
SAYS: SO woman has in America,
done none of those remarkable deeds
of literary, scientific or artistic
character for which the Somervilles,
Fawcetts, Brontes, George Eliots and
George Sands and others are famous
in Europe" But that is Europe of
! one hundred years ago and more, TO
| which the doctor refers and the same
conditions that are found in Ameri-
ca, will be found in Europe, but to
more noticeable degree.
In an indirect way, Warner Fabian,
the novelist, takes his stand for the
woman whose life does not touch,
or even border upon the extreme
standards of the day. He does this in
his book, Flaming YOUTH" in which
the new woman is shown as "discon-
tented, craving sensation, following
blind instincts, neurotic, exotic,
erotic and seductive" in such a way
as to almost disgust the reader. And
one can not truthfully say that his
lines are overdrawn.
A business life, it has been pointed
out, is responsible for much of the
decline of charm in the modern wom-
an. My contention is, that a woman
can have Q career in business or .
profession and still maintain that
charm which is 80 essential to her, il
she has had the proper start in life.
BY that, | mean the right home
training, and the care of a mother
who can impart to her daughter the
best in her own life.
ITO be a woman is a whole-time
job" once wrote w. L. George, the
English novelist and feminist. !
would modify that assertion by say
ing that, "to be an all-round woman,
possessing q progressive outlook and
the essential qualities of lady, is a
whole-time job"
The same authority said of the new
unnnan that she il "as nnc0nyential