The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-04
Cynthia Grey
Says:
CYNTHIA GREY RISES TO DEFEND
THE MUCH.MAllGNED
MODERN GIRL
BY Cynthia Gre,

10 one who reads newspapers or
magazines with anything like regu-
larity can have failed to notice that
the one question that seems to be dis
! turbing the minds of leaders and
would-be leaders in all sections of
, the country is something to this CT
feet:
"What is the modern girl coming
to-"
Usually they add: "And how can
We stop her.
It's perfectly proper for this qucs-
zion to be raised. suppose, for if
girls today are different. than they
! used to be we ought to know about
It, and if it's Il change Tor the worse
we ought to find out what we can do
! about il.
| But in asking this question, and in
| seeking for the answer. let's be sure
that we're not being deceived by APP
! pcarances. From what | know of
girls today | feel certain that Il great
many people who have put this query
have wound up at the wrong goal en-
! tIciy.
1t all comes down to this: just
what should girl be like to earn GU,
! praise? What arc the qualities that
we nONOr most
Well. it seems to me that honesty
! frankness, kindness and sclf-reli.
ancc are among the finest traits that
any girl can have. They enable hcl
! TO make her own way amid troubles
and temptations, if need be; they fl,
| her to help the man of her choice
! when the two go out to make thci,
home. together; they arc the qualities
needed for the bearing and rearing
of children; and, last but not least
they will help a girl to find for her
self the utmost of happiness and at
tainmcnt in her own inner develop
mcnt.
Are girls today attaining the pos
! session Of these characteristics to ;
greater extent than their mothers did
! To my way of seeing i. and
speak as one who grew up in wha'
our alarmists are calling 1.-The goo'
I old day" there is no question bu'
that they are.
The old days placed Il premium OF
deceit and maidenly hypocrisy. To
day, with the "new freedom upon Us
deceit cannot stand. A girl mus
learn the lesson of honesty and open
ness, at least to the extent tina: mci
practice these virtues.
The old days required girl. above
all. to hide her real thoughts, to pre-
tend that she thought only what hcl
elders expected her to. to avo,
frankness ut all costs. Does anyone
need to remarl; that that is no longel
the case?
Didn't the old days really bring
out girls selfish traits? Wasn't she
taught that woman existed to re
ceive. that man was here to give t.
her what she wanted? In spite Of al
the pious. talk about womaniy self
denial, doesn't the fact remain tina
il girl. always before marriage ant
sometimes after it, hoped to receive
more than she gave?
And self reliance? Thirty years ag'
girls hardly knew what the wore
meant A girl thrown on her Owl
resources had to teach music, sew o
starve. She was fitted for nothing
except being wife. In the face o
catastrophe she was helpless. Do
those words apply to the girl today?
No. Our modern girls are not per
feet, bv any means. But they'r
headed in the right direction. The
NAV have faults their mothers didn'
have Though Pm willing to start "a
argument on that score, too), bu
they have additional, compensatin
virtues.