| Show maiden versus matron some time and ia some fashion the young unwedded woman will he called upon to make a decided stand against the invasion of the matron upon her special province there is scarcely place left now for the sole of her slipper between the schoolroom and strip of carpet before the matrimonial altar she is simply driven into a comer and told to marry at once or lay down her passport into realms of social gaiety gayety this arrogance of the married woman concerning her monopoly of society amusements is intolerable she wont hear to having unpaired belles brought into competition with her attractions if they choose to chime it must be with a conjugal clapper and not as merry independent tin klers ringing a distracting little anne of unmated friskiness girls are still permitted to have debuts but even on those great occasions the young matron steps in and by right of double blessedness takes all the cakes and ale the shy sweet miss is left to a poor figure indeed and so on from first to last the married woman opens the ball leads the german occupies the opera boxes demands all the dinner invitations fills the victoria receives at the tea thereby squeezing the girl into such a small comer no one is ever able to find her behind madams overcrowded engagement book mrs burton harrison has instituted a demand for the restoration of the american maiden as she existed before european customs came to smother her light under the bushel of an artificial society not many years ago uncle sams virgin daughter was the pride of the nation her girlish wit and independence her innocent fearlessness her jollity shrewdness and beauty were the boast of the civilized world and with impunity did she set her proud feet on the hearts of mankind men admired and reverenced reveren ced her for here they said is a new order of women untrammeled trammeled by the obligations of wife and motherhood she is free to accept our entire devotion with the discretion and knowledge 0 the matron she combines the freshness of a maiden heretofore this union was held to be impossible and she has realized mans ideal but alakl whence hag this clear eyed goddess of girlish liberty fled away illustrated american |
