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Show P. OF TODAY mm BEST Excels Mid-Victorian Kind : in Ability, Charm, Dress, Judges Decide PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 25. The modern girl is superior in ability, charm and dress to the girl of the mid-Victorian mid-Victorian age At least she was so acclaimed ac-claimed after a debate on the question under the auspices of the Modern ciub. Mrs. Abe Sutherland Rrown. of this city, defended the modern girl and Mrs Janus Starr, Jr., president of the Society of Colonial Dames, advocated a PjBturn to the days when "young ladles wer.. not flappers and preferred huops to goloshes." MODERN ADVANTAGES Wearing an up-to-thc-mlnuto version vers-ion of prevailing styles as she presented present-ed her argument, Mrs Sutherland Urown made a striking contrast to the three women, who, dressed In the costume cos-tume of 70 years ago, were demonstrating demon-strating for their side some of tno charms of that period. 'Think of the breath-cramplnf: stays and J.he hour-glass charm? in which your youthful forms masqueraded and say with the poet. "Oh, death In life, the days lhat are no iu..:., sujd Mrs. Sutherland Rrown . "The modern girl needs no defense. Just understanding understand-ing consideration. She Is free, natural and unaffected; scorns gossips and lli- nuendo; wears natural, unrestrictlng clothes and lives a healthful athletic j life. Short skirts are no less im-. im-. modest than the low-necked gowns of I Queen Victoria's time. The freedom ' and grace of body and limbs is a i dream of art come true.'' CHARMS OF OLD "I may be old fashioned," said Mrs. ' Stan ' but I like my art veiled. It Is reticence the girls of today need, a defend the old fashioned girl, not be-I be-I cause 1 wish to criticize the modern girl, but because I really feel we have not surpassed in this age, the 1 grace and beauty of the girls of 1850." The mid-Victorian girl, she added, j had superior charm, was more modest, mod-est, accomplished more against greater great-er odds, was Instructed in domestic arts and her virtue formed a bulwark 'against a decaying chlllzation The Judges derided In favor of the modern girl. |