THE MODERN AMERICAN GIRL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1725, 27 December 1887, Page 3

THE MODERN AMERICAN GIRL

(" Harper's Bazaar.") The modern girl hardly knows what she wants, whether it is the higher edaoatlon, an pcitheUo wardrobe, love or fame ; the does not always sit at home and aubtoit to the dictation of her elders what li best for her ; ahe playa tennis .and progressive enchro, and fllrta and-- does Kensington work, and -*«•*■ Herbert Spencer, and very often writes ; she dabble* In music and talks theosophy, and if there are more things m heaven and earth than are dreamed of In her phllosopy one questions what they can be. Withal., she ia as restless as the wind ; she does not love the quiet of home; she lives on excitement ; she gees tv Europe, to the spring*, to the mountains, the theatres, the reception?, if ohe can get there ; to the modiste ; she oan always fall back upon clothes as a diversion ; and when everything else fails she his the nervous prostration and a trained curse, m fact the chief trouble wiih the modern girl, be she rich or poor, ia that ehe either does to much, keeps her nerves on the strain, and by and by goes to the other extreme and does literally nothing bat conßume drags, talks of her ills and consults the Christian scientists, or she has no real interests, fritters away her time m shallow pursuits, becomes pessimistic and dyspeptlo, dissatisfied with herself and all the world, cries, and questions whether life is worth living, snd feelß especially blue on holidays The remedy for all this is, perhaps, an oV ject. m life ; those who are well and unselfishly occupied do not question if Hfa Is worth living ; they know it is ; and whether they are busy m the shoe factory, behind the counter, at the fireside, m the kitchen or m the dining room, «o long ac they are baay, and not eUirklng or reaching forward for something more congenial, and i eglcctiog present duty, their mioda are at rest and uninvaded by despondency.