THE AUSTRALIAN GIRL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 398, 6 January 1909, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN GIRL.

'.-■•'Lady■•Doughty; at Jone, tiriie ."Try'phena". of; the ; "Bulletin," :bas • been / discoursing • in : London- on ; tho7,charaeleristics 'and of. the-Australian" .Woman;, and,., says • an'Ehglish paper,' so;fascinating aid-'she.make hen'subV ject that/her -hearers were prepared,/.'mail and ■ woman,alike,., to/fall' down before, the. • charms • 'of. the ■ Austrariah. girl.; as; portrayed :by '.-her., cleyor ..sister;,'7wK7 '■-■■:. v>;•; y '.. /'•/■■, ''; Ati the commencement .'of ;:her lecture. Lady. Doughty'remarked-.onjthe scant 'and unsatis-factory-treatment the' Australian Woman had received, at- thß.'hands-'of'novelists;'.quoting .the ■ heroines.-of.iseveral-.■ so-called7Australian' books .asj; the/exact' antithesis^'of7 : the'.real :girl .of, the ; countfyy , 7 It 7 was, 'indeed,' in' the A'minta7of'George : Meredith ;,tbat' ; 'tho' /speaker .saw, the one life-like' portrait; of''her'' .countryn'ohiaiv. ifcificfiortjf!fontjy shb'wtd- How' excellently the., 'moods.-'arid -varying' 7 vital charms ,: of the/veteran : 'to tallied ; withi the: characteristics of 'Australia's pdja"%Hters^ : 7> r>: 'V'77/ v 'r7;- '7';7-.7 ; ' - s 'v i';f'The f-unbbunded'' : ;womah;:. together Jrwith; well evidenced'-by .'the that 'one of, her' countrywomen' woulcl tillj'the.,early/hoiirs of '.the/ morning^ ; th&i,. h aftef'a. ifew.ihours'■'",' sleep) /get'.'-up.-fresh,''a's'. the /prdverbiaDliiTk; to' ,trim;"a'f;hat 7for 'the', ■day's picnic:: and'/irouVput;a,crushed' liiuslin. frock.-' English■'pMpie',wouid..bfton. be aghast at' Government'parties could7thoy7'know. how, frequently;: the graceful,;Tyiarmingly/ 'dressed,: and /'esquisitely coiffe/:-'iyqman; r they:, admirp :had -that-.-;.morning", dress' she wore'.and donned it/ttihus.'the services.'of. a. maid,'' after 'a 7vigprous7.hbekey /match'' in "the. "afternoon :in";a7temperaturp'of 'over/ 80 ,de-, :greesV..,7;/' 7/;'7v :7.^7, : :'7.7;j?,!;::.':.""""/ '_■' V-,'7 /The little interest in politics, and, though possessing the :yote,7.wbrries7:her; pretty-;brbwii- head but/little about "it,; leaving "such, heavy matters; to/the , of 7her 'sgx ■.ivho pah'spare'ttiinefrbm'the' keen "matters 'of daily enjoyment-;7td'• such"'things. ■.'-■".' • The .suffrage,' indeed, 'according 'to'Lady/'Doughty, ;is little cared iory- the' men - - describing ..it aS '"having, shaken-'off; the/mbsquito,. andTia'virig the. sting .of-' the + suffrage' ;• left".behind."' Though so '"full,.'of life,-arid, gifted jri' an- astounding : degree-'with7powers 'of adaptability, : the Australian- woman- cannot; be described, as either.: keenly.artistic 76rstroiigly/iiitelligent; •She possessesi'.howcver; the keenest: sehse/'pf humour, -a sense'-, cultivated 7 to : . .the'ihighest possible/degree, 7 and'its: absence 'is 7ohe:,of ; ;the things.-.sbe cannotcomprehend.', : - ;';■: Physically,- she is a'-'perfect 'product,' characterised -with:magnificent health' arid beauti-' ful-figure. Of. inake-'up she knows;little; and: cares /less,: a .little crearh rubbed'on 'the sun-' tanned,-.:wind-swept face'at,'night, a little' powder /sprinkled 7bn7by day—and/ ih\k : surreptitiously, for .her 'men/dislike 'even thai —is .the' 'exterit-qf her-efforts'in the direction of:'sel.f-beautincation7. : . ■'» ; .One marked-, ba'd : point-has. this fascinating,. ;exuberantly" "alive" specimen of woihdn-;hopd,".land;--that./is.,her Jack "of '/patriotism, the-unkind ..way.: in-which, she decries,'her. own suri-kissed land: when she. leaves if. 'But, . it:" must be .counted; to- her in expiation that ■ ■the! crowded; life/and -interest.ofi-cities/such' as • Berlin, London, and Paris possess' attractions'"irresistible to her eager, cohiniunicative temperament. 7. And. in'thistfait alone;'with' perhaps .the/saucy ..disrespect, toy authority l already •mentioned; :can. he; seen ' real:object./•/;.'/,:.;■■•// ■••7/-' : % -/"/.•;/':-/-/-."v:,-: i.vlt is' rather, surprising to' hear" of 'this comparison to 7Amintk for/ that'fascinating .young'heroine's'. '•' most, striking characterise, tio/vwas'/an. unbounded, papacity.'for ;/hero' worship; 7 all the -force;- of- her. "schoolgirl heart.she adored an'-:elderly',-'■':.fatri'oiis. soldier,'wh6:,;later;;on married. her. sebr'etly, but- for. years; would..:not r acknowledge; .the marriage, while with"a display of astonishing patience.on her,part she:submitted? tp/liitter slights, and still .remained joyal;.: An' outsider hardly thinks that; the - typical 'Australian -woman; would.-.be,-capable/6f,7siuch''6n r thusiasm' or such unreasonable;'patjenpe. "7': ;

: An'•' East; Coast' man" has V had.. his' twin children -with. / the : naiii€s-;;6f "Mauretahia" : and "Lusitania;" • : handsome enough' names certainly for Sunday "wear, while furnishing the -pretty and comfortable teo'iiames- ''Mary": and- ''liucy" : for'ordinary, occasions. I trust tho two little Cuna'rders .will-like their names: when/they■ grow up.' .They; will-' at.-least, have less need';for- shyness about them than tho daughters of'tho''newspaper man who, called /his twins '"Cherubim" and-.' Seraphim,": on the excuse .that ''they continually, do cry 1-';. .■'.'.- '-'J-