MODERN CONVERSATION.

Evening Star, Issue 4174, 13 July 1876, Page 4

MODERN CONVERSATION.

An interesting discussion on this subject has recently beep carried on in :' Public Opinion.' The last letter contains the - substance of the discussion, and is worthy qf being raprinted :■ Sir,—Who is responsible for the frivolous tone, ■ of; on'complained of by "Mater?" ' She will probably;answer, her: own sex. I say the men-are to blamo. From earliest childhood girls are constantly hearing that they should not know too much ; that iE they have taken pains to know anv« thjng they had better take twice %hj& pains to hide it. The epithet heretic was not more dreaded in the days of Torquemada than is the epithet bluestocking by the girl who would not, if she could help it, pass all her life a lonely old maid. Boys say to her, " What does a girl want to know ? " Journals warn her from the ■«intellectual fever." The men continually ridicule "learned women," and avoid her if she attempts any conversatien higher Jihan small talk. It is well known that those women who have distinguished .themselves in the highest walks of science, literatn.ro, and philanthropy, have been :tfrst r rate housekeepers and devoted mothere I IJua .is always ignored, and the cry is, t ,T^ t - marry a &* 1 wbo ca ltivates her intellect, if. you- want a comfortablr^ome" ,l.ne pleasures of frivolity are far more in-icomp-atible with a well-managed* household than reading Lubbock or Murchisorv tml ?en would rather'bear a girl speak tf BrTtddon -and Ouida thari 'of these f>> r , if! ; wonder that when they are m&rried thlv iorS^uTSl^^^^^-^te^

exSStLf t na " o^»™tednessis letted IS" 0f '"Mater's" : lettei ! IE these- were general H.p •SSw« i 'I 01 " 011 m and harems, I and to g*ard. them. We ar* in the nineteenth century, with all onr wo ; SSTndf «tonds creation, and improved, morals, and vet all lest they fall. AH young No that u not what, «'Matcr fe Those rich ones only whose families can afford ■togflb&t T? y goV6rtie6S to inem aoout. Ine poorer ones muM- R *ni ;bo exposed to "dangerous It is equally an inenlt to girlfe who : out alone, and ta %£& they cannot keep out of « fast steps another person is always- at their-fw If agrjiaof a mind to like a J quamtances" she wiU'nnd oppSSSt es of making them, however strict^Wroned "rlhTrnte&-CS eSS^SC ' old ' :^r^om being too I girls are not S££h'S Wl>sia «d sedenUiy bccupatW might become robust ■witfe joyous health. might r o waging, /owing, riding, taking plenty of UTS' ° f 4to make healthy beautiful women, • and strong brave children. But girls are so edged round with proprieties that exercise becomes merely another form of restraint. Why should not gi r l s take walks, go to garden parties, aye, to any parties where the guests are their equals, \y themselves i They would, be taught t$ as good women their brother, would whJv^ red **& , (thG of J**** '**» <& escorting their sisters, aa 9 men •Would loara. h&t to alfiMiy a girl merely beicause they see her 'alone, if it considered: ungentlemytoly, and they know that the Lady Mary This, or the Hon,'Miss That, went about alone as much as M&s So-and-so' who is equally a gentlewoman, but has to go about getting bur own living. At present ■ men, not. a few wicked wretches, but great numbers of gcutlemonly men, seem to think '' a young lady by herself is fair gam* although, probably, one man in three has a sister who cannot always find a duenna. i he way to remedy all this is, not to place more social trammels upon women, but for men to feel how very mean and cowardly it is of- them to tiy to mislead foolish girls. ■ Yet I urast say this for them, that if a girl gees on hor way, without deigning to take tho slightest notioo of them, they seldom-■ persist further than the length, of ono street, and surely it would bo, folly for a girl'to neglect education and health rather than eub- j mit to that much aunoyanee. Let it 1)0 the custom in Great Britain for ' women of all classes to be perfectly free, bo that it is no matter of remark f->r any girl to be alone, and that custom in itself will bo a vast protection to women, will raiso their standard of, health and intelligence, and wc shall hear lees of indelicate conversation. .