THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 287, 3 December 1889, Page 4

THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD.

The girl of the period is always an intaresbing study. Her foibles and eccentricities have for long formed a ready butt for the arrows of the wag and the remonstrances of the professor of anatomy. Her capric«s in tight waists and high-heeled shoes, in

closely-fitting skirts or voluminous hoops, in diverse arrangements of her flowing* locks, or in absurdities in animal life shown in her preference for ugly lapdogs, have been for many years sketched and caricatured with both pen and pencil. Buti in spite of all rude remarks and unflattering portraiture, in spite of personal discomfort and the solemn advice of a wouldbe medical attendant, she has held her own, and carried out her sfaivings after thef beautiful with unabated vigour in each, succeeding .feneration. This is only to be» expected from the well-known characteristic of her sex, the love of its own sweet will.

On our side of the planet she js rapidly maturing her powers and displaying,.sO" much advance in tvhe line of daring inrjention as to hold out the expectation oi a lively time for the young cent whc» has suflicient audacity to propose. Though., she forms an object of intense interest in every nation and in every clime —to gentlemen who are passing* through the amatory stages of existence—she musb always be regarded in the colonies as possessing &t special attraction for speculation as- thei possible mother of those " unborn milhons"' which are to people our glorious country* and to raise up one of the most powerful, nations that owe their origin to th« Anglo-' Saxon race.

Tho .last vagaries of this interesting, piece of human nature are reported from Melbourne. There is a bad tin/.e coming for the husbands of the future, and only those who have a due appreciation of the; beauty of resignation can hops to survive when onco the fatal bonds of matrimony, have encircled them. In tjhe present instance it . was only a poor unfortunate father who was the, sutlerer, bub his sufferings ,rose to such a pitch and, were aggravated so; unfeelingly thab his temper sought relief; by emptying two buckets of water ovtr hisi dutiful daughter. Following up thiis re-j monstrance by some gymcastic exencises, j in which he greatly excelled, he was soon ■ able to plant his knee firmly on the pros-! fciate body ot his child, while he shouted' murderous throats of violence in _ vain; effort to subdue the undaunted spirit of thcl girl. I

The second act of thin domestic comedy! —no sad-coloured tragedy—was playadj in the Police Court the follawjhig! morning. The simple narration of the; daughter as sho recounted tho little txintre-' temp* of the previous evening engendered? drops of pity in the eyes of the calleus and; bewigged legal authorities who listened to J her piteous tale. It was the story of a' poor, poor girl who had such a wicked father that, much against her wish, she was obliged to call in the dread law to ! render her home safe to live in. But. the lawyers dried their eyes and looked, foolish when the father camo t» relate his aggravations. The legal luminaries felt almost angry at having their tenderest feelings provoked withoutvalid consideration, and the wicked father-, received no further punishment than bound over to keep the peace in his own recognisance of £25 and one surety for a like, ; amount. i

It was the evidence given by fche father* which produced so great a reaction in the feelings of the Court. He said he had ; brought up his daughter in the best possiblestyle, and had liberally provided heiV vvith horses and buggies, pianos and. governesses. She was asked after all thi* expensive outlay to display her acquired.; talents in nursing her sick mother, and the*, result had been an unmitigated failure, j Not only had she nearly set the hquse on j tire (such an accident might have been tho I result of nervous tension), not only had.she' slept with her clothes on (this.might have! been necessary in such a case of illness), but sho had committed the greatest crime in tho annals of domestic life : she had spoiled tho household dinner, and " burnt the tripe" that; was to make amends at supper time. After hearing of such gross behaviour much of the ready sympathy of the Court towards tho fair plaintiff quickly evaporated. And with good reason, for if fbe result of a liberal supply of horses and buggies, .and pianos and governesses, is to culminate in a burnt beefsbeak and a hard potato— not to speak of the charring of such delicacies as fcripe, the sooner these educational appliances are discarded the better itwill be for the " unborn millions." For if the evolution of the gentler sex is allowed to develop itself after the manner of this sample of womankind the masculine portion of the " unborn millions " will have to go hnngry or else do the cooking themselvo». The display of beniper thus engendered—but there—we must draw a veil over these awful consequences.