GIRLS OF THE PAST

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 68, 17 September 1927, Page 15

GIRLS OF THE PAST

RESTRICTED LIVES

If one looks back, let us say, to the young ladiea of thirty years ago, it is interesting to compare the education considered suitable for a young lady of that day with the education of a finished debutante of 1927 (writes Lady X. in "Th« Queen"). A knowledge of languages and history, music, by which was meant piano playing and singing, needlework, deportment, and possibly riding were considered essential in those days. Dancing and painting in water colours might be added if any special aptitude were shown. Croquet and badminton were the only games considered at all ladylike in the days when no young lady could walk in the street* unless accompanied by her maid and could never, under any circumstances be seen driving in a hansom cab. How different is the debutante's world to-day! Arithmetic sufficient to add up the household books and a working knowledge of current politics are her main educational accomplishments. True, she may be sent to a finishing school in Paris or even to Italy for a term to _acquire a smattering of "art," but it is the exception to find a modern girl interested in the Old Masters. . ■ Piano playing is out-of-date since .the advent of the gramophone but most girls carry a ukelele as part of their luggage and play_ it more or less welL In these days it is taken for granted that every girl can play tennis and moist of them do play remarkably well; whito many in addition play golf. . Most English girls, especially those who have been brought up in the country, know something about horses and can ride, but the number of modern young ladies who can drive a motor-car and even mend it if anything goes wrong is astonishing. Dancing «in these days of complicated Charleston steps and syncopated music has become a difficult art which every debutante has to master before she "comes out." Needlework does not attract her in any form, though occasionally a girl who likes prettier lingerie than she can aSord to buy makes her own. She must, however, be able to take a hand at bridge, act charades, etc., and generally do her share of entertaining her fellow guestß at a weekend party. To sum up, there is no denying thst far greater demands are made on the debutante of 1927 than ever were made on her predecessor of, say, 1897. The interesting thing to see in the future will be whether the athletic type of girl will make the best kind of wife in the long run. The girl with sporting tastes will naturally wish to accompany her husband on big game shooting expeditions: it is equally reasonable that she should wish to play polo with him, since she is probably as good on a horse as he is; and naturally,' since she can drive a motor car, she will accompany him on all his motor tours. Ideal as it sounds in many ways, there obviously can be no "home atmosphere" for the husband to come back to if his wife is sharing all the excitements and dangers of his sporting expeditions with him, instead of waiting at home to welcome him back from his adventures. The fact remains, however, that Miss 1927 is a much happier girl than Miss 1897 ever was.