THE GIRL OF TO-DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1924, Page 9

THE GIRL OF TO-DAY.

IS SHE WORSE THAN EVER? COMPARISON WITH THE PAST. A SEVERE INDICTMENT. London, March 20. “Is the young woman of the day any worse than she ever was?” A series lectures is being given at the School of Economics in aid of one of London’s big hospitals, and the text for the controversial subject last evening was the above. The speakers were Lady Frances Balfour, a charming and picturesque grande-dame, and Miss Viola Tree, the well-known actress. The Rev. H. R. L. Sheppard was in the chair. Lady Frances Balfour said she did not like either the grammar or the sentiment of the title. It presupposed that young women were bad, arid passed judgment. The young woman of to-day was extremely nite to old age. She did not lose her temper, was quite civil, and when she left that presence she always said, “Oh, she is senile!” In the past women led more sheltered lives. They knew less, and there was great confusion between ignorance and innocence. On the other hand, they had a more romantic life. They knew less of men, and sweet 17 thought of them as paragons of virtue and unselfishness, and all that was heroic. That, perhaps, made them better than they were today. It was good to be believed in, especially by men. They were held as entirely irresponsible, and it did not matter, in those days, how they spent their time, so long as they amused men. Being irresponsible, they had not the feeling which she believed the young woman had to-day, that something more than amusement was called from her. That ignorance made it most improper that she should know any of the darker sides of life of her sex. She thought that in the past there was a more serious vein in the individual life. Then the young woman was more interested in the great affairs of life than was possible amid the bustle of to-day. POWDERED FACES.

When she (Lady Frances) was young, she was not at all good-looking — (laughter)—but she had beautiful hair, which had all gone now. It was an inheritance, and ao was its colour. When her father was travelling in Greece m arly 100 years ago, someone asked his tutor what dye he used for his hair. On being told none at all. the Greek replied, “But Nature never made a thing so beautiful.” The colour was red. and red hair for a woman was supposed to be the distinctive mark of the courtesan. Her woman friends used to look at her hair and say to her when a girl:

‘ I am very sorry tor you, my dear. But it is a cross you must bear.” And she had to bear it with the submission that was taught to women in those days.

What did we see to-day?—A young wAman doing everything she possibly could to imitate the courtesan. Her face was a mass of powder, her red lip«s were gashed out of human resemblance, and the stinking reek of her, which came up as she passed, made one iong for the breath of the gorse or the heather. She thought the path the young women of to-day had to tread •was more difficult, and they had to walk it b> themselves. The responsibility was great, and more was expected of them. During the war all classes and ages of women did their duty. Now they went out alone with no great example to follow. Did they ever hear one woman say that she would not drink another cocktail because her example might weaken the temperance of her son? Walking down Bond Street the other day she heard one young woman say to another. “Let us go into and have a really bilious lunch.” (Laughter.) CHORUS GIRLS “BOGEY.” To Miss Viola Tree the subject of the lecture. suggtfited something about the stage. The prevailing idea was that on the stag-- one saw the seamy side of life, but as a matter of fact they did not have time in her profession for a seamy side. They were all rather frumpy, dowdy, ir. a hurry, liking a cup of tea —that sort of thing—(laughter) —and the higher they rose the busier they became, and the more people they had to look after. As to that great bogey, the wicked chorus girl, that poor creature was harder worked than any of them, and had to rehearse seven hbur« daily. People spoke of the opportunities girls had to go wrong, but surely the many opportunities had the reverse effect? Why sheuld they elope when there was no one to stop them. (Laughter.) Was the freedom which the sex had acquired making them any worse ? No. this young woman of to-day was sincere, in a hurry, but unashamed, and capable really of nothing except of being absolutely natural. There was no nonsense about her. but it was true that she was rather indifferent abo.it religion. Still, she had a horror of being bored, and a still greater terror of becoming a bore. The young woman of the present day might take more care about her heart. (Cheers.) LACK OF MODESTY.

Lady Frances Balfour, in the course of her reply, said that in an Edge worth novel one of the heroines who had fallen downstairs modestly covered her ankle —an operation that would not be performed to-day. She wondered if the women of the present would in later .years feel ashamed of being protographed practically with no clothes on. There was, she was afraid, no sense of modesty on the part of the woman she was talking about. Young people talked about the horrors of ancient photograph, and their excresences of dress. They might be teminded that that would not be the criticism of the future. (Laughter.) In conclusion she paid a tribute to the stage, which possessed many admirable qualities. The chairman paid a high tribute to the girls of the theatre. “My job,” he said, “takes me into what is known as theatre-land, and I come across a good many theatre people—the people who work in the chorus. How profoundly I admire those people! They have lots of faults, but I think they are just wonderful. Their comradeship companionship, goodness to others in the profession are marvellous.