THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4742, 13 January 1890, Page 4

THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD.

{Auckland Star.)

The girl of the ceriod is always an interest ing study. Her foibles and eccentnoities have foi long formed a ready butt for the arrows of the wag and the remonstrances of the professor of anatomy. Her caprices in tight waiste and high heeled Bhoea, in oloaely fitting skirts or voluminous hoopa, iu diverse arrangements of her flowing looks, or in aoBurdities in animal life shown in her pretereuce for ugly lapdoge. have been for many years sketched aud caricatured with both pen and pencil. But in .pite of all rude remarks and unflattering portraiture, in spite of pereonol discomfort, and the eolemu advice of a would-be medical attendant, ahe has held her own and carried out her strivings after the beautiful with unabated vigour to each succeeding generation. Thia is only to be expected from the well known characteristic of her sex, the love of its own sweet On our aide of the planet she ifl rapidly maturing her powers and displaying ao muoh advance in the line of daring invention as to hold out the expectation of a lively time for the young gent who haa sufficient audacity to propose. Though she forms an object of intense interest in every nation and iu every olime— to gentlemen who are passing through the amatory Btages of existence— she must alweys be regarded in the colonies as possessing a Bpecial attraction for speculation ob the possible mother of thoso " unborn millions wbich are to people our glorious country aud to riise up one of tbe powerful nationa that owe their origin to the Anglo-Suxonrace. 1 tie last vagaries of this interesting piece of ruman nature are reposed from Melbourne. Thore ia a bad time coming for tbe husbanda of the future, and those who have a due appreciation o» the beauty of reaignation oan hope to survive when once the fatal bonds of matrimony ha«e encircled them. In the preBent instance it was only a poor unfortunate father who was the sufferer but his sufferings rose to suoh a pitch and were aggravated so unfeelingly that his temper sought relief by emptying two buckets of water over his dutiful daughter. Following up this remonstrance by some gymnastio exercises, in which he greatly excelled, he waa soon able to plant his knee on the prostrate body of his child, while he shouted murderous threats of violence'.in vain efforts to subdue the undaunted apirit of the girl. lhe second act of thia domestic comedy — no Bad-coloured tragedy-waa played in the Police Court the following morning. The simple narration of the daughter as she recounted the little contretemps of the previous evening engendered dropß ot pity in the eyea of the callous and bewigged legal authoritiea who listened to her piteous tale. It was the story of a poor, poor girl who had auch a wioked father that, much againat her wish, she wbs obliged to call in the dread law to render her home eafe to live in. But the lawyers dried tbeir eyes and looked foolish when the father came to relate hia aggravations. The legal luminaries felt almost an_ry at having their tendereat feelings provoked without valid conaideratian, and the wioked father received no further punishment thin being bound over to keep the peace in hia own recognisance of £25 and one surety for a like amount. It waa ihe evidence given by the father which produced bo great a reaction in thifeelings of the Court. He said he had brought up hia daughter in the best possible style, and had liberally provided her with horeea and buggies, pianos, and governesses. She was asked after ail this expensive outlay to display her acquired talents in nursing her aick mother, and the result had been an unmitigated failure. Not only had she nearly set tbe house on fire (auch an accident might have been the result of nervous tension), not only had ahe alopt with her clothea on (thia might have been necessary in such a caae of illness), but she had committed the greatest crime in the annrtls of domestic life: she had spoiled the household dinner, snl "burnt the tripe" tbat was to make amends at supper time. After hearing of such gross behaviour much of the ready sympathy of tbe Court towards the fair plaintiff quickly evaporated. Aud with good reason, for if tbe result of a liberal Bupply of horses and buggies, and pianos and governesses, is to culminate in a burnt beefsteak and _ bard potsto — not to apeak of the charring of auch delicacies as tripe, the sooner these educational appliances are discarded the better it will be for the " unborn millions." For if the evolution of the gentler asx is allowed to develop itself after the manner of this «»mpl6 r oT"Womankind the masculine portion cf the " unborn millions "will, have to go hungry or else do the cooking themßelreo. The display of temper thus engendered— but there— we must draw a veil over these awful consequences.