The Savannah Morning News

"Certainly it seems as if many of the new century fashionable women are capable of giving us plenty of surprises," said a masculine critic, to the New York Tribune, "And the question now does not seem to be, as heretofore, 'What will the new century girl do next?' but 'What won't she do next?' Already she has caused her so-called fin de siècle prototype of a decade ago to appear quite tame by contrast. Within a year her innovations have been surprisingly daring. There is no pursuit that her men friends occupy themselves with that she is not eager to participate in, except business and voting. As far as the latter is concerned, she will tell you that she is 'no woman's rights person.' And why should she be! She has all the cakes and ale of existence. What matters it to her that nine-tenths of her sisters are fighting in some way against unequal conditions! Decidedly she has no wish to work and assume responsibility as long as there is no necessity to do so. She is frankly uninterested in the questions of the day; but in all that appertains to sport and amusements she has—suddenly in some and gradually in others—taken rank with the men in everything. The fin de siècle woman could ride to hounds, drive a coach, manage her automobile, sail a boat, and call herself an expert in golf, tennis, etc., but it is left to her daring jeune siècle sister to bestride her ponies and play polo, conquer her womanly instincts of pity and protection sufficiently to shoot pigeons, gamble with the coolness of a veteran, while it goes without saying that she carries a cigarette case and a flask to 'doctor' her afternoon tea with. Not only are the women doing all this, but, by jove, they are overtopping us! I think it is an actual fact that the average society girl of 18 to-day is better than a boy of the same age. How it is all going to end Heaven only knows!"