re not, in general, treated
with less respect than the young woman carefully guarded in her home.
It yet remains true that the independent girl must needs provide for
herself a chaperon upon certain occasions, or lose that consideration
which she would keep at all costs. A strong character welcomes the aid
of a careful observance of conventions.

Even the spinster of recognized professional standing finds herself
somewhat restricted in social pleasures. She cannot go out socially
with one man more than occasionally; she has little pleasure in going
unattended; she can entertain but infrequently and in a small way, if
at all, and never without an older married woman to assist her. She
may, however, have her regular afternoon or evening "At Home,"
provided she has with her this friend; and with that friend present,
she may entertain a gentleman caller until ten o'clock in the evening,
but she may not offer him cigarettes, nor any beverage but tea,
coffee, chocolate, or lemonade.

In fashionable life in the cities, the chaperon is an important and
ever-present personage. Wherever the young debutante goes in
society,--to every place of amusement, when walking or driving in the
park, when shopping or calling,--and during her calling hours at home,
the chaperon is her faithful and interested attendant.

The common usage of smaller towns, seashore places, and country
villages differs in degree of attendance. The only wise rule is to
follow the custom of the place in which one may happen to be,
remembering always that the principle at the basis of the custom is
wise and valuable, and that there should be good and sufficient reason
for failing to follow it in its entirety. It is, however, not the
letter of the law but the spirit of it which saves. Experience shows
that not always the completely chaperoned girl is safe and the
quite-free girl in real danger. Everything depends upon the girl, and
the spirit of the chaperonage she receives. The relations with one's
chaperon should be the most intimate and reliable and trustworthy of
one's whole life; or they may be a mere farce and evasion. As a rule,
however, too strict observance of the dictates of society in this
connection is better than too lax.

The careless way in which many parents allow their sons and daughters
to go off with a group of boys and girls of their own age, unattended
by any adult, is to be deplored. Among the parents of several young
people there certainl