e attentive to a young woman before dreaming of marriage. Thus not
only have her parents plenty of time to find out what manner of man he is,
and either accept or take means to prevent a serious situation; but the
modern young woman herself is not likely to be "carried away" by the
personality of anyone whose character and temperament she does not pretty
thoroughly understand and weigh.

In nothing does the present time more greatly differ from the close of the
last century, than in the unreserved frankness of young women and men
towards each other. Those who speak of the domination of sex in this day
are either too young to remember, or else have not stopped to consider,
that mystery played a far greater and more dangerous role when sex, like a
woman's ankle, was carefully hidden from view, and therefore far more
alluring than to-day when both are commonplace matters.

In cities twenty-five years ago, a young girl had beaux who came to see
her one at a time; they in formal clothes and manners, she in her "company
best" to "receive" them, sat stiffly in the "front parlor" and made
politely formal conversation. Invariably they addressed each other as Miss
Smith and Mr. Jones, and they "talked off the top" with about the same
lack of reservation as the ambassador of one country may be supposed to
talk to him of another. A young man was said to be "devoted" to this young
girl or that, but as a matter of fact each was acting a role, he of an
admirer and she of a siren, and each was actually an utter stranger to the
other.

=FRIENDSHIP AND GROUP SYSTEM=

To-day no trace of stilted artificiality remains. The tete-a-tete of a
quarter of a century ago has given place to the continual presence of a
group. A flock of young girls and a flock of young men form a little group
of their own--everywhere they are together. In the country they visit the
same houses or they live in the same neighborhood, they play golf in
foursomes, and tennis in mixed doubles. In winter at balls they sit at the
same table for supper, they have little dances at their own homes, where
scarcely any but themselves are invited; they play bridge, they have tea
together, but whatever they do, they stay in the pack. In more than one
way this group habit is excellent; young women and men are friends in a
degree of natural and entirely platonic intimacy undreamed of in their
parents' youth. Having the habit therefore of knowing her men friends
well, a young g