THE IDLENESS OF GIRLS.
ONE great mistake that many of our girls are making, and that their mothers are either encouraging or allowing them to make, is that of spending their time out of school in idleness or in frivolous amusement, doing no work to speak of, and learning nothing about the practical duties and serious cares of life. It is not only in the wealthier families that girls are growing up indolent and unpracticed in household work; indeed, I think that more attention is paid to the industrial training of girls in the wealthier families than in the families of mechanics and people in moderate circumstances, where the mothers are compelled to work hard all the while. "Within the last week,"
says one of my correspondents, "I have heard two mothers, worthy women in most respects, say, the first, that her daughter never did any sweeping.
'Why, if she wants to say to her companions, I never swept a room in my life, and takes comfort in it, let her say it;' and yet that mother is sorrowing over the shortcomings of that very daughter. The other said she would not let her daughter do anything in the kitchen. Poor, deluded woman! She did it herself instead." The habits of indolence and of helplessness that are thus formed are not the greatest evils resulting from this bad practice; the selfishness that it fosters is the worst thing about it. How devoid of conscience, how lacking in a true sense of tenderness, or even of justice, a girl must be who will thus consent to devote all her time out of school to pleasuring, while her mother is bearing all the
heavy burdens of the household. And the foolish way in which mothers themselves sometimes talk
about this, even in the presence of their children, is mischievous in the extreme. "Oh, Hattie is so
absorbed with her books, or her crayons, or her embroidery, that she takes no interest in household matters, and I do not like to call upon her."
As if the daughter belonged to a superior order of beings and must not soil her hands or ruffle her temper with necessary housework. The mother is the drudge; the daughter is a fine lady for whom she toils. No mother who suffers such a state of things as this, can preserve the respect of her daughter—and the respect of her daughter no mother can afford to lose.
The result of this is to form in the minds of many gifted girls not only a distaste for labor, but a contempt for it, and a purpose to avoid it as long as they can live by some means or other.
There is scarcely one letter I have received which does not mention this as one of the chief errors in the training of our girls at the present day. It is not universal, but it is altogether too prevalent. And I want to say to you, girls, that if you are allowing yourselves to grow up with such habits of indolence and such notions about work, you are preparing for yourselves a miserable future.
—St. Nicholas.
KEEP STRAIGHT AHEAD.
PAY no attention to slanderers or gossip mongers. Keep straight on your course, and let their back-bitings die the death of neglect. What is the use of laying awake of a night, brooding over the remark of some false friends, that runs through your brain like forked lightning? What is the use of getting into a worry and fret over gossip that has been set afloat to your disadvantage by some meddlesome busybody, who has more time than character.
These things can't possibly injure you unless, indeed, you take notice of them, and in combating them give them character and standing. If, what is said about you is true, set yourself right at once; if it is false, let it go for what it will fetch. If a bee stings you, would you go into the hive and destroy it? Would not a thousand come upon you?
It is wisdom to say little respecting the injuries you have received. We are generally losers, in the end, if we stop to refute all the back-bitings and gossipings we may hear by the way. They are annoying, it is true, but not dangerous, so long as we do not expostulate and scold. Our characters are formed and sustained by ourselves, and by our own actions and purposes, not by others. Let us bear in mind that calumniators may usually be trusted to time and the slow but steady justice of public opinion.
—Baptist Weekly.
FEAR nothing when you are in the way of duty.
WORDS TO GIRLS.
How much do you help mother? Do you do all you can to lighten her burdens? When you see her weary, do you offer to help her? I have seen some who did not do this, and I have wanted to tell them how much their mother needed their help. Some mothers don't want their daughters to work. This is not right. Girls need to learn to work.
They should do their own work at least —make their own beds, and sweep, and take care of their own rooms.
It is a disgrace for a young woman in health to let this work be done by her mother or any one else.
Girls should help their mothers wash and cook as soon as they are old enough to do these.
The young girl that grows up and don't know how to wash, iron, and cook, is not educated, and therefore is unfit to be a housekeeper.
Learning to sing, and play the piano and organ is not the best part of an education.
These may come in their place, but the pantry, with its well filled shelves, is as pleasant a sight as the music room, and the sound of dishes as entertaining as the notes of an instrument of music.
The music-room could better be removed than the kitchen and pantry.
Then, girls, don't forget that mother needs your help.
Selected.
BE SLOW TO CALL FOR HELP.
IT is right and honorable to ask for help when needed, but not till then.
Many young people be come too much accustomed to asking help.
This is a habit easy to form, but hard to correct.
Take heed!
God has given you muscle and mind; always test that thoroughly before bothering anybody.
Be slow to call for help. Be independent -- by depending upon yourself.
Don't task the sympathy of friends too much.
Cautiousness generally gains more than it loses; but never more so than when applied in this connection.
Who wants to help? Help any one who has not done his utmost to help himself!
Looking ever to others for aid, your imaginary helplessness will become understood, and sympathy lost;
you will be left coolly alone,—abandoned to your own resources.
In little things, as in great, do your best first, and only after repeated failures, and in real need, ask aid.
Then you will merit help.
The S. S. Messenger