The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-24
Letters TO Country Girls.

bctscIStO country Urls,
Mrs. Swisshelm, in a late number Of the
Saturday Visiters, has the following letter
to countSy girls. She talks ''right out'' 10
them.
You know said tina, could quilt almost
rs last as two Of you. The reason is,
take care Of my hands. One half Of YOU
ere too proud 10 do this.-You wonll moi be
Caught putting glove On to sweep, or hoe,
OF weed in the garden, because You think it
would look as thought you wanted TO be
hne ladies'. Ii you see any one taking care
other hands, or careful TO wear sun hon.
net to preserve her complexion. you say she
IS "proud and stuck up" Bat il is you
who are proud-tou proud to think YOU
require any care TO look nice. Ion have
an idea you lok well at any ra-~. So y,u
just make yourself as rousht and coarse as
ever you can, by way oi being independent.
Your hands grow as stiff and hard as if Won
held plough ana swung scythe, and
when you take a needle you can scarcely
scarcely feel 1t in your fingers. This is
wrong. There are many things which
women ought to do, which require their
hands to DO soft and pable, ard they shculI
be careful to Keep them so, in orderla make
them useful. Every woman who lives in
the contry should knit herself pair Of
woolen gloves, with long fingers clossd at
the tops-no miig, 10 let the fugers get
hard, There should DC a price Of ribbed
work at the wrist 10 make them STAY on.
when yon use your hoe, rake or broom, Put
on your glove,--when you take hold of a
skillet, pot, kettle handle. take a clohe To
Keep your hands from being scared and
hardened. When You wash clothes or
tsh ii ,Otk o, l.
unpleasant. Many girls scald their hands
until they can put them into water almost
boiling. Such hands are unfit TO uSe
neeile or pin, They are not so good TO
hold baby or dress wound Take care
of ynnr hands, and do not forget your faces.
nave seen so many country girls, who at
sixteen hal complications like aIabasi, r, and
at twenty.six their faces would look like a
rnnet bag that had hung six weeks in the
chimney corner. One reason of thisis, thew
do not wear bonnet to protect them from
the sun Another reason is the habit thew
have of baking their faces before A wood |
hre. have seen women stand before n |
great roasting fire and cook, until | Thought
their brains were as well stcwed rs the
chickens and they would get so used TO if !
they world make no attempt to shield their
heads from the heat. Nay, they would 81,
down in the evening and bake their faces
by the hour; and this is one Of the reasons
why Americanw women grown old. withercd. |
an wrinklej, fifteen wears before their
iime.-Bnt another, aud the reatcst reason
Is, your diet. People in this country live
too well, an eat too much hot bread and
meat. Country people usually eat richer |
inod than those who live in the cities and |
That IS a reason why, with all their fresh air.
their average age is little greater than that
OF city folks. Thousands of beautiful
blooming country girls make old, salow
laced women of Themselves before they
are thirty, by drinl<n. coffee, smoking to.
oacco, and eating hot bread.-They shorten
their lives by these practices about as much
sciy ladies' with their ashiona6le lollies.
! Il" not Know what yon think aboutit, girls.
out think II is about as much sin for wo-
men 10 get Old, brown, wthered faces, by
eating TOO much, as it is for men 10 got red
noses 10y drinking TO mulch. Aery few
people thlnk II is disgrace 10 have the bill
lous ievor but would Just as leave the
doctor would lell me that was drunk as
that was bilious. The one would conn
from drinking toe much, the other from
catlng too much; aud where is the the diff
ttr'nceY All this is a very serious matter.
Tor IL affects health and life, aud the reason
way ! tax about your nplexion IN speak.
Ing Is, every body loves To look we'll
whether they viii acknowledge it or not.
Now, people cannot took well unless they
are wei; ana no one can bs well very long
VINO does not try To take care of herself
Inc woman who roasts her head al the
fire, disorders her blood, brings on head.
aches, injuries her health, and make, her
lace look like piece of leather: when she
awalIows hot coffee, hot bread, greasy
vtctual aud strong pickles, she de.troyshe,
stomach, rnts her teeth, shorteus her life
AMI makes herself too ugly for any use, OK
cept scarlD : the crows off the corn.