The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-12-10
MERRY GIRLS.

| Mrs. Croly, the spicy local editor Of the
Rockford News, asks an important question
in the article below, answers it herself, and
then proceeds to comment. Mrs. Croly,
herself, we take it, is "one Of them,''-
leastways she has been in her time.
We should like to know if the race of
merry, laughing, light henrted girls has be-
come extin:t? We should think it had we
have not seen one for years, and looking
round upon the circle of young girls in go
ciety, and out Of society, we are at a loss to
find single natural specimen of the gay,
laughing, innocent class to which we al
lude.
There are plenty of young ladies who put
on airs, not only their own, but those of any
heroine whom they chance for the moment
to admire. Sometimes they are excessive
ly dignited, sometimes tenderly sentimental, !,
occas ionally profoundly philosophical, but
always full of self. Like Joint of meat,
hanging from a spit, they are perfectly sat
isfied to revolve around their own individu-
aiity. content that they are the centre of at
traction.
Some Young ladies full of life, AMI
animation, at parties, and scenes Of pleas
ure. They are always dying for "com-
punv," or to 90 out; Il rainy day is worse
than purgatory, and an evening at home. or
alone, with only the family" is stupidity
dismal. At home they are generally suIen.
and distracted. They drag out their few
duties 50 unwillngly, that ''mothcr would
rather do them herself" If small favors
are asked by little brothers, or sisters. they
are either Snappish!y refused, or done so
ungraciously as to leave only the impress
sion Of u9liness and i'll temper. But mark
the difference if gentleman calls: our
young lady is all smiles, and good nature
the children, down to teasing little Tommy,
are all "dcar,' her eyes are bright, her
manner lively, her whole aspect changed
She laughs at all jokes, good, bad, or indif-
ferent: fits about the room, draws down
the curtains, lights the lamps, goes into the
sitting room, and begs her mother to take
these little pests off to bed, returns, smiling
as ever, with Il pitcher of cider, and q dish
of the very best apples the house can afford,
and deeply impresses her visitor with the
idea of what bright, thoughtful, consider
ate. housewlfeiy girl she is.
Girls know altogether too much now days
to be light hearted, or happy. They are
terribly wise: no subject within the rang
Of human intellect upon which they are
not thoroughly posted and as for their ex-
pcricnce in human nature, it is quite start
ling. They read ry-body at a glance:
and hnow all things so certainly, that older
and less daring people are awed into think
ing that they really do know great deal.
We do not care to dispute the fact now,
as to whether girls know SO much or not:
they will find that out for themselves, all in
good time. But they ought to know that
the assumption is neither graceful, nor at
tractive. The yore innocent, light hearted
girl becomes quite naturally a thoughtful,
experienced, dgnifed woman: but selfish
imperious girl becomes quite cold, hard and
calculating. A cheerful face is a good an
gel in any house. Music, merry laughter,
Jokes, are better than medicine: and these
in Il family, should be the young girls mis-
sion. No danger, then, of not being
" appreciated" or dying for any imaginary
love affair. Girls would run up to pre-
MUM at once their marriage would then
be looked upon as serious loss to the fam
ilv. instead Of great relief from their re-
lief from their selfshness, and the burden
of their complaints.