Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-08-11


tioDs, opinions, upon some one else-som
individual, or some aggregate of individual
yclept Society! Is this Society to draw u
code of regulations as to what is prope
| for us to do, and Whist notl Which latte
is supposed to be done for US; if not done
or there happens to be no one to do it, is
to be left undone!' Alack, most frequently
whether or not it ought to be, it is!
Every ones experience may furnis
dozens of cases of poor women-suddenl
thrown adrift--widows with families, orpha
girls, reduced gentlewomen--ciingng help
lessly to every male relative or friend the,
have, year after year; sinking deeper il
poverty or debt; eating the bitter bread o
charity, or compelled to bow an honest prid
to the cruelest humiliation; every one o
which might have been spared them by tn
early practice of sslEdepsadsace.
once heard lady say--a tenderly re
ared and teDderhearted woman-that if he
riches made themselves wings, as in thes,
times riches will, she did not know anything
in the world that she could turn her hanl
to, to keep herself from starving. A NOR,
pitiable, and. in some sense, humbling con
fession, could hardly have been made; yer
it is that not of hundreds, but of thousands
in England.
Sometimes exceptions arise. Here is one:
Two young women, well educated and re
fined, were left orphans, their father dying
just when his business promised to realise a
handsome provision for his family. II was
essentially a mans business--in many
points of view, decidedly an unpleasant
one. OF course friends thought ''the girls'
must give it up, 60 out as governesses. de-
pend on relatives, or live in what genteel
poverty the sale of the goodwill might al
low. But the "girls' were wiser. They
argued: "If we hal been boys, it would
have been all right; we should have carried
on the business, and provided for our mother
and the whole family. Being women, we'll
try it still. 1t is nothing wrong; it is simply
disagree able. 1t needs common sense, &C
tivity, diligence, and self dependence. We
have all these; and what we have not, we
will learn" So these sensible and we'll
young women laid aside their
pretty uselessness and pleasant idleness, and
set to work. Happily. the trade was one
that required no personal publicity; but
lhey had to keep the books, manage tn.
stock, choose and superintend fit agents-to
do things .fficult, not to say d;stasteful. to
most women, and resign enjoy ments that, to
g hasr
daily self-den;al. Yet they did it; they
filed their fathers place. sustained their
delicate mother in case. and luxury. never
once compromising their wcmanhood 5y
their work, but rather eDnobling the work
by their doing OF it.
Another csse-diffrrent. and yet alike. A
young girl, an elder sister, had to receive
for step mother a woman who ought never
10 have been any honest mans wife. Not
W wapting to be turned out Of her fathers
house, she did most daring and "improper'
lett il, trking with her the broth
ers and sisters, whom by this means only
she believed she could save from harm. She
settled them in London lodging. and work
I'd for them as daily governess. "Heaven
helps those who help themselves" From
that day this gifl never was dependent upon
any human being; while during long life
she has helped and protected more than |
could count--pupils and pupils children,
friends aud their children; besides brothers
and sis:ers-in-law, nephews and n;eces,
down to the slenderest tie of blood, or even
mere strangers. And yet she has never
been anything but poor governess, always
dependent, always able to assis; others
because she never was and never will be
indebted to any one, except for love while
she lives, and for grave when she dies
May she long possess the one and want the
other!
And herein is answered the "cui bono?"
of self-dependence, that it's advantages end
not with the original possessor In this
much suffering world. woman who can
take care of herself, can always take care
of other people. She not only ceases to be
an unprotected female. nuisance and a
drag upon society, but her working value
therein is doubled and trebled, and society
respects her accordingly. Even her kindly
male friends no longer afraid that, when the
charm to their vanity of "being of use to a
lady" has died out, they shall be saddled
with perpetual claimant for all manner of
advice and assistance; the first not always
followed, and the second often accepted
without gratitude--even they yield an in
voluntary consideration to lady who gives
then no more trouble than she can avoid,
and is always capable of thinking and act.
ing FOR herself, so far as the natural re-
strictions and decorums of her sex allow -
True. these have their limits, which it would
be folly, if not worse, for her to attempt to
pass; but certain fine instinct. which, we
flat,er ourselves, is native 10 us women, will
generally indicate the division between
brave self-relIance and bold assumption.
Perhaps the line is most easily drawn, as
in most difficulties, at that point where duty
ends and pleasure begins. Thus, we should
respect one who, on mission Of mercy or
necessity, went through the lowest portions
of ST. Giles's or the Galiowate; we should
be rather disguised if she did it for mere
amusement or 5ravado. II honor to the
poor seamstress or governess who traverses
London streets alone, at all hours of day oI
night, unguarded except by her own modes.
ty; but the strong-mlnded female who
would venture on solitary expedition &c
investigate the humors Of .Cremorne Gard.
ems or Greenwich Fair, though perfectly
B. res specialize" would be an exceeding con-
demna5ie sort of personage. There art
many things at which; as mere pleasures,