Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-08-07


hood to womanhocd, But any one who
shas stood ts -
q = , s'where the brook and river meet
womanhood aud childhood feet"
can tell him that the position is far pleas
anter in poetry than in reality. She can
say with emphasis, "When | was child,
4 spaks as q child and acted as a child;
but now, before / have become a woman,
Il must put away Ivy childish things, and
become as much = a young lady in
speech and manner as / 30 in size" a
second time she must lear to walk, and
has rs little confidence III hel frst efojfs as
ia child has in its steps, an is DOOM ~
as may failures. Hereto ore, she has felt
and acted upon the feeling that she WIS Al
little girl and could depend upon others !;
now she Is told that she is large enough to.
act for herself.
4Ier size is favorite subject Of comment
among her acquaintance. How you
grow" you'll soon be taller than your
motherp "How you do run up! youneed
topping" ase expressions with which she
lis constantly greeted, until she feels she
must look very like a crane b. giraffe.
when she was little giIl, any awkardness
was excused; but now, being supposed to
have passed that critical period when she
5don'S know what TO DO with her hands, she
must put on ease and grace with her long
dresses, or have their abs, ne apologized
.for by the explanation that she is at an
awkward AGES an overgrown girl. She
older sisters and young lady acquaintance
scompIacently remark that they wear small
Ter gloves and CATERS than she, forgetful of
the time when they Suffered a like NORTH
scs.tion.
A few months since we coull sit in Il
room all the evening without speaking, and
it was not noticed butnow she must cable
10 discuss with people three times her age,
the prominent topics Of the day. And she
fcannot join the conversation without rum
ming the risk of private lecture on the
subject of Difference to the presence and
opinion of elders. So, while endeavoring
TO avoid the Scyla Of silence, she falls into
the ChaFybdis oftalking too much.
Every thing considered, this is the most
trying period in girls life. In reference
to her toilet, she is constantly hating be-
tween two 0, ilion, she is tortured with the
fear of getting on something too old or
something too young. | would commend
her deplorable situation to manufacturers
and Iadiies of taste with the suggestion that
stheyprogide a remedy. She cannot dis
pose Of that most troublesome piece of
property, her hair, by having It cut at tln|
ears, because that would be too childish it
Ss at such length that she cannot put ii
up, or even if she can, she hasn't the cour-
age to do, for fear Of being suspected Of
iapeing the lady.
~ She is considered a child or young lady,
according to the convenience of others.
Nobody thinks of her VIXEN making up
party for a sleigh ride; she is too old to at
tend children's parties, and too young to
attend those Of gown up people. When
she docs make her appearance at one Of
these latter, she is sure to be monopolized
by some old bachelor or widower, who was
invited for what he has been in the DAYS
of hong ago. Now it is very trying to i'm /
mature patience to be sacrificed 10 some
man old enough to be her grandfather,
because all the young ladies in the room
persist in being oblivious TO her presence,
though he he's trying to bow to them the
sShole evening. Nor is this the worst Of
il; be has been studying woman-nature SO
long that he can look into her heart, and
fiatter her and make her appear ridiculous,
and then laugh over it at his leisure.