Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-07-12
The Girls nv Dav.

Not the girlG Of eighteen hundred and
sixty four, who jump at once from bibs to
ball dresses but the girls of my day" as
old ladies cay; and know ought 10 be
an old lady and | am only waiting for my
hslr to turn gray before / stop jumping
down three etairs at time' and clapping
my hands wheL anything delights me
Yes, IN my days girls pere girls and
did not think soiled silk dress more an.
propriate for school wear, than a clean.
nicely fitting calico nor did they run out
OF scht Of in recess TO thu neareet coplec.
tioneI'e to get pocket full Of candy and
poisonous ffuitdrops, to MUNICH in school
hourS, TO spoil their appetite aud digestion:
nor wear long ribbons, streaming from
their hair, OF rings, or bracelets. or gold
watches; bus snsts sd--shilliuk calico and
lesrned less Spanish and more sewing:
and women-teachers, kindheafted, but of
iron will who would stand on R:sl-nonsepse
or evasion. The talk Of eiris Ia ssv day
was net Of "ballsAnd The opera, ~ but their
dolls-yes, yo6 may laugh-t6eif dells :
which played with, well pleased, until
was fifteen years old. aud with whom had
long conversation about matters nearest nv
childish heart 0utpourDg all my griefs
and joys, and going to sleep cheek to cheek
with those my silent but steadfast friends.
Learning the dexterous use of the needle
in the manufacture Of their little ropes aud
under garmeDs, which were one day 10
be exactly Reproduced for dolls not unite
90 silent bat did not think of that then:
mol only knew that wanted somebody.
II ever became too big to play With dolls
(which l doubted), 60 whom could talk as
freely and who would lieten to me O. patti
emily as they did. There were little bows
among my plsymates, to be sure; but il
was not the custom then to talk to little
girls 10 pantAlettes about their "besux ;"
SO that We played togsatber without any
thought of sex and when little boy who
used to come and see me Saturday after.
noon and sis on log ic the woodshed, pour.
ing into my apron q store OF thrse-corned
nuts and rsisins. / threw my arms around
his neck and kissed him az healthy as if be
had worn frock, and told him that nv
doll had another baby, aod that it was a
boy. and that il was to DO christensd next
Saturday.
At that rRe, in eighteen hundred and
sixtyfour. should have been promsuading
Broadway 10 Aounced silk, with ar em-
broidered pocket-handkerchjef dangling at
the ends Of my kid gloves. and French
bonnet on the back Of my head declaring
that was $50 bored |" As it was, I
cossted down hill on the boys sleds, making
fearful havoc With my psntalettes; climbed
fences like cat. rolled over and over in
the snow. and took simrle supper Of bIead
and milk, and went to bed without o pipele
thought Of what ] should Wear the next
day.
These recollections often come tc me now,
when meet hocks Of schoolgirls with
their jaunty hats aud feathers aud embroi.
dered dresses, and wonder are they any
happier than was then when no police
men stood guarding over the mud-puddles
shat had to skip across on my way to
school. When, if l fell, I had to Jump
up and take another" when the word
'headache' was unknown to me and didn't
walt FIR plain dinner till three o'clock 10
the afternoon when school was dismissed
when there were no long lesson to study
out Of school but instead, plenty Of time
to jump. and rup, and climb, and "slide,"
and play at suow.balling. and 10 short, TO
earn for ourselves good constitutions, and
that terrible modern bugbesr Of q name
-rOup
All that is poured into vase after it is
foil runs to waste. In other words, after
twelve o'clock. when the cheeks of school,
girls flush and their heads begin to ache,
l wouldn't give one penny for ell they learn.
FANNY FERa.