The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-10-28
Advice to Young Ladies.
TALK ny DIR. do LEWIS.

Now, ladies, I will preach you Just q
little sermon, about an inch long. don't
often preach, but In this case nothing but
q sermon will do.
Firstly. You arc perfect idiots to &c
on In this way. Your bodies are the
most beautiful OF Gods creation. In the
continental galleries I always. saw group.
of people gathered about pictures Of wo.
men. It was not passion; the gazers
were Just as likely to be women rs men
1t was because Of the wondrous beauty ol
woman's body.
Now stand with nc at my Office win.
dow and sec lady pass. There gOes one
Now isn't that q pretty looking object'
A big hump; three big Jumps; wilder
ness Of crimps and frills; q hauling up ol
the dress hero and there; an enormous.
hideous mass of false hair or bark piled
on the top Of the head, surmounted
by little fat, ornamented with bits
OF lace, birls' tails, etc., etc. The shop
windows tell us, all day long, of the
paddings, whalebones and steel springs
which occupy most Of tho space within
that outside ring.
In the name Of the simple. sweet senti.
ments which cluster about home, I would
ask, how Is man to fall In love with sucf,
q piece of compound. doubled and twisted,
touch. me.not artifciality, as you SEQ In
that wriggling curiosityp
Secondly. With that wasp-waist,
squeezing your lungs, stomach, liver and
vital organs into one-half their natural
size, and with that long trail dragging on
the ground, how can any man Of sense.
who knows that life Is made up Of use, Of
service, of work, take such n partnerp
He must be desperate, indeed, to unite
himself for life with such n fettered, half.
breathing ornament!
Thirdly. Your bad dress and lack OF
exercise leads to bad health; and men
wisely fear that instead OF q helpmate they
would get an invalid to take care Of. This
bad health In yon-just rs In men-makes
the mind rs tho body fuddled and effemi-
nate. You have no power, no magnetism.
know you giggle freely and use big nd.
jcctives, such rs 'splendid,' AWFUL but
then this don't deceive US: wo see through
II all. You are superficial, affected, silly; /;
you have none of that womanly strength
and warmth which are so assuring and
attractive to men. Why, you have be-
como so childish and weak.minded that
you refuse to wear decent names oven,
and insist upon baby names. Instead OF
Helen, Margaret, and Elizabeth, you af-
feet Nellie. Maggie and Lizzie. When
your brothers were babies you called them
Dolby, Dicky and Johnny; but when they
grow up to manhood, no moro of that
silly trash. If you please. But know a
woman Of twenty-five years, and she Is rs
big rs both Of my grandmothers put to-
gether, and her real name Is Catherine,
and though her brain Is big enough to
conduct the affairs of State, she does
nothing but gigglo, cover mp her face with
her fan and exclaim once In four minutes,
Don't now, you are real mean.'
How can man propose life partner
ship to such a silly goosei My dear girls.
you must, II you would get husbands,
and docents ones, dress In plain. neat, be-
coming garments, and talk like sensible,
earnest sisters.
You say that the most sensible men are
crazy after these butterflies of fashion. l
beg your pardon, It Is nOtso. Occasionally
man of brilliant success may marry n
weak. silly woman; but to say. rs have
heari women say hundred times, that
the most sensible men choose women with
ont sense, Is simply absurd. Nineteen
times in twenty, sensible men choose SEN
sible wives. Igrant you that in company
they are very likely TO chat and toy with
these overdressed and forward creatures !;
but they don't ask them TO 60 the altar
with them. .. .-..r".
Fourthly. Among the young men In
the matrimonial market, only very
small number are independently rich. and
In America such rarely make good hus-
bands. But tho number of those who just
beginning. who are filed with noble
ambition, who have q future. svery largo.
These arc worth having. But such will
not, dare not, ssk you 10 Join them, while
they geo you SO Idle. silly. and 80 gor-
geously aitired. Let them SEQ that you
ARC Industrious, economical. with habits
that secure health and strength, that your
life Is real, that you would be willing to
begin nt tho beginning In lifo with the
man you would consent to marry, then
marriage will become the rule. and not rs
now, tho exception.