The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-12

-ItIOIH Iht EActIsIOT.I
What Can We Do for Our Girls 2

served supper, and reading the evening
paper, l threw myself down upon the
sofa, before the cheerful fire, doZed and
almost slept. Then it was that my five
daughters conversed together more un-
Trestrainedly than they would otherwise
nave done in my presence.
Poor Papa ~ murmured Grace:
,'How tired lie is How wish could
help him in his life-work p'
When L am woman, tCili," cried
Helen, who, though but school girl,
has energy and spirit enough for q
dozen women.
''Hush, child, what can you DO ?"
said Grace. "Women can ecOnomiZe,
and make things pleasant at home,
"But-what ~ cried the impatient
girl. "Why may l not do more than
that? Our teacher says / am his best
pupil in mathematics. / am reading
hard in the languages, and l long for
improvement and an opportunity to
make all my requirements useful"
''Still, in another year you must leave
school, /" said Grace. "Papa must strain
every nerve to educate John, as you well
know"
eyes, that is the way of the world"
be educated. Why? l wish | could
see either sense or reason in it, that l
might be more recOnciled to it,"
"JOhn is an only son, you know"
said Grace. "After Papa, he is the
head of the house." Er
"Nonsensew was the impatient reply.
John hates study, and love it. l can
excel. He never will. Yet, he must
have the advantages and opportunities
which are denied to me- / lose my
temper whenever think of it."
"Keep your temper, child, and curb
your tongue;" said Rachel, who has
been just like mother to the younger
girls, since their own dear mother was
taken from them. "Self-controI is a
wOmanly grace. You must not allow
your school triumphs to unfit you for
your actual life"
''But what duties will my actual life
offer?" said Helen. "Can it be that the
cultivation of my intellect will render
me less capable of performing them ?''
''Then come out in society," said the
placid Rachel. enjoy your girlhood
as others do, my child and enjoy that,
and them
| teriy. $50 on with your sketch. /
!
then 81
'Then-perhaps-you may marry"
said Rachel.
"Hush ~ she cried. 'tDo not place
marriage before me in such light as
that. cannot bear it. would work
to secure myself proper support, oh,
| how gladly. But, marry to secure a
home? NEVER ~
At this book was thrown upon the
| table in so ungentle manner that it
quite startled me.
1t came from the hand of my restless,
/ beautiful Bella, and her eyes flashed
with excited feeling, which frightened
/ her beauty wonderfully.
/ "Rachel, you do not understand
Helen," she said, "and you never will.
/ 1t is such women as you who block the
wheels of progress. You hang your
! truisms and your matter-Of-fact sugges-
tions upon every woman who would rise
| to higher life or n higher endeavor tC
hold her down."
"Bella," said Rachel, mildly, 'T have
not deserved this from you"
In an instant the penitent girl was OF
| her knees beside her sister, and throwing
| her arms around her, said:
sForgive me, Rachel. ] had Just beeI
reading an article in the Eclectic whicl
stirred all the fountains of bitterness II
my nature. In that mood your speeel
to Helen so Jared upon my feelings tina
| spoke too hastily"
'3Give us the benefit of the artiel
which has so disturbed you, Bella" sal
Ruth, who had hitherto piled her needl
in silence.
"I4isten then to one or two choic
sentiments" said Bella, taking up tn
book. 81 will not infiiet the whole upo
you:
NO one is so well up in the last move
and the latest scandal, as the Old Cir
Not that she is very scandalous or re
mantle. What she really wants is Oecu
patton. And so she filings herself wit
an intense energy into the chaos of littl
things. Little engagements, littl
pleasures, minute particles of business
, the tiniest tittle-tattle, all are so man
weapons against the dreary inactivity {
her lifei
There, girls, I will read no NOR,
What do you think of it ~
81 think" said Ruth, "that for once
man has blundered upon truth in re
gard to women. 1t certainly is the wan
of occupation which makes so man
women peevish, or foolish, or vain.n
I Dul EOW unltlI IL lSf sdlu I1GAGl
"FOr it is their own decree that WON
ans place is only 'by the fireside of tn
heart, feeding its fame that woman
world is her affections, not her intellect,
, and so on through all the beautiful, idea
theory"
'1t is an attractive theory" sal
Grace. 'In a happy marriage, woman
7 finds a sphere of action where all he
. powers, her time and thoughts are full
taxed"
"But what is to become of the tOl
!, Girls as this writer so respectful
terms them,u said Bella. as there n
sphere in which they may employ thei
energies with profit? l am anxious
know, for | feel an inward convictio
that / am doomed to rank among tn
) old Girls myself"
} ooh, Bella" said Rachel, with sigI
'if you only could bring yourself to lik
James Lorimer r'
'Not even to escape being an 'Ol
Girl can do that" said Bella. $50
must face my doom as best may"
IF these men would only condescen
to look at the world as ii is, they woul
see that more than half the women in
struggle for their own support, onl
that, being women, they do it at di.
advantage" said Ruth.
"Nes, and for equal work with mel
they receive unequal wages,r said Belli
"Ihe old farmer was a keen observe
who said he was in favor of having
schoOt-Da0JTa in the winter rather tha
a school-master, for she taught the chill
dren tlCiee as much for half the money
ut is a shame" said Helen. 'Still
am determined that my support shal
never be burden to poor Papa. Iwil
earn my own living"
Helen! Helenr' cried Rachel. "Yo
should have been a howl