The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-07
A Letter to Girls.

Dear Girls:
Sweeter than nectar and ambrosia to the
gods, is the flavor of printers ink to the
modern woman! Which is the reason 1 am
writing to you again.
Did it ever occur to you, dear girls, that it
is grand thing to be alive in these days?
The brain of the world is so hard at work
the heart of the world is so alive, and you
hold the heart of the world in your hands.
Heretofore, it has always been the boy who
''stood on the burning deck" In these lat
ter days girls are beginning to think they can
stand there, too, if love or duty call for
it.
l am not rabid on the woman question.
To vote or not to vote is not the question
that haunts me day and night. The ballot
appears to me to be only the means toward
an end. 'l
Most of you, having the fear of Augustus
before your eyes, do not wish 10 vote at
ALL
Some of you think you do, and you clsmor
weakly for your rights, in an illogical sort of
way that doesn't gain you one inch of
ground. You undertake to argue, having
never thought more about the matter, and
you lose your temper, and make fools of your
selves in the sweet face of heaven to no earth
ly purpose.
am indignant when / read that the ladies
appointed to wait on the house judiciary
committee at Washington, have only harried
and fatigued the legislators, but have accom-
plished nothing. Don't coax; don't fatter;
don't scold. In fact, do not talk very much
yourselves, so that when the time comes you
can vote intelligently. For that you will
vote, is as inevitable as the millennium. 1t
is only question of time.
Bat with the ballot will come responsible
ity, and to meet it the girl of the period must
rise to the full height of her womanhood
If were going to lecture this winter
which, fortunately for the long-suffering pub
lie, l am not-I should take for my subject,
.'Velveteen,"
How often have you aud L and all of us
said, II never will wear cheap velvet. Any
thing but that. ! will not attempt it until /
can afford the real silk velvet" So we con-
tented ourselves with chinchilla and beaver.
But change came o'er the spirit of our
dream. We grew conservative; one must
sacrifice ones high ideal in this world some-
times. So we went shopping and bought
velveteen. 1t looked almost like velvet,
fattered myself, and / took genuine salts
faction in my new wrap, till on my way to
church meet Miss Flora McFlimsey. She
"took stock' during well bred stare of half
minute, as only practical woman can, and
l knew by the smile of conscious superiority
| that lowered over her enameled lips, that she
"knew cheese from chalk.'' After that L
might as well have had on sackcloth and
ashes.
But what wanted to call your attention
to, is the deeper significance of all this. Life,
| like music is written in octayes You can
| strike no note to which there is not some
where, above or below, corresponding
! chord.
| If it all ended in our wearing of jute and
| mohair. and animated velvet and Cheap lew
elry, it would not so much matter. But
there is danger that we shall grow to be con-
| tented with these things, and to believe that
all is gold that glitters,-th we shall become
false in heart and lite. There is such a tenn.
tation just here to moralze little-to tell
how this subtle spirit of deceit is noisonino
the life-blood of church and state. But /
know you would skip it if should write it, so
l forbear.
10 go back to this most interesting of our
three little topcs'-dress.
This bad taste in ornament is mainly. due
to an inordinate love of dress, and that IS at
| tributable to woman's love OF the adinIIatioh
of men. She has discovered by experience,
that the girl who goes best dressed 10 party
commonly receives most attention. II IS use
less for Augustus to tell me men dont love
dear gazelle merely on account of the fine