, 1873-01-12
"OUR GIRLS. !"


"OuR GIRLS"
A.wo-d About Them and For TI.cna.
a'iss E1i:.:1s;! Du4ley ii: Neto FORK Null.
Dur;:,g q walk M Broadway, from 6 to in
tho morning. uo moet hundreds Of working girls
going to their daily labor. Almost invariably
thcy are neatly drcssol, though somo Of them
al,ow too much cheap tawdry finery, aud some,
alas! arc shabbi]y and insufhciently clad. Many
OF them look healthy, energetic, and independ-
out, while few, for refined and grnceful man
uerB or beauty of form end face, rival tho most
favored Of our sex.
This ID not surprising in this country, where
fortunes frequently change hands. aud whero
the majority aro too much given to speculation
and to living beyond their means.
But most OF our young working girls reveal,
by tic scraps OF conversation ne hear from them
in passing, their lack of mental cultivation aud
narrow views Of life, whilo their physical ap-
pearance too often the iu-hoalth induced by
overworls, bad air in unventilcted working and
sleeping 1oon,s), unsuitable food, and indeed
Wo as.1 oursclyes Us wc pass them by: Is this
the best mode OF Gfo for our girls:
will tho money they earn, aid which
merely enables them to live On from day to day,
while they remain in sufficient hoaltl to earn it,
will this compensate for all TINT they are losing
Continuing our walk into certain Of tho cross
streets, re met Httlo later sou1o thousands OF
school girls. Tho majority OF these arc under
10 years OF age, among whom GRO found large
proportion Of poor children but the nnsaes OF
middle class OF citizens, and arc evidently well
cared for. They nro pretty, sprigltly girls, who
generally seem well content with lifo as they
lind it, and II thoy think Of any change it is not
apparent that they have any intention Of bo.
coming findependent self-su uopozting women !"
Some, indeed, are ambitious OF shining Is
scholars and Ittorateurs, and those may, per-
hape, DO in danger Of straining the nervous sys-
TEN and taxing tho vital powors by too much
brain work; but tho great majority Of onr school
as wo pass by they are rarely talking Of books,
but more commonly Of drosa, parties, beaux,
aud such like entertaining subjects. These
pretty girls arc fresl, and pretty looking, not
robust, indood, rather too narrow in the chest
and thin in the arms generally, still they bid
fair to become, under favorable circumstances,
tine, strong women. I fancy that few OF them
will caro- to study loarned professions, or go
into business, and am glad Of this, for their
sakes. .....,
our young ladies' who hsvo left school, and are
now souf" Thoso roll along in carriages, OF
promenade with their manlmes and chaporones.
They are shopping, making calls, out tor the
air, anything but ut work. They DO not LOOK
very s'mieereblo, y "almless," or "unhsppy,"
and yet these are the very girls who have been
so much talked about by lecturers and writer's.
Wo are told that they are more miserable than
any other class OF citizens, that their lot is one
of tho most unnatural things in comfortably civ
drifting on without any trado or business, or
hope Of any to proseryo old ago from wretched
and unwelcome dependence
Again we aro assured that our girls are friv-
eloua. extravagant, half-educated, that if they
are happy it IL because OF their utter lack OF
1onding the wretched future before them !; since
they cannot hope to marry, there are not men
enough to supply each single woman with hus-
band. And II thcre arc mon enough they are
obliged to remain single, poor fellows, because
CANT, idle wives. This is dreadful statement
about our girla, but is it true? I know ono
who ia really cxtrayagant-that is, who spends
an iuordinate amount of money on herself !;
willis at tho aamo time I know number
Of young ladies' still at home with their parents.
who laalp with the housework and the sowing,
and often make their own dresses to save and
be able to buy ono new dress every season. II
the experience Of others corresponds to nlno,
We have comparatively few extravagant Ameri-
Il I I'm. however, aware that that thoir mothers
warn them against matrimony unless they can
choose . husband who is in good business,
steady, Of kind disposition,. and able to main
tain them in ''co1nfortable STYLE" -, That last
phrase docs tho mischief, for YOU will find that
tie mothers ideas Of living in comfort in New
York would involve the expenditure OF at least
5000 q year for the young couple to begin on
No one, I am sure, and least of all myself, Will
deny that it is truly comfortable to nave that
amount OF income to spend, but cannot happi-
ness and even ease be attained for less? II not,
the future OF our girls, and for that matter, OF
our boys too is one that shrink from contem-
plating.
.Somo mothers think to set matters right by
teaching their daughters to work at some pro-
fession or trade, and 30 earn money enough Tor
the1nselves.- To q certain extent this is good;
girl should have some provision 1nado for her
maintenance, II her parents spond every dol
lar OF their income, and ere, consequently, un-
abba to save money for thoir children, both girls
and boys must learn something which will en-
ablo them to earn their bread but tho life Of 3
svorkins-womau is SO hard, so uninyiting, so
inadequately recompensed, TINT would have no
girl enter upon it unless see must: QhaVo here
used the tern t working-woman " in the sense
others use it-meaning, woman Who earns
monoy-but I consider nearly every woman
working-woman.
NO cannot make WORSE possible use Of onr
girls than to set them to earning money. Evon
tho poorest arc needed at homo to SEQ that
father has good, hot breakfast before ho goes
to work in the morning; that hcr young sls-
terg are comforted in tho earno manner, and
sent OF to school with clean, smiling faces, and
well conned lessons; that her nother is relieved
baby tending, and coaxed to pay more attention
to her dress and appearance. and made to LOOK
nice, and not let to grow old too fast. All this
exercise Of tho affectional aud mora! nature,
develops our girl into true wouanly woman,
while her homo life keeps her innocent and
puro, undo6led by contact with evil, and there
foro most likely to attract and win good young
man.
The girl who is richer, whose father is able to
mako sufficient provision for her future support,
las still moro work Of her own to do, without
running sway into new paths; for she has not
only her own family to minister to and make
happy, but society also demands much OF her