The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-08-15
Advice to Young Ladies.
[From the Boston Congregatlonal.l

First, you are perfect idiots to go on
in this way. Your bodies are the most
beautiful of Gods creation. Inthe Con-
tinental galleries | always saw groups
of people gathered about the pictures
of women. 1t was not a passion; the
gazers were just as likely to be wO-
men as men; it was because of
the wonderful beauty of WOman's
body.
Now stand with me at my office win
dow, and see the lady pass. There
goes one! Now isn't that pretty look
ing object? A big hump, three big
humps, a wilderness of crimps and frills,
hauling up of the dress here and
there, an enormous, hideous mass OF
hair or bark piled on the top of her
head, surmounted by a little fiat, or
namented by bits of lace, birds, tails,
etc. The shop-windows tell you all day
long the padding, Whalebone, and steel
within the outside rig.
In the name of all the simple, sweet
sentiments which cluster about home,
/ will ask, how is a man to fall in love
| with such piece of compound double
| twisted, tOuch-me-nOt artificiality as
you see in that wiggling curiosity.
| Secondly, with the wasp-waist
squeezing your lungs, stomach, liver,
and other vital organs into one half
their natural size, how can any man of
sense, who knows that life is made up
of use of sense, of work, take to such q
partner? He must be desperate, in
deed, to unite himself for life toIsuch a
fettered, half breathing ornament.
! Thirdly, your bad dress and lack of
exercise lead to bad health, and men
wisely fear that, instead of a helpmate
| they would get an invalid to take care
of. The bad health in you, just as in
men, make the mind as well as the body
faddled and effeminate. You have no
power, and use big adjeetives such as
"splendid." No magnetism! | know
you giggle freely, lawful" but this
don't deceive us; we can see through it
all. You are superficial, affected, silly
and warmth which are so attractive to
man. Instead Of Helen, Margaret, and
Elizabeth, you affect Nellie, Maggie and
Lizzie. When your brothers were ba-
bies you called them Bobby, Dickey and
IJohnnie; but when they grow up to
manhood, no more of that silly trash, if
you please. But know a woman OF
twenty five years, and she is as big as
bothmy grandmOthers put together, who
insists upon being called Kitty, and he1
lreal name is Catharine; and although
her brain is big enough to conduct
affairs of state, she does nothing but
giggle, cover up her face with her fan
and exclaim once in four minutes
"Don't, now you are real mean."
l. How can a man propose allfe-p partner
Iship to such a silly goose? My dea1
girls, you must, if you get husbands
and decentones, dress in plain, neat, be,
coming garments, and talk like sensible
earnest sisters.
You say that the most sensible mer
are crazy after these butterflies of fash
ion. beg your pardon, it is not so
| Occasionally man of brilliant success
may marry a silly, weak woman; but
las have heard women say hundred
times, that the most sensible men choose
women without sense, is simply absurd
Nineteen times in twenty sensible mel
choose sensible women. | grant .you
that. in company, they are very likely
TO chat and toy with these Oyerdresset
and forward creatures, but they dom
ask them to go to the altar with them
Fourthly, among men in the matrl
monial market, only small numbe
are independently rich, and in Americ;
such very rarely make good husbands
| But the number of those who are jus
begin ling in life, who are filed with |
noble ambition, who have a future, i
very large. These are worth having
4 B1f such will not, they dare not, asl
you to join them while they see You 8
idle, silly, and so gorgeously attlred
let them see that you are industrious
economical, with habits that secure yol
health and strength, that your life j
earnest and real, that you would be vii
ling to begin at the beginning OF lit
with the man you would consent t
lmarry, as now, the exception.