Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-08-01
For the VERMONT FARMER.
A PLEA FOR THE GIRL OF
THE PERIOD.

10 u RICdb USdA oalu hOW-o-N"Jo
about the girl of the period. She is a crea-
ture belonging exclusively to this generation.
We believe there is no record of any such
animal being produced before in any part of
the world. She is natural production Of
this progressive age in which we live. Her
chief characteristics we believe are these
She is sweet and delicate, her principal ar
ticles of diet being cloves and slate pencils;
she is fond of dress, amusement, and-and-
the boys; she is always to be seen at public
places, where she stares at you through her
Eyeglasses with perfect coolness and COM
posure; she usea slang phrases, expressing
her opinion of things something like this,
Oh that's too thin" That won't 90 down."
or " How's that for high?"
Now our staid and sober matrons look
with horror upon such production. "Well,
it was not so when l was young oh, the
lightness and irivolity of the girl Of the Pc
riod all she seems to care for is dress
and amusement" Now we do not think this
frivolous girl quite so bad as some would
try to have her; we have hope for her yet.
We think it is not so much her fault as it is
in the way she is brought up. 1t is more
the fault of the society in which she moves.
Let US begin with her at the district or COM
mon school where she goes with her brother,
keeping pace with him in his studies, and
sometimes excelling him,-then separating
he for college, she for the female seminary,
from which she graduates a " finished "
young woman. But when brother John
graduates it is very different affair; this is
only startlng-point in his career; the
whole world is before him there are thou
sand chances to win wealth and distinction
the highest honors of the land are within
his reach if he but exerts himself to grasp
them. But our young lady when she grad
yates is finished +" she is done there re.
mains nothing more for her to do but to get
married, and to accomplish this purpose
she brings all the energy Of her nature She
becomes truly heroic; every art is now
brought into practice; all the accomplish
ments she learned at school, all the fascina-
tious of dress, are brought to bear upon the
} victim. Aud in this cause mamma is her
! faithful ally she is on the right hand and
on the left, ready to assist and encourage,
and when the game is shared, if it prove
} fat one, great is the exultation. No matter
whether the parties are suited to each other,
or whether they are calculated to make each
} other happy,-all this is Of no consequence
! so the purse is secured.
Now getting married is right enough and
proper, and the wanting to be married is no
disgrace, but it is this making commerce of
matrimOny that is SO disgusting; this putting
} ourselves up to the highest bidder this SELL
ing ourselves for a little money, or for the
sake of being married,-oh it is simply
: barbarous.
| Now it is this VIC believe that makes our
girls so frivolous. 1t is this, too, that caus.
, es 50 many unhappy marriages, and so many
, divorces, which are shame and disgrace
to our country. As long as our girls are
! taught to think their chiet object is to look
pretty and "catch beau," they will make
, it their chief object, but give them purpose,
, give them something to live for, and they will
become different being.
We think every woman should be fond Of
i dress in measure it is all right and natu-
raj that every one should want to look we'll
/, ard wear what is becoming and pretty, for
t we believe God created woman to be beauti.
? full; for does he not clothe earth with beau.
t ty? does he not give the rose its color and
t sweetness2 does he not paint the sunset with
: gorgeous dyes ? does he not create many
/. things not for use only but simply to be
: beautiful But God did not create woman
2 simply to be beautiful he meant her to be
!. useful also. He meant her to have place in
Q the world, and one of importance, too. He
0 gave her intellect. He meant her to keep
q pace with man in intelligence and knOwl-
edge The progress of the age has opened
{ many doors to woman,-let her enter in [; let
r her choose what suits her taste, but above
: all let her adOrn herself with modesty; let
, her ever dress simply as an adornment and
t not an end let her remember that the cul-
} tiyation Of her mind is of far more impor-
( tance than the dressing of her body, and an
7 upright heart and good name are worth
more than the world can bestow.
. July, 1873. NAE.