The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-23
Girls.

The term girls here Is used in re.
strlcted sense, meaning those between
the child and the matured young lady.
This is class, in our own, and in every
community for whom my sympathies
have been much and unen aroused.
Society misuses ami then misjudges the
girls. It gives them no platform upon
which to stand; II grants them neither
the license Of childhood, nor the
privilege of young ladyhood; Il permi'.
them to be neitler. Isit not sol T. q
young girl, herself unconscious th.sH-
she Is no longer a child-and indeed,
by nature she is nothing more-comes
skipping along in her healthful exube;-
ance; she is suddenly checked by som
Aunt Prim, who with q horrifled ges.
ture, reminds her that she is very Gin
decorous;" is growing too large now
to be skipping like a child.n
Again she is rudely aroused from her
delightful employment among the dolls
by a "big BROTHER" perhaps--whose
opinion is so valuable 20 her-he
laughs and teazes her because, he says.
"shs is too big TO be playing with
dolls"
After several such encounters the
girl begins to feel that she ought 10
put away childish things. With sigh
she lays aside her dolls-often to enjoy
them by stealth-and tries to curb the
restless feet, to assume the demure gait
II Aunt Prim. And now, what is sheg
Where is her place. All her child
hoods pleasures and privileges are
gone, and what IS TO replace them2 IL
she dare assume to herself those OF her
lady sisters, what follOwsg II she is
met on the fashionable promenade, IN
a fashionable outfit, with the inevitable
escort, by Aunt PriDl, the hands are
again raised in horror, and the poor
girl reminded that she Is ''too young
for that. II she. expresses q wish FOR
q cardcase or to attend ball, the sene
and to be what is expectedxe 70 do
sometimes become failures In lifcAspi,
But what shall we do with cur fshss
After much experience and earnest ots
servation among them, j am convinced
that we do not permit girls 20 be chtl-
dren long cnoDgh. | have remarked
that when left TO themselves and 70
their parents, they are children longer
and glide naturally into their proper
sphere when the proper time comes-
The parents arc apt to be the. last %
realize that the baby they held to their
breast or handled on their knee -
q rowing beyond their tender care. IL
is the unthinking ones who have net
the responsibility who do not weigh
their thoughtless words; 1t IL these
| who are turning our fresh child-like
girls into premature women = the
semblance Of women without the
character and development OF women
| would let the girls be merry: would
let them skip and run In the proper
place and at the proper time; woeln
let them dance and play and be chill
dren; l would keep them busyi they
will study better after playtime they
will have something 10 engage the
mind more heaithfui than romance :
something to keep the heart pure !
something to develop the physical.
Let me not be understood to tolefDts
hJydenish girlhood. Far from IL.
Playfulness is not rudeness. The rudest
girls are those who have left their
childhood behind before their time and
are siraining for that for which they
arc not prepared. Our child-girls are
like children, gentle, submissive "a
authority, respectful 70 older persons.
. They are Joyous as summer birds. ffesl
and fair and modest as the flowefs q
, spring. Would that all were chm
girls rather than giri-women. ME-