The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-07-04
The MOrriStoVn Gazette.
WEDNESDAY. JULY 4, 1877.
/sOme Thoughts About Girls.
BY EVA WILLIAMS.
To the Editor of the MOrristown Gazette:

ing and re-echoing over the landp Hea
1t it:
"Give us something to do, and let u
do it. F" This is not the voice of Ignorance
= nor an idle sentimentalism, but come
from those whose minds are cultured
and whose hearts are burning with
! noble ambition to do, and to be, all tka
E God intended. 1t is the voice of ou
intelligent, educated young women, anC
should be earnestly needed by enlighteC
minds. Hundreds of girls with cleal
heads and warm hearts are starving, yes
literally starving for some honorable, in
r dependent work something better thar
! idle, aimless drifting. They want te
feel that in the busy working world
they have their own place and their own
work, filling that place and performing
that work worthily and well.
This is not as some fault-finders would
have us suppose, the effect of restless
craving for notoriety, nor desire to
escape from the seclusion of home life,
but is the natural longing of God-given
souls to bring into exercise the powers
with which their Creator has so boun-
teously endowed them.N
know full well that so soon as woman
begins to speak of honorable, indie
pendent employment, vision of shrill-
voiced females. clamoring for the attire
and rights of men, is suggested, and inn
mediately our gallant fathers, brothers
and husbands, begin to get frightened,
But this is scarcely fair; because a few
unwomanly women lave come pro-
minently forward as advocates of a
higher sphere for women" it does not
follow that "no good can come out of
Nazareth" and the whole movement
"only evil and that continually"
We leave the Mrs. Bloomers to speak
for themselves; (they are both able and
willing to do it,) our interest is with the
members of " sweet girl graduates"
who are yearly turned out from our
schools as full-fedged women, ready to
take their stand in the conflict of life.
What of them I?
They come home from crowded board
ing-schools, where they are taught,
tacitly at least, that the sexes are born
natural enemies. All healthy inter-
course is interdicted, until the girl in
vests the opposite sex with a halo and
glory that must bring her only disap-
pointment. Ever since Eve reached
forth her hand and plucked the fatal ap-
pie, forbidden fruit has seemed sweeter
than that which hung in easy reach; and
it is truth that the average boarding
school girl has a hundred thoughts of
young men, where she would have one
if they were allowed to associate natur-
ally and reasonably. Far off, Adonis
is invested with every charm which her
imagination can picture-upon nearer
view she would discover what she must
someday, that he is only mortal flesh and
frailty like herself.
This separation continues so long as
her school duties last, but after they arc
over what change! To-day, with
scarce the right to lift her eyes to a male
acquaintance, tomorrow, diploma in
hand she may roam through pasture free, !
with nice young man" at every |
turning w hat IOilOWS
"A few months, mayhap years of un-
healthy society life, and then-she mar
ries marries, not for love, and oftenest |
not even for lucre, as our young men 1
seem to have but little of that, but sole |
Iy for the sake Of getting rid Of herse!fi She
is tired of dressing and flirting, and shop |
ping, and talking-tired of the days in |
which pleasure is made the business, |
and soon becomes the WEAKNESS of life, |
and escapes into matrimony with the |
hope of finding something to fill her |
empty heart and idle bands. How many |
such marriages are made every year,
Heaven only knows, and that they all do |
not end in misery and heart-ache, only |
a plying God should be thanked. To |
say that no true woman would make |
such marriage is folly, for we see girls |
with the germs of perfect womanhood |
in their souls do it, because, and only |
because, they see nothing better before
them. They have been taught nothing |
else to do.I
Fathers and mothers complain that |
their daughters is frivolous, and to
fashion and folly devoted, little dream
ing that they are more culpable than |
she, because their training has made |
her what she is. They do sometimes in
her hearing bemoan the degeneracy of |
the times, but all the same, they have |
never taught the girl that there was real,
earnest work for her to do. In all her |
petted, frivolous life she has known |
nothing of responsibility and work, but
has grown up fiattered and caressed, |
having court paid to her fathers bank
account as often as to herself, and, after |
such training, people wonder, for |
sooth! why the girls of the present day
are not like their mothers were With |
the life she has led, and the education |
she has had, what more could we expect |
of the &c girl of the present day?" Of |
tentimes, poor thing she is weary |
enough of the useless part she plays, but |
does not know that there is a possibility |
of anything better. know many true
hearted, womanly girls who would glad
ly welcome the hand that led them into |
a purer, higher life; they know that their
lives are poor and meager and out of |
tune, but have never been taught that
they may make them rich, full and har-
monious.
.i
There is reign of terror in the vicin--
ity of Bardstown, KY, over the escape
a.-. al - &c., -, -, l,a~e-..I NTH rnx.r