The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-03-08
Hints To Women.
MRS. II. II. Gleason
womani in our hours OF ease,

by the light OF the quivering aspen made;
When pain and anguish wiring the brow,
minis,ering angel thoa.
So ngScott in his Marmion, present.
ing physiological fact rather than a
poetical fiction. Labor is needed to
give healthful development TO human
character. Responsibility and care
must be borne to give depth to intellect.
Muscle must cork, if it would ever have
power; mind must w9rk, if it would ever
attain strength. Each must have its
appropriate exercise, TO give marked
worth and dignity OF character. .
If muscle does not work it becomes
weak, faccid, and is soon tenanted by
these numberless understandable sensa-
tons which spring up where there is de-
bility of animal tissue. If mind lacks
employment, it wearies itself in vain
effort to make existence pleasure.
While "Satan always finds some work
for idle hands to do" this is equally
true of idle minds. If their energies are
not called out to some useful purpose,
they are expended in idle dreaming, sell
fish fretting, or foolish fancies
There are many maiden ladies who
are not oldmaidish, and there are many
married women who are. Those who
live and labor to please themselves only,
are not likely either to find pleasure or
to impart it to others. Truly, says
Upper, Happiness is way-side flower,
growing along the walks of usefulness"
But aside from theories and morali-
ties, let us look at woman's life as it is.
First, our girls come forward so
rapidly under the fastening processes of
the present order of society, that the
transition is speedy from babyhood to
womanhood. To see the tiny, half-de-
veloped frame taking on the arts, airs,
and accomplishments of young ladies,
seems at first ludicrous; but when, a
little after, we find the sick, sad, ineffi-
cient, irritable mother, it is pitiful.
First, then, let female children Ito
say nothing here of the other sex) have
Juittength o. childhood and girlhood,
and let them have attained unto the
mental and muscular development of
womanhood, before entering upon the
conjugal relation. Then let them
marry with willingness-yea, with a
wish--to be worthy mothers, excellent
wives, and movers to good works among
those with whom they are surrounded;
not with vague dreams of being always
petted brides, fancy parlor ornaments,
the admired Of every fashionable circle
creating sensation wherever their
silks rustic, ribbons futter, or jewels
glitter
The married coquette shows sad ,oant
of womanly worth.
"Mistress of house, should mean
something more than the making of
choice preserves, nice cake, and fancy
articles Of food, with no ability to pre-
pare the substantial eatables of the
table. To rule well a house requires
something more than scolding servants,
making splendid parties and entertain
ing company in the most approved style.
The true mother does not welcome to
her house the little ones" grudgingly,
because they interfere with her round
of pleasurable dissipation; but with
"glad heart" as so many "choice we'll
springs of pleasure"
When our women gather for social
chat, they should have better topics
than the trials of housekeeping, the
vexations of boarding, the unfaithful-
ness of servants, and scarcity of good
help, the WEAKNESS of confinement in
the care of children, the hope that they
shall have no more, and the whole
seasoned with ill-natured gossip about
their absent friends, or foolish fattery
of those present.
An elder lady of intelligence and
rank, residing in Rochester, after enter
tanning at her house a party of young
wives said, Well believe the women
nowadays would be natural fools, if they
did not have better advantages than
when was young" In the senseless,
selfish chat of her genteel guests, that
clear mental eye saw that lack of heart,
of intellect, which ever exists among
those VINO live solely for their own and
their friends amusement.
Among those to whom wealth has
seemingly brought ease, as well as the
elegancies of life, the word from lip to
lip is, "fatigue," weariness." One is
worn out with care another is sick from
over-doing."
Poor creatures-their lily hands, their
soft muscles, their feeble respiration,
tell the plain truth that they have under
done rather than 20 done"
With the literal housewife, baking,
washing, housekeeping, are not seeing
these things done, and worrying about
them, but doing them.
Such an one often says, al am going
to take it easy to-day, because l worked
so hard yesterday" but still she keeps
tho domestic machiparv pnoviuu with
her own hands, and has nerves quoted
without anodynes. No doubt many 8
New England housewife may find an
early grave because she has been cook,
chambermaid, washwoman, and nurse
while becoming the mother of too many
children. But among this class we fine
much less complaint of nervous affec
tions, female diseases, prostration from
over-exertion, than among those whom
health has placed beyond the need tt
work.
Among many of the latter class, theil
life-power is being rapidly expended in
the ceaseless round of effort and excite
ment to attain or retain rank, popular
standing, etc. More vitality is ex
pended by many woman in anxiety
about the shade of ribbon, the fit of q
dress, the fashion of a bonnet, thar
would be required to do a washing, bake
a batch of bread, or walk several miles.
In one case, the muscles are strength
ened by healthful activity in the other
the nervous energy is expended withou
that bodily exertion which is useful t,
generate more. If one doubts this, LEI