The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-06-03
THE TRAINING OF GIRLS.

The Rev, w, GLADDEN., of Springfield,
Mass, recently sent out circulars to
mothers in that city asking, l. What
are the most common defects in the
training of our girls? 2. What prinCi-
Piles of conduct are most important, and
what habits are essential to the develop.
ment of noble and useful womanhood
At a public meeting the results of his
Inquiries have been given. Female
habits of dress were referred to as more
injurious than male habits. Most women,
too, take much less outdoor exercise
than is good for them. The lack of ex'
ercise is largely caused by foolish dress,
which makes active exertion impossible.
1t is generally of improper nature and
unsuitably adjusted, and creates many of
the nervous diseases Of women. Another
mistake on the part of many girls is in
passing their time out of school hours iu
idleness and frivolous amusements doing
and learning nothing. The speaker
thought that more is done in wealthy
families to teach the daughters habits of
industry than in those of moderte cir
Cumstances. A correspondent referred
to one woman who says she is proud
that her daughter never did any sweep
ing; another would not let her child do
any kitchen work. Another mistake is
to make dress the main business of life,
One letter referred to a oma who had
said over her young infant. Il am 80
glad it is a girl, l can dress her 80 much
finer than l could a boy" and M. Glad
den added, "Oh, woman to what depths
Of degradation you have fallen when
you can look in the face of a baby and
have such a thought as that find lodg-
ment in your mind What can such a
woman do but destroy the souls of her
children ?" Still, he thought the woman
not wholly to blame, because their vani
ty is stimulated by the foolish admira-
ton Of men; the girl that catches a hus'
band only by fine dress too often finds
that the prize she has won is a broken
heart. The next mistake is devoting
too much time to novel reading, which
exercises morbid and unreal ideas of
life and a craving that cannot be graft
fed. 1t is mental dissipation of a dan.
gerOus character-scarcely less than that
of drink. Another mistake is too early
initiation into the frivolities of society
The average young lady of ~Sprinfeld, &C.
cording to the lecturer, makes her debut
at three, when she begins to go to the
parties, in dress elaborate
enough for a fancy ball, and is instructed
in the art of vanity and Coquety. At six
or eight she is a member of clubs, and
frequent evenings out. One good
woman wrote that she had the heart
ache for the unnatural, unhealthy and
stimulating excitement of the roller
rink, which has none of the ad.
vantages of outdoor skating. The las
error alluded to is the neglect to honor
and obey parents. Some sad instances
were brought forward to show that too
often a girl Of thirteen regards herself
as her own mistress, and passes her time
at parties, soCiables, ETC., or on the street
lubJedu VI eIuuyluS' "a correspondent
narrates the facts about four respectable
in one congregation in the city,
in three of which there was one daughter
each, and in the other there was three.
Each of the first three left school when
she wanted to, passed as much time OH
the streets as she pleased, and is now a
by-word and reproach. The other three
likewise went to ruin while their parents
were attending the prayer-meeting, and
protested to know nothing of their
daughters habits.