Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-23
The Trainingof Girls.

The Rev. W. Gladden. of Springfield, Mass, recently sent out circulars to mothers in that city asking, 1. What are the most common defects in the training of our girls? 2. What principles of conduct are most import ant, and what habits are essential to the de- velopment of noble and useful womanhood :? At public meeting the results of his inquir- ies 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 exercise is largely caused by foolish dress, which makes active exertion impossi ble. It is generally of improper nature and unsuitably adjusted, and creates many of the nervous diseases of women. Another mis- take on the part of many girls is in passing their time out of school honrs in idleness and frivolous amusements, doing and learning nothing. The speaker thought that more is done in wealthy families to teach the daugh- ters habits of industry than in those of mod crate circumstances. correspondent re- ferred to one woman who says she is proud that her daughter never did any sweeping another would not let her child do any kitc6- en work. Another mistake is to make dress the main business of life. One letter referred to woman who said over her young infant, '1 am so glad it's girl, can dress her so much finer than I could 8 boy, " and MT. Glad den added, 70, woman, to what depths of degradation have you fallen when you can look in the face of baby and have such thought as that find lodgment for an instant in your mind !' What can such woman do but destfoy the soul of her children. Still he thought the woman not wholly to blame, because their vanity is stimulated by the fool ish admiration of men the girl who catches husband only by fine dress too often finds that the prize she has won is a broken heart The next mistake is in devoting too much time to novel reading, which excites morbid and unreal ideas of life and A crayino that can never be gratiied. It is mental dssipa- tion of a dangerous character-scarcely less so than that of drink. Another mistake is too early initiation into the frivolities of so- ciety. The average young lady of Spring field, according to the lecturer, makes her debut at three, when she begins to go to children's parties in dress elaborate enough for fancy ball, and is instructed in the arts of vanity and coquetry. At six or eight she is member of clubs, and enjoys frequent evenings out. One good woman wrote that she had the heartache for the unnatural, un- healthy and stimulating excitement of the roller skating rink, which has none of the ad- vantages of outdoor skating. The last err or alluded to is the neglect to honor and obey parents. Some sad instances were brought forward to show that too often girl of thir teen regards herself as her own mistress, and passes her time at parties, sociables, etc., or on the street. instead of studying. A corres- pondent narrated the facts about four re- spectable families in one congregation in the city, in three of which there was one daugh- ter each and in the other there were three. Each of the first three left school when she wanted to, passed as much time on the streets as she pleased, and is now 6 by-word and reproach. The other three likewise went to ruin while their parents were attend ing the prayer-meeting, and professed to know nothing of their daughters habits.