Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-31
The Girl With a Poor Chance. From the Philadelphia Times


 There are some respects in which the posi- ! tion of younger sister is an extremely un- desirable one. It is not only in the matter of | girding herself in the cast-off garments of her senior that the junior suffers. If there be | necessity for this variety of economy in ap- parel it is by means bad with the girls | as with the boys. boy looks queer in the clothes of his big brother, and feels queer as he looks. The clothing of young ladies l can be transformed in so many ways that by proper skill the second-ha goods in which l the younger sister is sometimes arrayed look almost as well as new ones.
 There are interests which are more impor- ant than clothes. It is in reference to them. that '9The Girl With Poor Chance" frequent ly suffers. There is too often lack of sisterly sympathy. There is a deficiency in oppor- tunity for mental culture. There is feeling on the part of the younger one that she is at times awed into submission, cowed into the appearance of becoming department, and lorded over and told to behave herself like lady when she is honestly doing her best. An injudicious parent sometimes expects young CT daughter to make the attainments in literary or household workHthat are made by sister who is several years older. This is particularly the in the matter of school lessons Perhaps the junior is not ambi- tious or as progressive as the older girl. She needs the most helpful training The brow beating from which she has suffered has done it's work toward crushing her ambition. She has so often been told she is stupid that she begins to believe it. Engaging in the study of a lesson under such depressing influence she has no stimulus to excel in it. If she un- dertakes piece of useful or fancy needle work she probably makes a bit of a mistake before she has gone very far. Forgetting that they have neglected to teach and train her in this department of home effort, the mother and sister set up 8 doleful chime of sorrow over the short -comings and thick headedness of one who thus fails to reach perfection. The child is discouraged, and goes to the corner behind the stove to seek comfort in a flood of tears
 There is much in the social training of a young girl for which mother and elder sister are directly responsible. While it is true that children should not be unpleasantly for ward in conversation, 1t is just as true that they have right to be heard. and that among kindly hearted people their speech is always welcome if put forth properly. The person who snubs the young sister and crowds her out of sight when others are present does her a sad injustice. The child is to be woman, and is rapidly becoming one. She needs kind and pleasant culture in everything that tends to make her womanly. A lift on her way helps her to that mental growth which nobody can enjoy if held down under pressure. Her mind needs to be quickened and strengthen ed by converse and contact with the minds of others. With this lifting and helping and quickening she has chance to grow in every proper and worthy direction. Without it she retires out of sight and shrivels into melan- choly existence. The Chinese bind and cramp the feet of their girl children We call it un- reasonable. To bandage childs mind and to withhold from her the chance to attain that for which God has made her is as unde- sirable and as culpable as anything the Chin ese do in the way of crippling their girls.
 The Putnam Phalanx of Hartford has re- eeived an invitation from the Gate City Guard to visit Atlanta, Ga. next fall, which it will probably accept, instead of going to Watertown.