The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-06-12

The stars in their courses see fewer
sadder sights on the face OF our trouble
furrowed earth, than the family from
which death has taken the bread-win-
ner, while it has laid on penniless
mother, unskilled in remunerative la
Dor. the burden not only of the entire |
care but the entire support OF her little
children. And they look down, alas!
on such sights every night, in every
village, and every city street. 1t is not
quite but it is almost as hard q tate
when the mother is left with little
property, to be Swallowed daily by
dread Of the suffering its loss would IN
yolye, and to be worried day and night
because of her inexperience and igno-
rance in business matters -by its care.
This trouble comes to many and is the
harder to bear that it gets little SYM
pathy. ssShe is left in comfortable cir
cumstances," friends say, and give the
matter no more thought.
Two great mistakes, mistakes that
almost every parent makes, are the an
tecedent of such trials. No girl has
sucb fair prospects that her father can
excuse himself for not giving her, as
supplement to her learning and accom-
nlishments, the skillful training in
some form of work that will insure her
q livelihood If misfortunes fling her
upop the unaided resources OF her own
head and hand. 1t is a grave indict-
ment against the pretensions OF our CIV
;lization that the fathers who wish
TINS to train their daughters are SO
perplexed to find suitable occupations,
outside of sewing, teaching ana house
hold service. We are still in the semi
civilized stage of society as regards the
multiplied opportunities for work tnal
ought to stand open to woman The
, case is bad enough for the woman who
has not the gift for teaching OF
: the strength for homework, but
/ who is free to 60 to the wori
she has the training to do, if haply
| she can find it by the hunting. Blu
: II ia most cruel that there is so httl'
r choice of work, and oftentimes so htti'
work. beyond unskilled and unpai'
l drudgery. for the woman who is amen
1 ored at home by the children for whom
n she must earn q living. Social scienc
t and philanthropy surely have not don
d their best in this direction.
The other mistake is that which tn
: husband makes who not only keeps III
il wife in ignorance of his business affair
A but is content to have her remain lgnt
: rant of business methods generally
+ He comforts himself, perhaps, with tn
IS thought that if he dies he will leave d
it family "enough to do with" 4
'e strangely forgets how untitled ms WI
lie would be in such case to take GOO
ot care of property; how liable she woul
st he tn loss from unwise investments; no
is dependent she would be on advise
n who might take advantage OF her. "
It, girls, in getting an education nowaday
in RANCE through all sciences and 'ologle
be There are classes in cookery, nursln
ed and making courtesies. But many
lis woman sees the time when she cou
lie wen afford to be ignorant OF sever
re sciences and arts in exchange for III,
is practical knowledge on the principl
an governing safe investments, the r1sks
different sorts of securities, the preca
tions to be taken and the snags 10
summed in making contracts, the co
moner maxims of law involved In Gre
,ut it's. mortgages, leases, DISCOUNTS usul
ths conyeyances, etc. If she learned MOI
he inc of such things before her Maria
ID, IL is her husbands objectionable m
pa take if she does not acquire some g
me mentary knowledge OF them afterwar
lnu GOOD Company.