The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-05-27
Abridged From ga Talk with Girls
and Their Mothers.''

|
@.Bntthere egitls, too, In the cities
and tho towns. Do not they deserve to
be talked with in friendly way, as well
as the boys? Haven't you something to
say to them 2"
Thus a chorus of girls. aud their
mothers.
confess to you. maidens and matrons.
that the task TO which you thus summon.
ed me was one that / undertook with
some diffidence. When was talking 10
boys was sure Of my ground. Something
about boys do know, for have been
boy; but tno wisdom Of experience
fails me when L try to discuss the prob.
lens OF life as they present themselves 20
girls. That l might have something
worth saying | determined, therefore, to
seeh instruction by sending circular
letter TO large number Of those who
once were girls, but who now are women
of experience and reputation, asking them
to tell me-
IL. What are the most common de-
fects in the training Of our girls
W. What principles of conduct are
most important, and what habits most es,
sential. to the devlopement of q useful
and noble wamnnhood2"
This circular brought me more than
forty ietters, and it is upon the truths
contained in these letter. that this talk
Will be founded. only undertake to re-
fiect, in an orderly way, some of the ad-
vice of'these wise women. shall give
you their words sometimes, and sometimes
my own.
] shall find it necessary, now and then.
toturn in this talk from the girls to their
Im6thers. Indeed, large share OF what
lis written in these letters is intended for
mothers rather than for girls, and cannot.
therefore, be so freely used in this place
as should like to use it; but the girls
are generous enough, am sure, to ba
willing that their mothers, and their
fathers too, should have some share of the
advice.
In the frat place, then,, girls make a
great mistake In being careless about their
health. do not know that tbey are
any moro careless than boys, but their
habits of life, and especially their hab-
its Of dress, are generally rore inju-
rious to- tealth than those of, boys. The
great majority Of our girls take much less
vigorous exercise in the open air than is
good for them; those who can walk
three or four miles without exhaustion
are exceptions.
"It seems to me mistake" says one
y. ~ So.!SsPouuSntos tuaC pOyS anu
girls should be trained SO differently, par
ticalasly in regard 70 Iout.of. door Spprts M
With strong love for everything in ma
ture, remember as child what torture
it was to be kept always int doors, in some
feminine employment, while my strong
brothers (strong on this very account.
perhaps) could spend all their leisure
time in the open air. Twas much interes-
ted years ago in reading asketch of Har-
riet Hosmer's girlhood. Her father.
having lost all his children by consump.
tion, and finding her delicate, resolved
to bring her up as @ boy, teaching her
all sorts of athletic sports, and thus max
ing her strong, healthy woman.
| The lack ofexercise OIL the part of girls
isdue, no doubt, in part, to the foolish
styles of dress, in which tits impossible for
them to be out in rough weather, or to
make any considerable muscular exer-
ton, "The lack of warmth in clothing.
and the foolish adjustment Of what Is
worn," is said in one of these letters to be
one OF the chief causes that produce ''the
peculiar nervous diseases to which women
are subject" -
| I wish could make you all understand
how great mistake you make when Won
sacrifice health. or the physical comfort
on which health depends, TO appearance
or to any other earthly good; when You
neglect to provide. by regular exercise
and wise care, q good stock of physical
vigor for the labors and bnrdens of the
coming years. Without this Foundation.
all that you can learn in school, and
\ all that wealth can buy for you, will
be worthless. "Intellect in an epfee-
| bled body" says some one whor. Iuuote
from memory, sis like gold in spent
swimmers pocket,-it only makes him
| sink the sooner"
Another great mistake that many of
orr girls are making, and that their
mothers are either encouraging or al
lowing them 10 rake, isthat Of spending
their time e..of school in idleness, OF
| in frivolous amusements, doing no work
TO speak of, and learning nothing about
the practicaliduties and, the serious cares
of;liie. ssitiis not, only in the wealthier
fnmilIes. tbae9 the girls are, growing up
indoienk and hnpracticed in household
work Indeed, ] think, that more atten-
ton is paid to the, industrial training
of girls in the wealthiest families than
| in the families Of mechanics and of people
IN moderate circumstances, where the
mothers are compelled to work hard all
| the while.
The habits OF Incidence and Of HELM.
| lessness that are thus formed are not the
greatest evils resulting from this bad
| practice the selfiahness that it fosters
| is the worst thing ahnnt il. How deyoid
ofconsciences how lacking in ali true senso
of tenderness, or.oven Of Justice, e girl
! must be, who will thus consent to de.
vote all her time out Of fsshooi7 to pleas.
uriug, while her mother is bearing all
the heavy burdens of the household And
the foolish way In which mothers them
| selves sometimes talk about tLis, even
in the presence Of their children, is
miechievots in the extreme SO, Hat.
| tie Is SO absorbed in; fer books, or her
crayons. or her embroidery, that che takes
no interest in household matters, and I
do not like 90 call upon herr AS If the
daughter belonged to q superior order
Of beings, and must rot soil her hands
or ruffie her temper with necessary house
| work The mother is the drudge the
daughter Is the fms lady for whom she
tolls, No mother who suffers such o Btate
| OF thinga as this can preserve the respect
OF her daughter; and the respect Of her
| daughter no mother can afford TO lcse.
| Tho result of all this is to form in the
minds of many girls not only listaste
for labor, but contempt for it, and q
purpose to avoid itaslolg as they live
\ by some means or other.
There is scarcely one OF tfiese forty
letters which dDea not mention this az
one of thu chiaf arrora Il, tba s.o;,,.,,,. ,f