Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-17
WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR
SELVES AND OTHERS.

Honest independence of spirit is a
quality which every one of our girls
should possess. To be willing to depend |
entirely upon others to be taken care of,
and helped over all the rough places of
life, without so much as an effort to
give aid to another, is selfish and mean,
and such lives are meagre, starved and
unproductive. None of US are at liber-
ty, or can afford to be, entirely indie
pendent of others. Our kindred, friends
and associates have interests which are
interviewer with our own, which we must
acknowledge, and without which our
lives would be poor indeed. 1t is very
poetical and pretty to compare woman
to the vine, in the soft and tender cling
ing of her nature, but to be content to
be vine, without developing any other
attributes than the one of dependence,
will soon cause woman to lose her
charms and the prettiest and sweetest
among you to grow monotonous and be-
come a clog. In many homes it is nee
essary foc girls, at an early age, to do
something which will add to the income
of the family, and the question, then.
naturally arises-what can you do?
Whatever you have learned to do thor
oughly and WELL For instance, have
you had the benefit of a good education
that will enable you to impart knowl-
edge to others ? Have you given time
and attention to music? Have you a
voice so trained that you can give de-
light to an audience or lead in the songs
OF congregation Are you an artist
Can you give lessons in drawing or
painting, or place upon the canvas some
beautiful picture, that will find a ready
sale p? Or, having had none of these
superior advantages, can you sew, cut
and fit, so that you can become good
seamstress ? Have you taste for mil
linery? Are you a good, competent
housekeeper In short, if there is any
one thing for which you are especially
lifted, and by which you can gain re-
Enumeration in return, lose no time in
studying it faithfully and we'll, so that,
should the day come when you are
obliged to earn your own livelihood, or
contribute to the support of others, you
will be able to do it. l have known
girls to depend entirely upon a hard.
working. but poorly paid father, and
lean selfshly on kind brother, prevent
ing them both from taking any comfor
or rest for themselves, in order thai
their daughters or sisters might be KEEP
in ease, if not in luxury. Ask these
girls the reason of their failure to assis
in the burden which father and brothe
so often carry, and invariably the an
swer, awe consider it humiliation t,
work. or there is nothing we can do, W,
have acquired no art or accomplishment
and to learn trade is beneath us.
What pity, in world where there i
SO much to be done, that whatsoever tn
hand can find to do should not be don
with all the heart. There is nothiu
humiliating in honest labor. You ma
do what you will, what you can, and
done heartily and we'll it will bring it
own reward. Frequently it is necessar
for girl to remain at home and at lei;
ure, and it is her right and duty to sta
there, in preference to starting out i
life for herself. There is work for he
at home, many inches which she alon
can fill, many cares which she can bel
carry and whose weight will be lighter
ed by her ready help, and, like ray
sunshine, make everything around b,
bright and happy. A girl like this
paying her way always by her affection
by the opportunities she never loses
give kind word, or gentle smile,
her unsel6sh devotion to her kindrt
and friends, by her ready sympathy, al
the encouragement her life of self-forge
fulness gives to those around her,
little touches here and there to beauti
and adorn the house and make it plea
ant resting-place for weary, tir
father or brother. Such girl may fe
sometimes as though her life were sill