Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-08-10
o.t .f.a..r Life fer Girls.
nIo Lewis, alon,hly.l

ttlC Wall tttO eai( du sAuA h6ut' Ivy
who remains within doors during the
daytime, in pleasant weather, is
thought to have defects in his organl-
cation, some weak SPOT in his nature.
and the parents of such youth will
naturally and properly feel some dis
quietude concerning the career # such
a youth will naturally and properly feel
some dlsquietude concerning the
career of such child.
Wit, girls, the case is different.
They do not instinchvely crave out.
door life. but are glad to remain a good
share OF the day within thel. homes,
content If they can get out for an hour
or two in the afternoon, and IN pleas
ant weather, with now and then a day
at the woods to picnic, or few days
N the seaside in July or August to
battle and play in the sand on the
beach. L. is true that now and then a
srl acts like a boy, and seeks every
opportunity to romp and INDUCED III
the sports common to her brothers.
Parents are quite as apt to be anxious
about the future of such girl as they
would be of boy with reverse procli-
vlties.
| do not maintain that girls should
live quite like boys. They are
to be the future queens of our
homes. and it is proper for them to live
more hours in the house than their
brothers, but they so to far in this
divergence. III had dozen girls in
my family, and l am sorry l have not,
should try to keep the little ones,
until six or seven years old, in the
open air as many hours as l did my
bows, which would be nearly all the
time, weather permitting.
The reasons why girls ought to live
out of doors great deal, are these:
Elyst-They get more and better air
and consequently develop better lungs.
A girl indoors inkales about half as
much as one outdoors. In the hours.
doing ordinary work, she require hour
" 1000 cubic feet of fresh air, but she
hardly ever gets over 1000. Out OF
doors she can get just as much as her
lungs will hold, million gallons, if she
could hold SO much. doubt if girls
know the real value ofgood air. When
:hey breathe great deal their life is
vigorous and energetic. Birds living
day and night in the great outdoors,
have sound lungs; their lives are JOYOUS.
They never get The blues. Girls living
indoors most of the time become pale.
feeble, dull, stupid, have headaches,
and become next to good for nothing.
Seeond-Another reason for out-of-
door life is they get the benefit Of the
sunshine. Girls differ from boys in
their ideas oflight. Boys, as a rule,
love the light Girls. as a rule, do not
love it. The reason is they have been
taught from birth to keep out of the
sunshine. Their mothers tell them 1t
spoils their complexion. l have pro-
found respect for mothers, but they err
in this matter. love to see girls with
tanned faces at least tanned enough
to look rudy and vigorous.
Wiy1-Girls who live outdoors be-
come muscular, and learn how to use
their muscles. They lose that fear
that makes SO many of them scream at
a mouse, and 60 into fits if bug
crawls upon their clothes. Twas once
teaching in a school for girls, and
great dog came bounding into the
room. Every pupil there but one, was
badly frightened, and the running,
screaming and crying that prevailed
for a moment, was something painful
One girl was not frightened. She was
tom-boy who had lived out ofdoors
good deal more than the others, and
got physical strength and courage from
it. 1 believe if the dog had been mad,
or if it had been a wild bull, she would
not have WINGED. Since then she has
greatly distinguished herself IT the
world.
How can girls get a chance to live
out-ot-doors more2 When they are
little children, their fathers and mothers
must provide them with opportunities.
This is sacred duty of theirs which
they should no more omit than to pro-
vide them with food and clothing. l
have found that the daughters of poor
people get out-of-doors more than the
daughters ofrich parents, and that as
a consequence they are generally
healthier, and stronger, and often more
beautiful. After girls get larger, they
must go out of their own accord, and
seek out-of door amusements. There
are many kinds of outdoor sports suit
ed to them, and more can be invented.
Archery is one Of them; rowing, riding,
skating and walking are Others. Then
there are out-of.door labors. There is
flower culture and gardening. Some
years ago, published book called
1.-The School Garden" advocating that
every school should have a piece of
ground where girls and boys could hor-
ticulture and agriculture. l am sorry
to say tine idea did not take very well
in this country. but in France and Ger
many it has become popular, and al
ready they have thousands of school
gardens where the boys and girls work
and get out.ot-door life, even while at
school. Botanizing, and all similar
out-of-door pursuits, should be encour-
aged. To study bo9ny, geology,
ogy,::geography, minerology and nat
,,rni histnru o,,t. doors Is worth a mil. |