Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-04-11
Our Girls,

There are are some nuggets of truth in
the following contribution to the Christian
al Work, but there is also some discount TO
be made from some of its statements and
there are gaps in some of its conclusions.
When you told us in recent issue why
our girls do not marry, you neglected to
mention one reason why the best of them
are often left in the cold.' Some man has
said that when a girl becomes teacher she
throws away nine chances out of ten of ever
being married. l believe this to be true,
not only of those girls who preside in our
school rooms, but of scores Of others who
occupy positions as bookkeepers, stenogrs-
pliers, designers, etc. Their employment re-
quires intelligence and education they
must use their minds as well as their senses,
and 80 mental improvement is the result
their duties bring them in contact with
others better educated than they; they have
opportunities of exchanging ideas on cur
rent topics they read the newspapers and
solid literature they learn the vslue and
use of money, and their independence be-
comes very dear to them. There is little,
indeed, to draw such girl as this to our
ordinary young man. His conversation is
confined to his daily occupation or to slangy
small talk, and his recreations frequently
utBtU6Thtt lHlO utDhuCHbSs luf5 Is bU6
truth. would be happy TO believe other
wise, but in large circle of male acquaint-
ances, know there is not one out of ten
who are temperate young men. 1 thought
my experience was exceptional until lady
member of Mutual improvement Asso.
ciation,' composed chiefly of the best society
of large village, said to me Il don't
know what is TO become of the young men.
They never seem to be happy without
liquor and tobacco. AT our social meetings
they always have smoking room, and |
have known some of them to go out aud get
drinks at places where something of the
sort was not provided. They seem to re-
gard lager as Temperance drink. It's
pity, they are all such nice young men, nat
urally, but inetead of seeking mutual i'm
provement they leave the heavy work Of the
society to us, while they do their utmost
toward mental, moral and physical ruin
of course there are many noble young men
of studious habits aud high attainments who
are also thoroughly temperate. But they
are comparatively few and far between. An
intelligent young man said to me one day,
notice that the very incest Of my lady
friends do not marry till twenty five or six,
or not at all, perhaps, while silly, extrava-
giant girls, those who seem to have very little
sense, and no ideas beyond dress and Sc
curing husband, accomplish their design
before they reach twenty. Why is it /?
Before had a chance to reply another gen.
tleman remarked, ITS because the men
themselves are SO superficial 1t is 30. It's
the girls who are DESTROYS of mental culture
nowadays. It's the girls who attend sci
entific lectures, musical treats and art ex-
hibitions, while the boys are amusing them
selves at some variety show, or else in
company more thoughtless than themselves
In wealthy farmers families it's the girls
who attend Vassar, Swarthmore or Cornell,
while the boys content themselves with
term or two at some adjacent school, and
come home ready to prove in five minutes
the inferiority of women. 1t is our teach
ers and other studious workers whose spare
knowledge of art, literature or science but
who can say that young men generally give
one dollar or one hour week TO culture of
this sort Their brains are too much occu-
pied to admit of any heavier reading than
a sensation novel; and if the truth were
told, the amount spent on cigars and 'larks
would be found to be much more than the
price of the talked of bonnets. There is a
great desire for the higher education of
women, and men are wasting voice aud time
in arguments against it in the meantime
the girls are slowly and surely working
towards and preparing themselves for the
day when all colleges shall open to them.
Look to your laurels, boys 1t takes strong
oaks to support most of the nineteenth CEN
fury American vines, and at present there
are not enough strong oaks to go around"