Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-07-14
HlfsrfllaneGns.
A Message to the Girls from the Half
Way House.

Some years ago we read newspaper
article on Women of Thlrty-five." rep
resenting them as having drained the cup
of earthly enjoyment. with scarcely enough
energy remaining to look forward to the
blessedness of Heaven. Where the author
found such an array of hopeless beings.
without ambition. health, or good looks,
it is hard to imagine, and while we read.
instead of being dismayed by the dolorous
prospect. and striving to hold back the
wears. we concluded that we had received
one more incentive for living. determin-
| ing that Just as soon as we reached that
halfway house we would pause and send
back message to the girls, giving them
few of our experiences by the way, and
our candid view of the scene before US.
| The day has come at last, midway be-
tween the cradle and the grave, day of
strawberries and June roses; the straw
| berries are Just as sweet and large and
fair as they have ever been; (but shall we
take it as happy omen p it is only this
morning that we discovered the scent in
| the wayside roses?
| o. girls because we were once girl like
you, with your fears, your hopes, your lit
tie vanities, your wild ambitions. your
vehement likes and dislikes, your restless,
intangible longings. and because we have
travelled every step of the way, that either
allures or apalls you, we pause 10 take
one backward glance and send you down
our message.
We have been self-deceived and deceived
in others; we have been conceited, and
humiliated at the thought of our conceit;
we have been disdainful we have sought
our own ease above everything else; we
have coveted money, believing it was the
only key to happiness; we have been am
bilious, seeking for appreciation and ap-
plause; we have been hard and unsympa-
thetic towards those who did not hold our
opinions; we have been impatient. un-
thankful, restless and disobedient under
restraint; we have been indolent, allowing
ourselves to drift when we ought to have
steered we have been cowardly in striving
to escape mental pain, and we have put
our trust in earthern vessels-ln every
thing in the heavens and earth, and under
the earth. excepting in the only source of
peace and strength.
We have had disappointments many;
we have had years and years and years of
sickness. of a fever that burned but did
not quite consume us; we have had years
and years and years and years of hard Ia
Dor, that brought no joy in the doing, and
no compensation; we have been deprived
of all so-called educational advantages,
and we have suffered the loss of congenial
society, of books, lectures, music, all that
| is supposed to contribute to woman's
symmetrical development.
| Now we will turn to the sunny side OF
| IN tho lnSSpn all have
brought US. We have learned. (thrice
blessed they who learn it earlier) learned
in the travail of our soul that the one rule
| for happiness is obedience to the laws of
nature. to the laws of man, and to the
laws of God for, just so far as we have
been obedient have we been happy, iand
not hairs breadth farther) and our only
wretchedness has come through disobedi-
ence. Dear girls, if we could erect a
monument for you here to day, on one of
its four sides, we would inscribe obedi-
ence: on the next obedience, on the next
obedience, and on the fourth side we
would inscribe obedience.
To-day we are in perfect health, able to
walk, ride, drive. row a boat, or lie all
day under an apple tree, absorbing the
subtle influences of the June. There is
| gray III oIT HdlT, duu we nave uOJ tne
complexion of sixteen, as we have not the
crudeness of sixteen; but we have gained
a sense of self-poise Ga feeling of having
our hand on our own tiller) that we would
not exchange for all the years that are
gone. Our memory is better than ever
1--WE have just taken up the study of an
other language) our sympathies have not
failed Qor are we not the recipient of the
secrets of all the girls in the neighbor-
hood p our determination is still that what
cannot be endured must be cured, and, as
sign of our retaining the brightness and
sweetness of womanhood, we add (tor
whom it may concern) that we have re-
ceived since we were thirty, four offers of
marriage.
And the outlook with all your enthusi-
asm but with none of your misgivings we
turn our future, assured that our thirty
five years have been only the preparation
for the all-absorbing, soul, satisfying life
we are just entering. and with this con-
clusion we will step forward to give place
to you, wishing you all as happy an en-
trance as ours to the Halfway House.