The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-08-07
WonlenS Work.

1t can scarcely be too strongly urged
upon girls who are growing up and
who are smitten with the desire for or
compelled by circumstances to work to
choose their line and make 1t serious
study at once. There should be no
dilettante playing with art or amateur
efforts at instruction, II there Is tall
ent for drawing let the study of picto-
rial or decorative design be made SER
iously and severely If need be, To q
girl of natural talent this study Is so
charming in itself that there is no
hardship about it. II music be her
talent let the girl not be content with
learning facile execution of the
works Of others. Let her study the
science OF her art, not necessarily so as
to become a composer, but because
thoroughness is necessary to success,
and half knowledge Is almost worse
than none. A smattering of art will
do nothing for her when she comes in
to the struggle for existence and finds
herself pitted against the better in
formed. II she has a voice let her not
be content with warbling like bird.
without birds wild charm of fresh.
ness; let her know that the scientific
use of the organs with which nature
has given her will not only enable her
to do the utmost with the gifts she has
received, but will give her the power
of teaching others intelligently and of
taking a place in the universal scram-
BILE for livelihood which she cannot
otherwise expect.
If writing Is supposed to be her bent
and one fairly shudders when one
thinks of the unframed fledglings who
are by the hundreds trying their hands
at this so-thought easy work-let her
not suppose that success Is gained here
any more than in any other careers by
anything less than serious and pro-
tracted study-study of language.
study of the style of the best authors in
as many languages as are accessible to
her. II she aspires to fiction, let her
be well aware that as much study Is
required of art in construction Of q
story as in painting O picture. The
same knowledge of skillful drawing, of
light and shade, Of balance of what we
may call color, Of correct represents
ton, and, finally, Of the artistic group
ing OF her scheme as any painter needs.
Nor is this training less needed II she
modestly aspires no higher than needle
work, decorative or otherwise. Anna
teur work here Is altogether outside
the market. To be producer of dec
orative needlework Is no mean en-
ployment, but it must be Of the best.
She should understand design and the
harmonious use Of colors. She should
have art training OF the highest class
as to the construction of her ornament,
and be trained worker with the needle
as we'll. Then, and then only will her
productions have chance Of giving
her standing-room in the crowd.
1t is a competition now, as we have
said, of skilled laborers, and the un.
skilled and unframed have every day
less chance Of even temporary sue.
cess.
Peas are sacred to Freya, almost W.
ing with the mistletoe in alleged virtue
for lovers. In one district Of Bohemia
the girls 60 into a field of peas and
make there garland Of i've or seven
kinds of flowers, oil of differut hues.
This garland they must sleep upon,
lying with their right ear upon it, and
then they hear q voice from under
ground, which tells what manner Of
men they will have for husbands.
Sweet peas would doubtless prove very
efi'ectual in this kind Of divination. and
there need be no difficulty in finding
them of different hues. II HEREFORD
shire girls are lucky enough to find .
pod containing nine peas they lay 1t
under gate and believe they will have
for husband the first man that passes
through. On the borders unlucky lads
and lasses in courtship are rubbed
down with pea straw by friends Of the
opposite sex. These beliefs connected
with peas are very widespread.