New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-17
LETTERS OF MARQUE.

LETTERS OF MARtUE.
GAIL HAMILTON on THE MODERN WOMAN.
Copyright, 1885
TIMOTHY TO TRYPHENA
Ny Dear Madame:
In a series of Popular Services which upon Sab
bath evenings in tho coming fall intend to hold IN
NV church. desire to make an address to Young
Women.
MAY l avail myself of your wisdom and expert
snce by asking at yonr early convenience reply,
rs fully as your leisure will permit to the following
questionsi
l. Is the health of our young women declining,
and if so, whyi
O. Are our young women receiving adequate
training in the home for the duties of married hte
8. Are our young women developing an unworthy
love for personal adornment. for millinery, jewery
dressf
4. When is young woman well dressed Y
5. Is Society an unmixed blessngT What are
its perils for young womenR
O. Is personal attention to the affairs Of the home
(housework) beneath the dignity of an accom-
plished young womanf
2. What shall be the education Of a young
woman' What her recreationss What her amuse-
mentsf
g. What are prime factors of a womans charaeterI
General suggestions and illustrations Will be cor
daily welcomed. and while the names of the CORE
spondents who kindly assist me will be withheld
from the public 1 shall feel at liberty to make
discriminating public use of the material furnished
Yours in an effort to be practical. TIMOTHY
TRYPuENA TO TIMOTHY.
My Dear Sir:
Ihaye received your note and thank you for the
confidence reposed in me but as your friend and
friend Of our family before you, and Of the family
around you, beg You to omit from your Series OF
Popular Services the Address to Young Women! l
tremble when think of the rocks upon which you
ere about to rush. You are absolutely and neces
sarily ignorant of the laws of navigation for the
ocean upon which yon propose TO embark. You are
very young, but if you were thousand years old
You would not know enough to reach land after
once having struck out on this sea- 1t but year
or two since you made an effective address to
single young woman with brilliant success BE
content with that. / suppose that the personal
private influence of one young man upon ono
Young woman is the strongest known cOsmic
force; but there cannot be a more marked
display of blind weakness than for young man
ehail | say young minister Ito rise up
before congregation of glggng girls, Vassar
graduates wise young Hypatas from Wellesley,
independent free-thiukers and still freer nom
thinkers and lay down the law for their gowns and
books and balls. / beg you do it not Your wife
and baby are your lawful prey. You three can fight
it out together-with the odds against you even
there. But your parish grls-ah dear boy they
viii grind your bones to make them bread" Be
warned IN season.
So much for general suggestions" which you
hsvs promised shall be /" cordially Welcomed" But
If you are bent on your destruction, will at
least perish with you by answering your questions.
Any one will stand by us when we are right. 1t is
the prerogative of friendship to stand by US when
we are wrong Is then " the health of our young
women declining, and if So whyf No, regret to
be obliged to say, since the words show me am
expected to say yes. Most of the young women
know are in ferocious health, Behold letter this
moment received from very young woman, and
unawares. much to the point:
This forenoon did our washing ironing and the
usual homework. try to do as much as can
before going away, for | dislike 10 leave much
for mother TO do. :. suppose told you that
Well, the thing is done. My furniture, if you
remember is light color. have painted it cherry.
The bed ornamented with landscape and pond,
lilies, the dressing-case l painted little bit of
pecan on the top drawer and apple-blossoms on the
other The wash-stand is decorated with golden
rod and purple aSters. They look very fine now
that they are vanished ! cut the legs of my bed
down several inches. 1t was so high bad to use
ladder to get into it. Then sliced the foot board
eighteen inches, that / have quite stylish
couch They laughed at me when told them
what / intended to do, said it was impossible and
all such nonsense. but have shown them that it is
not always impossible The work was all my own
-carpentering and painting Mr. Smith pro
nounces it very good piece of work for woman to
do That consider as quite compliment coming
from cabinet-makeT. / wish on could see my
work. ] really, am proud OF It, i expect to DO
hard at work cleaning soon. and as we have no ser
want. shall do all. Twill not allow mother TO help
me- She cannot endure much as sine once did.
Then, too, her time of hard work is past lis my
turn now. do not dread the hOuse-cleanIng much
after getting into IT, there is such satisfaction
In knowing that every nook is clean and fresh. Our
house is altogether too large for small family,
but it must be kept In order all the same.
My young friend may think it very remarkable
spiritual manifestation" of tabletippng when
she sees her furniture like Whittier's
Young Anna Favor come walking into church."
but i count upon her pardon, for the sake of the
good cause of undeclining health!
To tho second question, " Are onr young women
receiving adequate training in the home for the
duties of married life i'--undeniaby, no. We.
them elders and trainers. very faulty that it
Is hardly possible we can give them faultless tram
ing; but can vOuch for this il is good as the
young men are getting There is therefore no need
OF setting your shoulder with any superaboundng
strain to the wOman's wheel The young mon and
the young women are reared by the parents
N the same homes. To every start in married
life a man is as indispensable as a woman. The
duties of married life require exactly tho same
qualities that the duties of unmarried life require
generosity, truth, charity, patience, consideration,
compromise. fidelity, large-heartedness In married
aud in unmarried life alike, the highest happiness
and the highest blessedness require that you should
often yield your own within, TASTE ease pleasure. to
tho pleasure of another 1t requires often the still
harder duty of maintaining your stand in
opposition to the wish of another. and it requires
the wisdom of high Heaven to know certainly when
10 do the one and when TO do the other. But there
is no call to make line of separation between the