The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-24
The FUTURE OF OUR GIRLS
A DREARY OUTLOOK FOR THEN
EVERYWHERE.
The Ferplexing Problems Of Most
Parents If They Must Marry,
Whom Shall They Espouse.

Joe Howard in the Boston Globs :
OF the 25,0O0000 Of children in this
country, 1t is fair to assume that To-
100000 are girls between the ages OF
one day and Is years. What to do
with children is one OF the most per-
picking problems known to The crdi-
nary parent, but that is sinking into
comparative insignificance in the pres
euce of the momentous question,
What is to be done with our girls ?
While in Chicago a few days sirca, l
was Informed by Carter Harrison, the
driving and impstuous Mayor OF the
city, that the women aud shop girls OF
that city were indebted to socalistic
Alderman for an o; dinance direc ing
and compelling the shopkeepers of the
city to provide seats Tor their female
employees. A crying evil is that which
we see, and to a certain extent partici-
pate in every day of our lives, that
which compels women, old and young,
and girls Of tender age to stand upon
their wea,ied feet from early morn
until the evening shades, when the
doors are closed to trade aud traffic.
But physical rest is, after al, small
part of the desideratrm.
Our girls are in precarious posi-.
ton, and stand upon places far fom
secure.
The fiippant answer which naturally
arises to the lips OF ninety eight out
OF every 100 readers of the question,
"What is to be done with our girls? ?"
is "Marry them"
"Well, now, let us look at that for a
minute. The girl of today mu t mary
the boy of today"
What will he he in ten years from
now? 1 do not refer to the city boy
alone, but to the boy of the country,
the averages lad OF the day. How does
he compare with his sturdy father or
his manlier grand atherP What are
his hebits? First and foremost an ex.
cessive indulgence in tobacco. The
cigarette fiend looms upon us from
every corner. He makes offensive
tie platform OF every treet car. Hef
senches the foyer and corridors o.
every theater; he promenades imper
tinently along the streets of the city,
poisoning every foot OF Gods public
air. Do you mean to tell me, as q
serious man, the father of daughter,
that you would chesrfully yield her to
the embrace of a man whose nerves
are shattered, whose muscles are
flabby, Whose morals are undertoned,
whose eyes lack luser, whose BIO d is
thinned, aud who knows better than
you, be he young or old who read
this letter, that the vile stuff these
boys tamper with SO continually is q
deadly poison, working subtly, slowly,
surely, but working to ruin they can
never hope to overcome or eradicate.
But that is one path our boys pur-
sue, ouly.
Let Us follow them into the realm
Of John Barleycorn." We find that
athleticism amongst certain class of
our young man, but no athlete, how
ever muscular, has yet been found
who could successfully cope in series
of wrestling matches with John Bar
leycorn; yet with what dexterity,
with what accustomed ease, our young
boys take their matutiDal cocktail,
their noondav whisky, their evening
''pick me up" their champagne, their
cordial, go that we see 1t every day of
our lives, we see it every hour Of the
day.
Come with me to Browns chop
house, a celebrated place, land the
mention OF it can do Brown no good,
for he has been dead these three
years. on Twenty-seventh street.
Who are these in bright array, this
innumerable throng ordering pigs
feet, oysters, woodcock, game::of every
name, chops, Welsh rarebitsr What
is it they are diinkingP Champagne,
Burgundy, whisky, brandy, ali man
ner OF mixed fluids. Who are they, |
repeat? Well, they are hoys to whom
you expect to marry your daughters.
The fire in their eyes is artificial, ths
flush in their cheek is born OF the
drink in their st7machs.
Take one of them by the hand, grip
it, and he will almost scream with
pain. Take him by the nape OF his
neck, push him away, he will stagGer
to and fro like drunken man. Will
ity? They haven't any. Stamina ?
They don't know the meaning OF the
word.
Ask them question in relstion TO
politics, foreign or domestic They
will look at you amazed, light cigs-
rette and puff its noxious fumes into
the air, aud stink away with their
poor little hands stuck in their
pockets.
This is one element, one reason
against the remark Of "to whom we
shall marry our daughters" There
are other reasons, moral, physical,
why marriage is not the one thing
needful or the great desired end Tor
girls we'll born or we'll bred.
What, then, are we to do with
them2
1t Is gratifying to note that among
the progressions of the day--iu fact,
OF the age-is the labor OF women,
and in various realms of occupation,
for self support and, therefore self re-
spect. Those which occur to us at
the moment are, first, etenography;
second, type writing; third, teleg-
raphy; fourth, teaching; fifth, the
last and worst OF all, stores.
Liz ph)blCd requirements VI AL
active, conscientious stenogtapher,
typewriter and telegrspher are such as
to tax the average woman's strength.
Her head, her back, are liable to ache.
Sitting in cramped position causes
her pains in the chest. No snow storm
is ever pleasant to 20 out in, and ex-
posure to the rains, and under burn.
ing sun is likely to give her thousand
and one ills to which her particular
kind Of flesh is beirto and that makes
trouble in the Office.
In my judgment the highest work
performed by men or women is tbs
teaching the young. Everything in
the future depends upon the teaching
in the present. The man or woman
competent to take child, to impress
upon his mind what he should know,
to mold his morals 80 that his feet will
naturally tend to planes that are high
and in paths that ara noble, is ft to
sand among kings and dine with
queens. Yet the drudgery OF the
work can never be exaRge-
rated in words The pay is poor,