The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-06
a Few Words to School Girls.
BY Il. II.

Just now, rs our girls in towns and
country are starting to school, cast
anxious looks after them and often
wonder if their real requirements arc
worth the ready cash drawn from the
pockets Of the parents. When your
little girl gets large enough to put on
womanly airs, the question as to what
she shall lcarn will come home to
you. There is a great difference in
women, little rs some people may
think of the matter. Two of my
friends had unequal advantages in
early life. One had schools and
music and many opportunities for
! her Improvement. Her mind seemed
to stop development about the time
her body rounded out into womanly
form. True she went into society
and was popular and could make
herself pleasant and agreeable, but it
WAS all done in a cut and dried sort of
way. There was no apparent devel-
opment of mind two or three years
after she was grown. Marriage fol-
lowed, with its household duties, and
to-day this friend, with leisure and
opportunities. never seems to have
a thought beyond the daily require
mcnts of her home life. Benevolent
and liberal ideas never startle her.
| When she calls on you, her convcr.
sat.on consists OF the ncighhorhood
gossip, facts about her housckceD-
ing, her troubles and family all
mcnts. She never gives you an idea
or makes suggestions that start your
brain and emotions to work like q
steam engine. She is very common
place with fair natural endowment
and fine opportunities. The other
friend had Il sort Of hard time in her
girlhood. For various reasons she
could not go to school regularly and
when she arrived at womanhood she
felt that she knew little and she
was backward in company. She
could not 'run on by the hour, rs
some Of her acquaintances could.
But when one "corncred her." she
showed evident signs OF thought.
She had opinions and was bold
enough to express them. There may
have been a little awkwardncss in
her manners, but there was no fool
ishness about her. Another rather
peculiar phase Of her character was
that she preferred to talk to a sensi-
bic, wcllinformcd woman rather than
to one Of your smart, young society
men. Wherever she went, whether
to church, picnic or social gathering,
she learned something. Each day
found her knowing little moro than
she did the day before. Years passed
on and to-day she would impress
strangers as a well educated woman,
although she has no diploma care
fully put away and no graduating
essay written by some one else. She
is looked up to as knowing something
and her opiniong is often asked, or
her taste in literary matters con.
suited. Her old time modesty still
clings to her and she would hlush
like n girl if one should give her the
praise due for earnest and success.
ful effort at self-improvcmcnt. Now
one Of these women, with her diploma
and medals, is uneducatcd and with.
ont any influence in literary circles.
If some farmer were suddenly to ask
her to suggest half dozen good
books for her children, she would be
rs blank as if she was asked to ex.
plain the thories OF earthquakes. The
other woman is educated She knows
how to get up information on pew
subj She keeps apace with the
moral, social and economic questions
Of the day. She Knows how to use u
dictionary, encyclopedia or Bible
concordance. When girls arc thrown
with her for an evening, or day or
two they go away with their thoughts
quickcncd and their ambition stirred.
The difference in the character Of
these persons began when they we're
small. One learned to take a stitch
in time, while the other neglected
little things; one read carefully and
thought Of what she was reading; the
other skinned over light books and
did not think; one was willing to
sacrifice some Of the nccting social
joys for good book the other was
for fun and frolic, in season and out
of season; the one had n will to be
somebody; the ether was satisfied
; with the present. | would ask the
; girls now starting to school to look
on these two pictures, imperfcctly
drawn though they are. Bear in