The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-03-13
women who will Bear Washing.
Mary Sidney in Farm Journal.

ers is, will it bear washing?' If men,
when they set out to hunt a wife, would
make this leading question, if they
were as fearful of getting possession OF
fading woman, as we are fading chintz,
it would be one move towards leading
our sex into habits that conduce to long
continued freshness and vigor. But the
problem is deeper one for man to solve.
How can he tell which of the rosy
checked girls he SO admires will shrivel
up and wither away on his hands, or
which retain her buoyant step and cheer
full voice, on even into those late years,
when the hair is silvering, and the roses
have faded from her cheek. Well, l
can't tell the boys much about things,
because they don't read this womapish
column, but can say to you, dear girls,
that if you wish to make women OF your
selves, who will be ornaments to society
and of sterling value both at home and
abroad, you must not be lazy. There
is nothing in the world that | have so
little admiration for as lazy woman
except it be lazy man. They are dead
weights for somebody to carry, and the
bearers must often want to drop the
burdens ere the journey is ended.
A woman who wants refnements and
luxuries and enjoyments, but wants
somebody else to do all the work, and
drudgery that attend these things, is
not my style of woman; nor is she
one that will hold her color to the end.
There is nothing in this world worth
having but labor is the price we must
pay for it. But says one, Il was born
rich. If go to ironing, and sweeping,
and making my own dresses, l shall
turn somebody else out of employment; ;
it would be mercenary on my part TO
thus rob those VINO labor to live Well,
there is something in this, but if you
have no need to work at home, there is
a broad field of benevolent labor where
Just such women are needed. Some of
the hardest working women | ever knew
are those whose circumstances financial
ly would place them above toll; but
they knew, as every well balanced head
must understand, that selfish idleneSs
will sooner or later end in weak body
and enfeebleed mind-the only way is
to
"Play the sweet keys would'st thou keep them in
tune"
The lamented Garfield once said ::
The most valuable gift which can be
bestowed upon women is something to
do Why, bless your hearts, good wo,
men, there is plenty for all, if you will
only look around and be willing to do
the work that lies nearest your hand.
Women grow wishy washy and lose
their elasticity and vivacity because they
live too much within themselves; think
too much of food, and dress, and the
four walls of home, and not enough of
the human family at large. You can
count them in perhaps, if there is ball,
or party, or theatrical in the wind, but
if there are sick to be visited, poor to
be fed and clothed, or some sin stalking
abroad that only combined effort can
grapple with, you must look elsewhere
for help. I tell you, girls, it is not
those who spend their young years in
making tides and embroidering aprons,
whose color will stand the test of a few
years housekeeping and motherhood.
Your young days are the prelude to ripel
years. If they are spent in trifling
amusements and qualifications, what does
your womanhood promise? Now, don
say that am cross, and don't want you
to have a good time, and enjoy yourself
heartily, for that is just what l most de-
sire, but I want you to so mix your
pleasure with solid work and worth and
study, that they may be long continued,
and that the Power above can bless you,
and you can stand among your fellow
beings as intelligent, useful, and lovable
women and your last days be as happy
as the first.
In consideration of the great number
of women possessing natural gifts and
capacities, we do not cut very substan-
tial figures in the world. Oh, yes, we
do, thought Think of Elizabeth Fry,
Florence Nightingale, Harriet Newell,
Clara Barton, Lucretia Mott and Frances
E. Willard, superb women of to-day;
why, there is nothing at all to be asham-
ed of about women. Yes, there is a
long list who shad mind to work, and
who made, and are still making, records
we love to recall-but what are you do
ingP Their work will not add to your
size. Are the women of your neighbor-
hood wide-awake? Are they engaged
in good pursuits? Do they spend their
leisure in helping along the worlds
Christian work? Are they improving
their intellects? And is the little world
in which they circulate happier and
brighter for their presence. Only few
can attain eminence, but all can fill in
their inches. 'She hath done what she
could, this is the simple duty that Is
expected of us.
A kindly concern for the welfare OF
the whole human family, with heart and
hand ready to succor the distressed,
lights up the human countenance, de-
velops thought, and makes woman Of
lasting value. Ideas,' says Voltairei
sare like beards-men never have any
till they grow up, and women none a
ALL If we have none, ii is our fault
we have not cultivated the germ; WE
have been lazy and unmindful OF ou
talent, and the approving 'well done il
not for us to hear. We have an in
creasing lot of some sorts of culture
we have Latin, and physics, and esthet
ics,-plenty and to spare, but have we
more women, nowadays, who can turf
a hand to anything that the home de
mands, and not die in consequence
Have we more who can get up mea
if husband Or brother happens hom
with an unexpected friend without look
ing as if they were the most injured O
mortals? Have we more who are soun'
in body and cheerful in mind than o
yore? for these are the kind needed t.
perpetuate the race; these are the kim
who know that before they are fitted 70