Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-14
TIE MODERN GIRL.
Facts Provs.g THAT She 10 Entitled e
More OFudnt THAI She Receives.

Facts ProvssS That She 10 Entitlsd e
More CFsdat Than She Resolves.
It has become the fashion Of late 10
say q great deal about the extravagance
of girls and their unfitness for self
denial, for economical housekeeping as
poor mems wives, or, in fact, for any
thing than . gay society life.
The girl Of the period is depicted a.
devoted to dress and amusement, UNI
able to keep house orto direct servants,
and with no aim in life beyond that Of
making q good marriage BY which she
will be enabled to dress more hand
soImely and live more l%uxuriously than
before.
There are doubtless girls whose habits
Of life and, indeed, whose expressed
theories give color to this belief. But
itI is time q plea should be advanced for
the much greater number whose lives
are a complete contradiction to such
charges. The average girl is fit Q
something far better than amere butter.
Nv existence. While she may not
ALWAYS make intellectual pursuits her
chief employment, she is generally
itolerably deficient in what . majority
sof men rank above these, namely,
.housewifely accomplishments.
The helpless fashionable young lady,
who, Il. she did not quite carry out the
programme offered BY the Mother Goose
melody,
Sit lonsa cushion and Sow up seam
AnGS live ON stra wberr. es, and cream.
atleast was supposed to pass most Of
her waking hours that she did not de-
vote TO the subjugation Of her admirers
in dawdlinG over a bit Of useless fancy
work, has been consigned to the top
shelf along with sClarissa Harlowee"
and s..Sir Charles Grandson Some
times a non-progressive author reintro-
d1ces her to the general public under
the impression that he is keeping up
with the times, but as a rule she re-
mains in obscufity. Her successor, the
ldashing young woman who danced the
german all3night and slept all day, and
who fourished@ to perfection in Miss
Warmers booksEto throw the virtuous
heroine into stronger relief, still pre-
serves q shadowy existence, but her
days, happily, i numbered.
The average girl, carefully observed.
offers a refutation to the popular libels
that too often pass for truthful descrip-
tions. She has a healthy enjoyment Of
young society and of gaiety-it would
be peculiar If she had not-but she can
also turn her attention to graver pur-
suits with equal interest. Many girls
are no mean students, and conduct
ssb0urses Of reading after leaving
school with q perseverance that puts to
shame their brothers neglect Of study
when the latter's college days are over.
Very seldom does one linda man who
gives even a small portion Of his leisure
to reading thatldoes not bear directly
upon his business or profession. There
is an amazingly small proportion of
really idle girls. If the result Of their
labors sometimes seems to demonstrate
that the game8has not been worth the
candle, it is not because they do not
give due time and energy to their em-
Payments, bntsthat these employments
themselves are unworthy. Nor is this,
altogether the girls fault. a man
usually carves out his own niche in
lifet A girl is as often born in hers.
or placed there by circumstances over
which she has-or thinks she has-no'
control.
Even against her disadvantages Of,
training and environment the girl
achieves a fair result. The number of
those who are slaves TO the pleasure Of.
society and to q greed for excitement.
and admiration shrinks into insignif-
canoe when compared to those who led
diligent, active lives.
The girl of to-day is generally prof.
cientin needle-work. She can not only
alter her own dresses, but cut and make
those and her underclothinS a we'll
She has a knack at trimming her hats
and furnishing up her wardrobe, and
does her full share at helping the dress
maker, who comes to sun charge Of
the spring and fall sewing. She under
stands the various branches of mend
ing, and takes that division Of labor off
her mothers hands, as we'll as the care
of parlor and ~dining-room, the arrang-
ing Of flowers, the supervision of the
manners and apparel Of the younger
children, andsometimes oftheir studies,
too.
Let full Justice be done to the .sgirl
of the period" or, rather, let there be
a clear comprehension Of what should
be really Represented by that much
abused phrase. It is not fair to take
the weakest specimens of the sex as
types of q class comprising earnest
workers, with strong conceptions OF
life. it's responsibilities and burdens,
and steady purpose to bear them &C