The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-04-18
THE BIG SISTER WRITES.
A CHEEKY Letter to Boys.
FROM FRANCES Il. WILLARD.

Feb. my Dear Younger Broth
ers. This is the time when you
are thinking, / hope, about being
better in every way than you have
over been before. You believe as
I do that boy may be a wide
awake, go-headed young fellow,and
uhaye lots of fun" while at the
same time he is truthful, kind and
generous. You believe that he need
n,t smoke poison cigarettes, nor
suck cider through straw, in or
der to be happy, but that the
aweeter his breath and the simpler
his food and drink, the more good
times he'll get. But now, as Sam
Jones is so fond of saying, "I'Il tell
YOU another thing"
The other day l was invited out
to dinner in a pleasant home where
there were mother, father, one girl
Of fourteen, and two boys of twelve
and eleven years old. The hired
GIRL was gone, and the mother and
daughter, neither of whom looked
strong. cooked and served the din
ner which was 80 good that it fairly
makes ones mouth water to think
Of it. The boys, nice little fellows
AZ ever were, sat in the parlor and
listened to the talk of their father
and the guests, (for the young
Crusaders song singer, Miss Anna
Gordon, was with me as usuaD.
When the plates at the table were
to be changed, up got the slight
Young sister and attended to them,
and after dinner she and her moth
or "did up the dishes, (though Miss
Gordon offered to help, while the
two bright boys lay on the carpet,
looking at the pictures in Harper's
Weekly.
"Don't believe that is the best
way," said Miss Gordon thought
fully when we were alone. 81
think those boys ought to have
helped get dinner, wait on the Ia
BILE, and clear up afterward. | think
they would grow up to be nicer
men and would appreciate what an
endless work it is to keep up nice,
pleasant home, if they had more OF
a hand in it themselves. think
their pale,faced, gentle sister
ought to be out of doors more and
get some roses in her cheeks. 1t is
not right for her to NOPE in the
house and them to have all the
fresh air."
Then the wise author of "March-
ing Songs" and the Prohibition
Program, went on to say that she
had three brothers, and after break
fast on a winter morning they Of
ten used to buckle on their skates,
! and take to the ice, leaving her
and her sister to make up their
beds, put away their things, and
make their rooms tidy, working as
hard as ever they could until it was
time to 60 to school. :.
81 always felt that it wasn't
right, but never spoke of it, nor
\ did they" she said. :.
Then / told my Experience"
how 1 was to keep my brothers
room in addition to my own, and
rose up in rebellion; how l was set
to make him a shirt and declared
that he might make his own, and
he didn't seem to think me out OF
the way, either.
Then we agreed for the thous-
andth time, that evil is wrought
for the want of thought, more than
for want of heart" and | made up
my mind to speak to you about it,
for believe you want to do fair.
Now, when the girls just study the
same looks that you do, and often
go ahead Of you at school, when so
many of them study stenography,
4 telegraphing and other kinds of
business, become teachers, doctors,
missionaries, ETC., as they are doing
more and more each year, what
right have you to sit about, as lazy
as cat, and let these girls work
and tug till they are tired out, for
your comfort, and do things which
H you should attend to yourselves? ?
Don't they like to run and play as
we'll as you do? Don't they need
exercise and fun that you get in
h.