The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1888-12-01
SOMETHING TO DO.
A Mistaken But Prevalent Idea-Girls
Should Thoroughly Prepare Themselves
For Useful Work.


Should Thoroughly Prepare Themselves
For Useful Work.
A bright-looking girl came to my
door the other day, and stepped for
ward to welcome her, saying, as | saw
she was a stranger: What can 1 do
for you, my child?" She answered, the
color deepening in her cheek: 81 want
something to do. / thought that you
might help me to position, or at
least give me some advice. Mother
thought I would better come and see
you. You must have influence of some
kind"
1t is perfectly surprising how this
idea that some one has Influence" and
that some other one is waiting to be
influenced" prevails among and is ac-
cepted by the unthinking. Ignoring
my visitors last observation, and seat
ing her, proceeded, as any motherly
woman in my place would have done,
in the circumstances, to investigate the
applicants claims and fitness for work
of any description.
What have you learned?" 1 in
quired.
Nothing in particular. am just out
of the school-room.
'.Ah! Then you have been graduated,
l suppose, and have discovered which
line of study suits you best? You have
been industrious TO finish the course so
soon"
She hesitated, her eyelids dropped,
then gathering courage, she frankly
avowed:
II did not stay to graduate. | hate
school and study. l want to work and
earn some money"
But by no cgoss-examination could l
find that this aspirant to enter the
ranks of the worlds bread-winners had
taken the slightest trouble to prepare
herself for any trade, avocation or pro-
fession. She seemed confidently to expect
that work of some kind, like golden fruit
on low-hanging bough, was waiting to
drop into her hand at touch; that she
had only to make her wishes known,
and some light, agreeable, lady-like
occupation was sure. to present itself.
l could see how she would insist on
something appropriately described by
the final adjective of those three.
Nothing demeaning to her ideal of
gentility could so much as allure her
for moment Her honest thought was
that she might be an amanuensis, a
copyist, cashier, a teacher of little
children, without ever having under
gone an apprenticeship In any of these
departments of business; and her mo-
tive, broadly stated, was not the desire
to swell by her work the great sum of
the worlds work, but to earn little
money for spending on herself, and,
possibly, for assisting the people at
home.
Now, lest any girl should misunder-
stand me, let me say here that the wish
to earn money is perfectly laudable
and legitimate one, and that money
earning is entirely right and noble, as
proper thing for the girls of the
household as for the boys. But no really
good work. in any line, is ever done
only for the money or with that as the
sole motive of effort and only end in
view. We should love the work of our
hands for its own sake, because God has
given it us to do, and because through
it, in some way or other, we are able
to benefit our fellow-beings.
"a charge to keep have
"a God to glorify,'
says the familiar hymn, going on, in
practical common-sense spirit, with
ITO serve the present age,
My calling to fu I'LL,
Oh may it all my powers engage,
To do the Masters will"
To my girl friends of The Interiors
great family, recommend, whether
they have present desire to earn
money or not, whether there is pres
ent need or not for their doing so, the
getting ready for the emergency, by
learning some art or trade thoroughly.
Just put the emphasis on thoroughly" ="
please. The blunder, the fatal defect
in the training of many women, is that
they never learn or acquire any thing
thoroughly. Half knowing in world
of competition is almost as bad as not
knowing at all.
Find out for what work you have a
preference, and then learn to do that
work perfectly. Put your whole heart
in it, without reserve, and do not forget
that work means work, not dawdling
nor play. And do not receive the
stupid impression that per Sc, one kind
of work is more dignified than another.
Katie, who is making bread in her
mothers kitchen, or doing hOusework
in the home of kind employer, If she
do the work well, is as honorably en-
gagged as Mary is, who sits in a studio
transferring colors to canvas, and see
ing pictures grow beneath her brush
All good work, by which | mean honest
work. well done, is praiseworthy, 1t is