The Somerset reporter., 1890-04-24
SELECTED.
GIRLS AND BUSINESS.
By MARGARET F.. SANGsrER.


ties which were lnsistsd upon as essentia
to success were chiefly: thorough hon
esty, promptness in fulfilling engage
ments, acquaintance with the work to b.
done, an ooiiging disposition, and a per
vading sense of responsibility.
1t Is difficult to see that q girl takin,
up business life requires other charac
teristics than these. In common with al
who feel chlvarous desire to shelte
youthful girlhood from the rude blasts o
VI the world, l AIN glad for those girl
VINO have to 60 from the pleasant retire
ment OF home to the arena OF the world
struggles. happy girl in her father
house, under the wing of gentle AM
Judiclous mother, is ideally placed, and i
TO be congratulated, If not envied. Her
are so many sweet opportunities for dc
lug good, so many privileges to enjoy 81
charming are the years tnat lie between
the day of her graduation from tn
school, which has been to her success
sion OF delights, to the day of her wear
ing The bridal wreath anu veil. that on
finds it difficult not TO envy the smooth
ness of her lot.
And II she never marry, her province
III she possess means and culture, is t.
show the world how rich and beaut,fu
how gracious and full of blessing, tn,
life OF single woman may be-indepen
dent, noble, and the centre of good in
lluences.
But observation and experience con
vince us that few girls can be certain OF
this safe, easy and comfortable continu
ance through life in the parental home
on an assured income Circumstances
change. We have seen men living lux
uriously In one decade and existing pre-
| cariously from hand to mouth In the next
The daughters of a man who was form
erly one of New York's merchant princes
are, in one instance occupying positions
| little above menials in the homes of those
who were once their fathers guests. No
body lives long In this land of swiftly
gained and swiftly lost fortunes without
seeing that riches take wings and fly away
with such frequency and ease, that to de-
pend upon their continued possession is
to lean upon swayiug, bending reed.
& nd as all girls do not marry, and as
even those who do may lind in the train
ed facility and the disciplined eye and
hand which go to the acquisition of a
bread winning art, great convenience
In time of need it Is as well that girls as
well as their brothers should have bust
ness
Every man owes it to his daughters to
see that they learn some one thing so per-
fectly that, II needs be, 1t shall stand
them instead as means of earning mon
ey. The mother, be she ever so tender
so wise, so loving, is not really kind to
and provident for her girls If she nee lect
to thus insure them against the mishaps
and possible pitfalls of the uncertain fut-
al ba ,1I 1
forecast, especially for those who else
may be cast like helpless driftwood on the
shores of fate.
Fortunately the present range of voca-
tons from which to select a girls bust
ness life is very wide For business, one
may If he please, substitute trade, pro.
fession, art, or accomplishment, it being
understood that legitimate bread win
uing employment is slgnihed. A genera
ton ago sewing. teaching, and acting as
amanuesis or companion, were the usual
resources OF "lady" Obliged to earn her
own living. CllngiDg to the social rank
implied and described in that word, a
girl, i'll fitted to support herself or render
u full return for what she was paid,
| would open a little school, OF sit far into
| the night, eking out her earnings by sew
ing, which brought In a scanty wage.
To-day there are twenty doors wide OPP.
en- for one that stood jealousy ajar thirty
or forty years ago. Women have found
few professions in which they may not
compete on equal terms with men, though
there are departments for which their
taste and general dexterity and dizziness
ought to fit them, but which as yet they
have hardly touched. A girl who knows
any one Of twenty departments of work,
and knows it well, may be sure of earn
ing her salary and feeling the pleasure OF
standing on her own feet, and perhaps of
helping an over-burdened father, and ed
ucating little brothers and sisters. The
faculties needed here will be put to good
use in the several departments of house
keeping when the time may come.
In choosing business, what consider
alton should, in the main, influence a girl,
and her best adviser, who is, of course,
her mother?
First, that common sense would sug-
gest that personal preference and natural
fitness be consulted. Do not however,
set up false standard. Do not behave
with the falsity of a certain hard. work
ing laundress, who not long ago consult
ed me as to what her daughter should do
toward increasing the family exchequer.
/, somewhat tentatively, aware OF the
sensitive pride of poverty, and having
studied the class to which this woman be-
longed, advised domestic service. Mary
might be, thought, under nurse maid, or
a waitress, or In time, cook A flash of
the eye, a culver Of the lips, warned me
that / was wounding the mother at her
teuderest point. Was 1t for this that she
bad toiled and shaved, worked late and
early, that her girl should rise no higher
than herself-be, as she phrased 1t, a
mere drudge? Dressmaking. to which an
apprenticeship might be served, was next
proposed, but. thought less Objectionable
| than the other, was still not In high fay.
or. Millinery she secuted.
| what had you thought Of yourself
Mrs. Mullauey? Would you like Mary to
work in a factory or shOp?"
She tossed her head in the negative.
Sure, an II could hire PLAINLY, and
pay for wan O thin rachers, it's q music
tacher I'd like my child to be-, was the
reply given, after little urging.
l could not convince Mrs. Mullauey,
but am more sanguine. of convincing
YOU that music teaching as q profession
| has not both 0 divine and q human en-.
|
sity Is that innate love Of music, that feel
Ing of harmony, that desire Of tone and
color and rhy TIM, which seeks expression
10 melody, without having which nobod,
will ever be more than merely mechani
cal performer. The second includes thai
patient, persevering, IS Jacob served fol
Rachel. which makes years Of study Il
seem In the retrospect IS 80 few days
only. Music teaching WAS as far Is tn,
heavens from the earth, or the East from
the West, from poor Mary Nullaney; bu
ON that she and her mother had set thei
hearts, fancying, poor things, that 1t wa
"Renteel" and respectable
which are the bane of many An ill-educat
cd, stru ggling woman.
Anything that Is honorable and homes
10 respectable, be 1t ever 20 lowly. ever .
uuobtrusive. The only thing which
not respectable 10 the least, and 10 who'll
contsmptible. y the being . sham, d
tsopting 70 do what ono kAows nothinI