Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-05-22

A Lesson That Should BE Taught Every
Daughter in the Broad Land.

a Lesson Ihat should be Taught Every
Daughter in the Broad Land.
If I had u dozen daughters-which l
haven't-there is one lesson l should try to
teach them above all others, the lesson of
simple content. l do not mean that l
should wish them to be drones; to be pale
and ~listless, with no hopes, no ambitions;
to sit down meekly and say, "Well it is
fate and there is no use trying to change
it; might as well be satisfied" I like people
who work out their plans steadily and
faithfully, and who never give up. But oh,
this mad fever of unrest that has crept into
our veins!
He must be rich enough to dine with
princes, or he must have u fame that will
entitle him to a place. even though it be
the lowest, ut an earl's table. Look ut our
young girls! What dreams they lave OF
everything under the sun "a a busy, sim.
pie and useful lifel One longs to be a so.
ciety queen, another an actress-to elevate
the s~tage-another an elocutionist, another
a public singer. How few select by prefer.
ence some work that will not demand that
the "madding crowd" cast flowers and
laudations ut their feet.
How few select u work that means living
a simple, clean, innocent life, doing what
soever comes to their hands and keeping a
song in their hearts for the dear ones who
make up their little world. Take the aver
age maiden, too. of this same great middle
class, and discover her ideal of a husband.
Is it the strong bodied, broad chested no.
bleman in working clothes, whose strength
could crush her, but whose heart is tender
as a child's-who would love her, protect
her, work for her till he fell dead?
Or is it the dainty young a who has
white hands and a great display Of collar
and cuff; who wears snowy finery and some
daring diamonds, and rolls pretty cigar
cites, with Il peculiar tint ut the ends of
his ingers-all on fifty dollars Il month";
I once heard u young woman who was
~''engaged" to such a youth say, with a toss
of her proud, foolish head: 81 shall have a
servant. George doesn't believe in women
doing household drudgery, and neither do
I. He says we will dress well and be gen
teel, even if we die in a poorhouse when we
are old"
Il Poor child That set me to wondering
what they would have for dinner, if serv-
ants and cheap tinery were their idea of
"genti1ity," on the enormous salary of
$500 u year.
On the other hand, l once had a dear
friend who had been accustomed from in
fancy to every comfort and luxury heart
could desire. She married u young
preacher whose salary was fifty dollars
a month. They furnished three small
rooms in the plainest manner possible, set
blooming flowers in the windows, and
singing birds outside, let il the air and
sunlight, and in every corner they set up
an invisible altar to love. When 1 try to
picture content I think of that home.
There were two people with refined
tastes who longed for books, pictures, mu-
sic, concerts, lectures, luxuries, all the
pleasant things that mean money, and
they gave up everything and everybody
else that they might be together, might
make happy sacrifices, one for the other.
It requires more strength, more faith,
more nobility to live such a life-and live
it beautifully and cheerfully-than it does
to become a great actress or a great singer
or a society queen. But such a life, dear
is what I mean by content.-Ella Higgin
son in West Shore.