Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-02-11
From Baltimore Sun, February 2nd.I
A PLAIN TALK TO GIRLS.
Six SHARES OF Home and Society De-
scribed In Church
THE ADVICE OF REV. DR.. LAWRENCE.

-
FRIvoL1TY, VANITY. INs1NCERITY, Cow.
ARD1CE, CoouETRY AND UNwoMANLINEss
ARE THE SIx-ONE NOBLE AIM WILL
BREAK THE. SNAREs,,.THAT MAY HOLD
You.
At the First Congregational Church last
night the pastor, Rev. DR.. Edward A.Law-
renee, preached from the text, Gas jewel
in swine'e snout, SO is fair women which
is without discretion" He said: 1.-THE
2,e00 females employed in manufacturing
industries in the city of Baltimore, the
salewomen and the house-servants are a
class whose perils, needs and possibilities
require more time and study than can be
given them tonight. Reservipg much on
that topic for another time ask what are
the common, everyday snares which Turk
In home and society for our young women,
who have every advantage that life can
give them? I speak as brother to young
or sisters, and, of the many snares, mention
six:
81. Frivolity is not the gaiety
and vivacity of happy youth, the girish-
ness of those whose hearts are young and
free. Frivolity is the expenditure of time,
objects to the entire neglect of important
things. Life to it is dance and comedy.
Its talk is gossip, its laughter a giggle, its
work weary round of pleasure Frivoli
ty spreads its snare for every young girl
who has not some distinct and noble aim in
life. Ia fact, aimlessness is the secret root
of frivolity. 1t is a contagious disease.
One girl catches it from another and CON-
municates it to empty-headed young men.
Little can be done for one who is in this
state except somehow to wake her from the
butterfly life which is natural for butter
fly, but not for a woman. If she be not
aroused, she is led on into snsres far worse.
"2. Vanity.-This ensnares by the love
of admiration and display. 1t is an aim,
but low and delusive one. Men and wo-
men alike strive for success. But while
mans success is to be rich, woman's sue
cess is to be admired, to shine in society.
She aims to rule by beauty grace and wit.
That is the passion of 80. called society girls
professional beauties. It is the longing
of many who do not desire that title. And
it is snare which finally drags some wo-
men down to perdition. 1t makes slaves to
fashion. And fashions DEGREES are often as
cruel as they are ugly and false Dress is
supposed to be woman's great ally in this
effort for conquest. The dress of the actress
is praised and advertised more than her act
ing. Fashion wastes the revenues of a
kingdom, and makes many working girl
put all her wages on her back. 1t devas-
tates the air of its song and beauty to get
birds for women's wear, though the Princess
of Wales has led the Audubon Society in
ordering that nothing be submitted for the
inspection of herself or daughters in which
birds are used as trimming. Fashion dew
estates a woman's heart. first, of the sense
of taste, by making her admire much which
is essentially ugly, and then, still further
OF the sense of modesty and decency by
persuading her to perpetrate exposures of
herself which should cause the lily to blush
FOR shame. Fashion cramps, tortures,
mains, disables the body, wrecking the
health of many a woman, causing young
men to shrink from seeking such frajl and
expensive luxury for wife, and uniting
our daughters and sisters to be mothers.
Fashion is one of the commonest snares 10
which women are caught through vanity.
Be beautiful, young women, do not merely
appear so. Be worthy of admiration and
you shall have it. Beauty is both gift
and reward. But it is forfeited by those
who do not obey nature. Honor and glorify
the body, be clothed with humanity. Let
the inward light of goodness and gracious
ness shine through your faces, let self seek
ing and self-conceit, the foes of beauty. de-
part and simplicity come over, then you are
queens in truth, daughters of king, and
also the best dressed of woman.
IS. Insincerity SHARES are many,
affectation, artifciality, conventionalism-
sll Jack of genuineness and reality. Who
has nottseen the bright, earnest, sensible
Il 80 h. k~n, 80, g..
utes into the unreal creature Of society With
her company manners, her affected graces,
her assumed smiles and superficial banter?
And VIII, ha= not felt that the latter is
mere caricatnre of the true woman In
sincerity is the weapon of the weak, where
force is the weapon of the strong. The
world will tempt you to a thousand eva
sons, deceits, hypocrisies if you wish to
gain your point Society will justify your
little lies and call them pretty names. So
you may get entangled in mesh of false
hood in which you both live and love lie.
o, be true, be genuine, be yourselves. No
mask is beautiful no lie is strong, be true.
So you will :void hundred snares
~ observation-disclosures who greatly
wieh to please are often afraid to speak
the truth. They are towards, and know
It. They see things about them which they
feel to be wrong. but dare not say what
they think, and even seem to smile approval
of hat they detest. They dislike smok-
ing, drinking ard coarse jests, but too of
ten seem to sa' ctioD them by silence and
amiabiity. How many dare not rebel
against fashion even in favor of health and
Of decency? Those who dare to be true es-
cane the most insidious of dangers.
''5 Coqnetry.-There are some young
women who never become silly until they
are with young men, especially if those
young men wear brass buttons. Then they
are caught in the net of Righteousness. Men
l.,nk TO them for inspiration. Young men
may be nohly led by fair young woman.
But alas, in these snares they often gerOrly
the mischievous Misleading of vanity, and
each makes the other more foolish, each q
jewel in the mouth of swine.
All. wsstefuI woman! she who may
On her sweet self set her own price,
he cannot chose but pay,
How has she cbeapened Paradise!