The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
SInirched.

A young girl just entering upon lile
as she finds it outside the shelter OF
her own home, knows but little OF
what will come to her in the way OF
temptation to wrong living. If she Is
wise she will 60 to her mother Tor ad'
vice and direction as each new devel'
opment meets her. True, there is an
Inherent delicacy and timidity in ev-
ery properly reared girl, which is a
great protection to her, as the hitherto
unknown unfolds before her; but
many things which lead to wrong,
come in specious form, to whose at.
fractions she yields before she is well
aware that lasting danger lies in them.
Not long since visited friend, who,
the morning after my arrival, invited
mo- into the garden to see her lilies.
I had never seen so magnificent dis
play of them. Great masses of the
lovely flowers lifted their fragrant
chalice to the morning sun and their
waxen petals giittered with the early
dew, As hung over them enraptur-
ed, she went from one to another cut
ting the choicest to arrange a vase for
the breakfast table. Presently we
came to cluster growing under the
shade of a pomegranate tree. one lily
has raised itself above the others and
turned its snowy cup towards the tree
Just above it and falling low as If to
meet it, hung pomegranate lime.
heavy with its gaudy blossoms. On
great scarlet flower lay almost buried
in the lily's heart, and as the wind
blew the branch back and forth, thick
leaves brushed the golden pollen from
its stamens and sharp thorns tore and
bruised its satiny petals, while here
and there, deep red stains left by the
bold intruder, marred their whiteness.
The flower, whose mission it was to
emblem purity, was changed by con-
tact with rudeness and roughness into
a ruined and worthless thing.
"Ah ~ said the lady as she leaned
over it. scissors in hand, II thought
yesterday, this promised TO be the love
liest lily in the garden. Now it is
Spoiled and unfit to touch he 9th
ers."
She clipped it from its stem and
tossed it upon the ground to Wither
and be trodden under foor all be-
cause it had "touched pitch and been
defiled."
"What better illustration" ]
thought, "of the need that young
girl should keep herself aloof from all
that may contaminate."
When we returned to the house we
found the beautiful young daughter OF
my friend in a low wicker chair upon
the gallery, looking the personification
of purity in her white robes, with the
birds singing in the trees around her,
and the towering vines upon the lat
tice casting flickering shade and sun
light OH her face and hair. She was
as fair as the fairest lily in the gar
den. AS we passed her, noticed ~
ting upon her lap, with one dainty fin
ger thrust inside to mark her place, a
novel by Ouida "Touching pitch ~ ]
mentally exclaimed. The mother
made no comment and soon learned
she was timidly afraid of her daugh-
ter, who every day was guilty of acts,
which it would.hav shocked and an
gered the girl to call improper, but
which were surely brushing away the
golden and snowy freshness from the
lily. Gentlemen called frequently
and with each there was an appear
ance of easy familiarity and con COM
radship or; the more Objectionable ex-
hibitions of an avowed filtration. If
her mother, reused to something like
fear, ventured to demonstrate, her
laughing answer was, 80, we both un-
derstand, it means nothing beyond a
little fun" Rude familiarities were
tearing away the lily's leaves. There
We're slang words, not sinful in them
selves, but lowering to the tone her
conversation should have kept, late
hours at promiscuons assemblies with
indiscriminate escorts and partners,
and with nothing but her own youth
full discretion to guide her. What
wonder if some day this flower which
promised to be the fairest and rarest
in all the garden, shall be thrust aside
and trodden under foot as touched and
spoiled.
Girls, you cannot be too particular as
TO your associates, too choice rs to
your words, too modest as to your de-
pertinent, and the surest way to do
this, is never for moment to entertain
a thought of any pleasure of doubtful
propriety. You may lose thereby q
few innocent enjoyments, but is safest
too err on the safe side, and when
woman's glorious crown of wifehood
comes to you, it will add tenfold to its
delightsomeness to know there has
been no smirch upon your garments
rforooflos, Tn The Supny S0uth