The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-10-31
AN OBJECT IN LIFE.
A Little talk with Girls on This In
portant Subject

poets to practice in his manhood. |
While yet very young, the boy talks |
about what he is going to be, and the
boys father begins to plan and save
and order his own business, that he
may give his boy a good start, when
the junior is still in knee pants, orplay-
ing ball on the sidewalk with the
neighbors' boys. The result is, that
manliness is developed in the growing
boy at very early period in his
career, and he feels the pulsations
of the future before the first faint
shadow of mustache dawns on
the sturdy upper lip, which is to
brace itself by and by to meet the ups
and downs of fortune. The boy shares
his fathers anxieties and enters into
his fathers ambitions; and the boys
companions, preceptors, and everybody
else who has to do with him, assume
that he is in the busy world with a pur-
pose; that he must be energetic
thorough and equipped at all points
for the struggle of life.
This is the fashion of thinking and
talking, when boys are in question
How is it with you, dear girls? am
afraid that you are less impressed with
the idea that you too are TO take your
place, and bear your share, and lend
hand in the work that is going on. l
don't feel very much inclined to blame
you, if this is the case, for everybody
in your home and in your neighbor
hood, until very lately, has behaved as
if you had nothing higher to hope in
life than to be an ornament; as if you
were to be petted and indulged, and
made of as little practical use as pos
sible.
If l were girl to-day, ( would set
before myself an object in life, and l
would give my father and mother no
rest, until they should consent to let
me fit myself seriously and thoroughly
for this end. Simply that you may
make the most of yourself, and gain a
noble womanly character, it is impor-
tant that you should have the independ-
ence that comes of being able to do
something which the world wants, and
will pay for. Now, every girl, and
every girls mother, too, knows that the
weak point in our sex is in our quick
ness. We have an almost fatal facility
and, because of this, we are tempted to
be superficial. John plods away labor
iously, while Jenny snatches thing at
glance. 1t is the old fable of the hare
and the tortoise over again, and in the
life-journey, the long stretch between
youth and middle age, the tortoise is
| the winner.
There are so many paying occupa-
| tions open to the girl of this period that
it is worth her while to select one, and
study it from the alphabet to that stage
in which she may practice it with ease
and skill, going onward thence to the
everreceding ideal of perfection. For
| instance, l can count on the fingers OF
one hand the names of those women
who are able to command the highest
prices as illustrators of books; and this
in the face of the fact that the publish.
ers are on the alert to discover and pay
the best artists, and that the public
clamors for pictures in its papers and
books Yet there are literally thou
sands of girls studying art in one
| branch or another. 1t is very dlscour-
aging to present clever girl friend to
the man who manages the art bust
ness of great firm, asking him
her work in his department, and
then, after the pause of grave,
kind, critical scrutiny is over, to see
him shake his head, with the remark
1.-The drawing shows promise, but the
young lady needs to study long while
yet" 1t is the exceptional girl who is
not hurt at this rebuff, and who willing
ly settles down to the long, severe study
which is the condition of success. But
that girl, by and by, will succeed, and
be in the enviable position of the per
son who has more to do than he can
comfortably undertake.
Since the typewriter was introduced
many girls have learned its mysteries,
and have found themselves in great de-
mand. But business men pay these
young women, as yet, no higher com
pliment than to say of one: "She works
like man. She does clean work. She
asks no favors" Every girl ought tc
do sIch thorough work that people
should reverse this order of speech ano
say: "She works like woman"
Even the little girl, still in the com
mon school may prepare herself for hel
future vocation, by being diligent
prompt and self-reliant in her regular
school work. The daily tasks of spell
ing, of grammar, of writing, of com
position will all help you forward, il
you never slight them, if you do youi
best every time, so that you may be de
pended upon. All things considered.
anticipate that the girl will be better
houselteeper and homemalSer when she
grows up, if she be at the top and mo-
at the bottom of her classes in school
Fidelity, neatness and dispatch tel
when the matter is only one of making
beds or beating puddings, and ever
more, when it is the harder matter o
adjusting household difficulties, anC
making the people ut home happy ant
contented.
hope that no girl who reads thi
ever condescends to coax or wheedlt
her father into giving spending money
for her indulgence, when he plainly
tells her that he can not afford to d,
so. A girl named Gertrude. of whom
heard the other day, did this Her fn
lher was greatly embarrassed to NEE
expenses and she knew it, yet, vanit!
urging her, she teased and teascd hin
until he gave her fifty dollars to spen'
for scme dainty supcrhuities in the wa.