The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-02
FOR GIRLS.
EARNING ONES LIVING
Silly Notions Entertained
by Young Girls.

would obdurately stand out against
a daughters resolution 10 make her.
self independent, when she becomes
old enough TO choose wisely; few
would be hard hearted enough TO
force her to sit foolishly idle at home,
while her mind and heart were
prompting her TO useful and objec
tive work.
There is another side to the mat
tel, and this hope my many cor
respondents on the subject viii
make note. 1t is the spirit OF
restlessness which is abroad among
women and which shows itself 10
some at an early age, causing them
to settle prematurely and with fe-
verish and unnecessary haste their
place and work in life. With crude
ideas OF what they can do and what
is needed to be done, they place
themselves in positions which they
afterwards regret, and throw away
opportunities which later in life
they can never regain.
The following true story Illus
trates my point: A young gill with
a stepmother became tired of her
home. Knowing her place was not
pleasant, an aunt, sister of the
dead mother, living in the city,
offered to take her and send her to
school for thorough education
The girl had no. hug t. do but make
herself happy. Everybody was fon d
of her. Many girls would think her
life an ideal one. She had a talent
for music and was provided with a
competent teacher. She had pretty
dresses IN abundance, pleasant com
panlons and summer OF enjOyment
wherever the rest of the family went.
She lived in the city two years, and
was seventeen wears old. Then she
became dissatisfied. She made the
acquaintance Of several girls who
were earning their own living IN dry
goods stores, and desire to be
independent and earn money to
support herself took possession of
her. But this the aunt would not
hear Of.
"Eini>h your education Mary"
she Sala, Il want you to go to school
two Years longer, then You can learn
a profession If YOU want to, bnt you
can't leave school ana 90 INTO dry
goods store bile you live with me-"
Perhaps Mary thought this was
very hard hearted. At all events
her dissatisfaction grew into stub
bOrneSs. Arguments, entrcatles
and persuaslons were tried in vain.
She had made up her mind that the
time had come for her to be inde-
pendent. Other girls were so, other
women went into the world, and
why was she denied the privilege?
"But," demonstrated her aunt,
"you do not know enough yet
Wait until you have studied longer.
Yon can finish music and take music
pupils, and be as independent as
you like when the time comes for
independence. You can study
bookkeeping if you like, and you
can learn to be something better
than a girl at fancy goods
counter
The upsEot of the matter was
that the foolish creature took her
own way. She deliberately went
back to her fathers home and found
place in store, and today she Is
earning her living on the salary
that such ignorant. foolish girls are
paid. Very likely she regarus her
self in the hight of martyr, and
considers that she displayed a
womanly spirit at the cost of pei
sonal qualification. She is not
happy at home. She is beginning
to see her folly and has made
attempts to regain her aunt's favor
without giving up her work.
Eut this does not alter the point
of the story IN the least She may,
from her standpoint, be successful,
and if she lives thirty or forty years
longer and works hard, gain place
as head of a department with much
letter pay. With LeI unfinished
education and humble start, she
certainly cannot 90 as she might
have done by beginning higher up
This girl threw away solid advan-
tageS, aud chance with more
study, of making herself good po-
sitiun. for the sake of a foolish no
ton that it was fiHe to start GU on
her own responsibility. Such sllli-
ness should not be d.gnitied by the