Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-08
GIRLS WH0.SUCCEED.
A Newspaper Woman Who Has Won
Fame Gives Some Advice.
LEAVING THE PATERNAL ROOF.
A Difference Between Wounded Feslinu
and Wounded Vanity.
LAYING THE PATERNAL ROOF.
EXPRESSING TASTES AND OPINIONS
IvnrT1EN FOR THE prsrArcH.1

IL
Mos. earnest girls nowadays come into
maturity with real longing for work.
There are reposeful, middle-aged people, to
be sure, who firmly believe that this Is 3
mischieyous and misplaced activity, and
| that it is going to work out all kinds Of de-
struction if the race of women take to other
| things than domestic and polite accomplish
ments. Be that as it will; it doesn't pay to
argue about what we shallnever live to prove.
Here you are, hundreds of you, girls who
honestly want to work and who are honestly
averse to housework. 1t also happens to be
true that women. like men, work for wages,
and that the wages girl gets for house.
work, even In her fathers house, are NOT
such as encourage you to adopt homework
ss profession. And SO 1t happens that
You are thinking to-day about wsge-earn-
ing business outside your home, moro than
You are thinking about husband
The first thing you've got to know Is what
you can do best To find that out, consuls
your taste. If you think 1t would be beau
tiful to trim hats or make gowns, say so and
stick to it Then go to the best milliner or
dressmaker in your town and ask her to let
you come into her shop and learn. She
won't pay yon at first, but your father has
fed you for several years, and can probably
discharge that paternal duty for q few
months longer.
Disdsining Modest Beginnings.
you are bookish and the law or medi-
cine attracts you, go to the office of your
fathers lawyer or physician and borrow his
simplest book and study it. In any case
don't disdain the modest beginning tha.
lies nearest your hand; you are not ready
for wider fields yet. And when you've
settled upon a work, don't play with it,
learn to treat it just as seriously as your
big brother or your father treats his
And so as your diligence and knowledge
grow together you will perhaps come to a
point where you must leave your fathers
roof in order to finish your preparation for
work or to widen your competence and so
increase your wages. You must leave your
small town for city or the small city for q
larger one. Before this can be considered
for moment one of two things is impers-
tive: either you must have the certainty
not the mere possibility-of something to
work at that will give you o modest living,
or else you must have money enough in re-
serve to pay your way for a year ahead.
There is no compromising with this. Never
leave your fathers home on any other con-
ditiona
Doesn't Hurt to Get Discouraged.
With this provision made, 60 into your
work with the whole of you. Take care Of
your health, and, for the rest, give your
mind and body to your duties. You will
get discouraged in every fiber of your tired
:
man or woman who doesn't get discouraged
often and often, seeing his ultimate reach
beyond his daily grasp, doesn't see far
enough ahead ever to succeed. So be
sure that you will get discouraged,
and getting discouraged, encourage
yourself because of that very thing.
You will probably be thrown much among
men. Learn not to expect parlor etiquette
in business places. You are not there to in
terplet the amenities of life to a lot of busy
men, but to do your work competently and
go your way sensibly. They may be as
kindly intentioned as your own brothers,
but they are too busy to assure you of their
distinguished consideration. If they treat
you brusquely, directly and frankly,
they're paying you the compliments
of treating you like sensible woman.
You will have to keep your tastes,
opinions and purposes thoroughly to your
self One young woman in newswaper
work in New York had what she called
conscientious scruples' against certain
kinds of newspaper necessities and she
wanted to argue them out with every editor
she talked to- She failed in her work and
it served her right; not because she had
conscientious scruples," but because she
aired them where she had no business to-
Don't Look for the DisasreeabIs.
Neither have your tastes any more plas
in your work. You will have to learn to do
what you are told to do, and reflect that IL
YOU find the task insuperably Objectionable,
one else the opportunity of trying it. Above
all. don't always be looking for things to
hurt your feelings They'll come some
times, and bruise you in every fiber till
you'll want to put your head down in your
mothers lap and cry like little girl. But
YOU must learn to distinguish between
wounded feelings and wounded vanity. A
woman cries nine times out Of wounded
vanity and once out of the wounded soul
that calls for divinest soothing to heal Let
your vanity smart all it will; it's good for
most of US, for vanity is kind of proud
flesh" of the soul that has to be treated
with caustic to keep it from becoming An
excrescence that will disfgure.
Another thing you will have to learn is to
keep your word; to go where you'll say
you'll 60, and come when you say you'll
come, and let the heavens drop if they will
But they won't-e1cept in blessing on your
head.
Last of all you may be the daughter Of
rich parents and you may not II you arc
the former, behave yourself a. If you were
the latter. Don't preface your first request
for work with the information that you are
going to work because you have to; it's bad
business policy and worse taste, and none OF
your employers business any way.
These are the few things you will have 10
learn. The way is long and wearisome often,
but it is as smooth for you to-day as 1t is for
men. HELEN WATTERsoN.