Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-04-20
A GRACE AND ITS SIGN.

The Wise Man of Israel long age
compared fair woman without dis,
cretion to "a jewel in a swine's snout. y
The phrase has a coarseness of sound
offensive to modern ears, but it would
be hard to find another of adequate
force.
What Is discretion? 1t is the power
which unerringlv sees what conduct
is fitting to any given time, place, OF
circumstance; the sense OF proprlety
which is innate with a few, which car
be taught to more, and which is essen
tlal to all. 1t is p s>ible for some tc
possess this power without the Inward
graces of purity and truth; and it Is
also possible for some of the finest
traits of character to exist in one whC
has it not; but without this inestima
BILE gift, tine fairer or the more brilliant
the woman, the more she is pitt
able.
In Solomon's time, and later, as the
powers of woman were not yet known
aud she was not supposed to be capable
of exercising discretion in her own he
half, 1t was considered necessary Il
seclude her from the world in haren
or in convent, lest she become her owl
destroyer. Now that generations o
noble women have proved to the world
woman's right to be trusted with her
own guidance, there has grown up &
tendency to over-contidence, and toe
many girls are left without the helE
which they so need, and older womeI
could so easily give tuem.
Youth should not be considered t
L. Tp
orld truly moves, and sweet "R Rose IL
bloom" as beautiful as once was he
aged grandmother, knows much NOR
| of some things than the latter has eve
dreamed OF; Tor manners have change,
as we'll as fashions, aud science has mai
such rapid advances that the verIes
Ounce of SCHOOLGIRL would be aston
ished at Newt ms ignorance, but of tn
worlds greatest problem-human ma
ture-the grandm other, if she be pos
sessed OF but ordinary wit, must knoN
vastly more tn dear, sweet, and owe
! trustiul little Rose, therefore the latte
should heed the voice of age when
speaks of manners and words which
are discreet or indiscreet, proper o
improper.
Discretion or a sense of propriety-
by either term is the virtue known
like perfume. 1t cannot be touched
seen, weighed or described, but it exists
and makes its presence and its absenc
known, and Is as essential to ever.
womanly woman, no matter VIII t he
age, intellectual accomplishments
beauty, or social position, as is its per
fume to perfection of the rose.
The woman who has this preciou
gift is by it alone protected from harm
as by an Invisible armor of proof. Sh'
may not be safe from the tongue O
! slaLder, for the finest armor ma.
| be spIsshed with mud, but s.,
will be safe from any real injury MuC
can be washed away. On.y wound
leave scars.
The Youngest or most friendles
girl who usts her wits and heeds tn
warnings which she will surely receiv
from her inward sense of prophet
whenever she Is tempted to vloiate IT
laws, can never go very far wrong. i
| is safe rule to leave un lone every
thing whose perfect proprIety is no
certain, unless some larger consile lers
| tion is involved. There are cases wher
a noble and unselfish aim will atom
for breaking the laws of proprlety
but they seldom occur, and even tn
few that do, bring evils upon the lav
breakers. In a good canse one mus
be willing to suffer: but let no one i'm
agine that suffering of one sort or al
other will not follow every breach c
the laws of a genuine or even an art
fetal code of propriety.- Harper
Bazaar.