The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-05-11
AFTER SCHOOL-WHAT

How thousands oil Young women nave
Their Ambitions Chained.
We have recollection of having met
this query in print before, but as it eX-
presses our own present anxiety, have
no hesitation in appropriating it.
Our sympathies are called into fullest
action by the struggles and discourage
mcnts in the path of a certain young
woman of our acquaintance AS her
case is that of thousands, we will cite
it as text for very short sermon.
Sara Bartlett'soparents are active, en-
crgetic, Woodworking, ambitious peo-
pic, whose aims to make money and
achieve certain prominence in their
village have been more than usually
| successful. The mother had some ma
| tive refinement, but the narrowness of
her life and the society of coarse and
| vulgar husband have not developed her
| best qualities. The father, albeit as
destitute of refinement as one well can
be who has no vices and has strong
desire to receive the respect of his fell
lows, is a man of great force of charac-
ter, ard some rather unusual, though
uncultivated powers of mind.
Sara has inherited the best of both
parents, and the education their efforts
have enabled her to gain has developed
mental faculties to a degree far beyond
that of the most of even bright or for
tunate young women. Her ambition
and that of her parents have led her to
seek the society of people above their
own social position, and her talents and
accomplishments have enabled her to do
it successfully. She is welcome wher-
ever she chooses to go.
This satisfies the parents, but not
Sara. Ambition, the ruling passion of
her parents, is hers also, but its ideals
are higher. Her mental vision is as far
sighted as theirs is short From the
height she has already reached, she sees
other and greater heights, and she longs
to scale them. Her vigorous young ma
turc pants for the efforts it is so able to
make. But the parents, who have
hitherto aided, now reprcss. Now Sara
is held back by all the force of their
strong but ignoblc natures. They re-
fuse her permission to leave home, or
money to prosecute her studies at home,
or to forward her aims in any way, and
they claim from her warm filial affcc-
tons a hard tribute of enforced graft
tude. Their cry is: after all we have
done for you, will you desert us? We
have made you good home. No home
in the village is finer or more prcttily
furnished. Stay here; receive your
friends; introduce us to the society you
are in; marry to please us, 1t is your
duty"
What can poor Sara do? She is
twenty-five years old. The men whom
she might marry if left to herself, avoid
her, because they would not wish to be
associated with her relatives The men
to whom this association would not be
Objectionable, and whom her parents
would not refuse, are not acceptable to
the daughter. She is like bird chained
by the foot. The chain is long-for q
chain-and she is allowed to take short
flights in any direction; but at u certain
limit the chain is felt, the fight j:
checked, and weary, chafed an(
dispirited, the poor bird returns t.
earth.
What shall be done for the girls thus
chained? Much has been said of tn
selfshness and1ingratitute of children
who abandon or neglect in their old ag'
the parents who by dint of creates
sacrifices have enabled them to soar fa
above the parental nest. Sometimes
perhaps often, the blame is deserved
but are there not many other case
where the selfishness is on the part o
the parents, who have educated thei
children not that these might be wiser
better or happier than they, but tina
they should rise upon their children
wings to social heights which unaide'
they could not have hoped to reach?-
| Harrers BaZar