The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-18

mother if she felt perfectly secure regard
ing the associates of her daughter at
school.
"Oh. Mary is such an innocent-minded
creature l can trust her anywhere" the
mother replied proudly. ''She is really the
most innocent child / ever saw for a girl
OF her age. l think she will develop very
late. want to keep her a little girl as
long as possible so l have not disturbed
her mind with any premature conf
dences.'
Now. to my absolute knowledge gained
by accident, l know this young girl to be
a woman in her emotions; and already
had she passed through embryo adventures
with the opposite sex which had aroused
her curiosity as to what constituted her
charm over men and stirred her woman's
vanity. The innocence of her mind was
disturbed by her unfolding emotions and
her Eye-lIke desire for greater knowledge
Never did young girl so need a
mothers sympathy and counsel as this
one. often wonder why God permits a
woman like that to become a mother. To
send such q girl away to boarding school
was dangerous no doubt, yet hardly as
dangerous as leaving her under the care of
such blind and stupid mother
L know brilliant lawyer who was a wild
boy in his youth. He was forever in
trouble of some kind with the fair sex
from school to become his wife. They are
the parents of several children, the eldest
handsome, dark-eyed girl who inherits
her fathers love of adventure. She is
only 10, but has already passed through a
series of love affairs, known to all her
friends and commented upon by strangers,
but the criminaiiy blind parents are ignor-
ant OF all this. No one dares tell them
that almost daily on her way to and from
the village school their daughter sees and
talks to and receives notes from young
men, and, utterly forgetting their own
hazardous past, both father and mother
imagine their daughter to be an innocent
child in mind.
1t might prove TO be the moral salvation
OF this girl to send her away to good
boarding school if the right woman pre-
sided over it. She is not vcious-she is
full OF animal spirits and precocious femi-
nine instincts.
Hundreds of young American girls are
ike her, and hundreds of stupid American
parents fail to see the necessity and duty Of
guarding over such girls.
II by accident they do discover the truth
about their daughters they straightway
shut them up, treat them harshly and de-
nounce them as vicious-minded. The
father and mother / mention would no
doubt do the same, forgetting their own
runaway marriage and the adventures
which preceded.
A girl like this ought to be treated very
gently and with affection. She ought to
be wisely taught and entertained. She
should pass many hours in active physical
exercise. The gymnasium is far better
for such girl than the boarding school.
She should have no idle hours, no conf
dences with strange companions, no hid
den books to read until she has crossed the
dangerous chasm which spans girihood
and womanhood.
have known a girl who was a mere
child in mind to be forced into premature
maturity by association with older and
more experienced girls at boarding school.
Where a number of young girls are
thrown together constantly for compan-
ionship their conversation runs largely to
love affairs. This young girl, who had
never passed through any heart expert
ence, hearing so much upon the subject
from her companions, felt called upon to
contribute her share to the entertainment.
To the amazement OF her parents and
teachers she developed a faculty for relat-
ing tales of love adventure wherein she
figured as heroine. Investigation proved
the stories utterly without foundation. 1t
was one of the abnormal developments of
boarding school life.
do not think Opponents from boarding
schools are so frequent as elopements
from homes. again assert that good and
wise teachers, few as they are. are more
plenty than good and wise parents
l wish we could have training school
for parents-a school where the physical
and moral nature of the young girl and
boy should be discussed, and where the
imperative duty of watching over this
physical and moral nature should be i'm
pressed upon the mind Of every woman
and man before they were allowed to pro-
cure q marriage certificate. This would be
far better thing for the world at large
than the boarding school.
The lack of such training for parents
causes more harm and mischief to go on
under their eyes than is possible in the
average well-ordered boarding school.
So stupid are parents in regard to their
own children that those whom l most de-
sire to reach by this article will read it
without a suspicion that it can apply to
them; while many young girl of whom I
never heard will feel her cheeks tingle and
will wonder how l knew her secret.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.