Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-01-19
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
THE AMERICAN GIRL.
Woman Lecturer Describes the Young
Femininity of This Country.

proved most attractive subject Tor dis
cussion at the women's headquarters in
Mechanics building the other morning.
A large audience had gathered in the
coy section of the great gallery, when
Mrs Ellen A. Richardson introduced
Mrs. Kate Tannatt Woods, after briefly
outlining the previous talks given dur
ing the fair, showing the advancement
of women, mot only is there call for
skilled laborers in every direction,
said she, but earnest work is a tails
man which has power to convert the
thoughtless, foolish trifer into the
serious, reliable woman"
Mrs Woods paper was in part as fol-
lows: THE average girl of to-day is
fountain of ideas; she sees for herself,
thinks her own thoughts and expresses
herself in concise and terse English.
never for moment believed in the pos
sibility of a Daisy Miller until met her
in foreign land, and even then the
type was so scarce and the style so un-
usual that her own countrywOmen were
quite as much surprised by her as were
her foreign cousins Ever since such
weakling types and abnormal girls were
first made conspicuous in fashionable
novels, l have looked for them up and
down the land. As yet | have never
been able to discover these namby-
PANTY, sentimental, weak-minded girls,
who utter society nothings and talk
nonsense with all the glibness of we'll
trained parrots. l am convinced that
this type of girl in America is in the
minority, and a very small minority at
that
Our departments at Washington are
filled with noble women whose social
records have been the delight of the
fashionable world; and it is tribute
not only to America, but to all woman
hood, that these sharp reverses are
borne without a murmur. Financial
failure frequently shipwrecks man,
but the American woman seiZes the
oars and beats on against wind and
tide. In all the wide world our woman
has no peer. She may be frivolous at
sixteen, but later years finds her
faithful wife and mother, with a queen
ly soul, who sees on heights beyond
more work to do
THE all-around American girl is re-
spectful and obedient She never pre-
tends to dictate to her elders, to criti-
c4ze her mothers dress, speech or ac-
qulrements. 1t is enough that she is
her mother and therefore sacred She
believes devoutly in the gospel CT good
health, and knows it can never be found
by indulgence in late hours, exposure
in dress or by irregular diet She never
talks of her nerves She is cheerful by
nature; thoughtful because it is her
duty to think of others before herself;
unself1sh on principle, and Industrious
because work is divine law and the
entire creation resounds with the an
them of labor. She conquers great
things by being attentive to little ones
She does not boast of her ignorance
concerning domestic science, because 1t
is not only duty but a pleasure to
keep the human machine in order, If
we would use it perfectly and harmo-
niously. She 'looketh well to the ways
of her household, or her mothers until
she has one of her own. She is truth
full because it is right to be so. She is
modest; neither too shy nor OVERLOAD.
1t is her place to hold the standard of
womanly dignity high, otherwise men
would never do so for her. All her
studies, works, amusements and aims
tend to develop the womanly power
which is daily becoming a greater force
in the world. She recognizes even in
her youth that character building must
begin with the individual, and work out
ward and upward through the family
relation into national strength.
THE all-arOund girl is always a
'Inother-girl, for even when bereft and
feeling what Mrs Browning describes
as the mother want about the world,
she generally creeps into some good
womans heart and profits through her
experience and loving counsel. She is
affectionate, for love in one form or
another moves the world, and there
never was a woman so strong and SO
self-poised as to do without the loving
tenderness of some loyal heart. She is
never fiirt or coquette who makes
pretense of love. She is genial, kind.
witty and vivacious, but she draws the
line sharply between sportive jest
and mocking of things sacred. Won-
anly honor is safe IN her hands; she is
perfectly happy in her home, useful,
joyous and helpful, without the COM
partnership, if need be, of the other sex
She never longs to be a man, for she
knows it is the grandest thing in the
world to be good woman. She never
depreciates or denounces men, for she
fully comprehends the fact that if clear
headed and noble-hearted they are her
best helpers Louise Alcott once said
to me: 1t takes three women to carry
one man from the cradle to the grave
his mother, the mother who raised
wife for him and the wife replied
that it needed four in most cases, since
daughters SO often do loyal service for
fathers.
The all-around girl is repealed by
untrue men; her instincts of self-pro-
lection are a great safeguard, and she
does not permit sentiment to outstrip
reason. The woman's temple at Chica-
90 is a monument to her skill, tact,
business ability and perseverance, The
men who scoffed at the plan now ad-
mire the result, and mourn because