Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1893-11-18

LSteCld1lt (O women seem 10 ltlll StlOTl
q their early dreams and aspirations in
life. Scarcely a woman I meet but tells
me of her longing to be or do this OF
that and how she has been hampered and
hindered by lack of time In olden times
women could not do what they desired
for lack of opportunity. To sew, to en-
broider, to spin, to weave, to rock the
cradle and keep the house-there was
her sphere and there alone.
If she longed to ride horse, to swim
across the river, to develop her physical
strength by outdoor sports, to become a
linguist, or botanist. or a mathema-
tician, she was obliged to keep such un-
womanly thoughts within her own
breast.
No matter how bold and brave she
might be, how willing to defy public
opinion, there was not the opportunity
for her to gain her ends.
But in this age scarcely Il country vii
lage exists in the most remote interior
which does not contain its gymnasium
or teacher Of physical culture, its class
in botany or languages, and its plunge,
lake or pond where ambitious girls can
acquire the useful, healthful and charm
ing accomplishment of swimming.
All that any girl needs in this day to
be cultured in mind and athletic in body
is time and ambition.
The impulse Of the age is ambition
But woman seems utterly at a loss to
know how to use her time.
II do so long to have time to study"
said a bright and beautiful girl guest to
me recently. cat school learned lit
tie about French, and I have meant to
go on with it and learn enough to at
least enable he to read the best French
authors in the original, but l have no
time, you see. Life is SO full of inter-
ruptions, and l go out and entertain so
much, and the days are so broken. There
is no time for anything in this busy,
rushing age"
'There is as much time as there ever
was" I replied. "All you need is a
knowledge OF how to use it and the will
power to put that knowledge into ac-
ton"
II don't understand you" she said. eff
one is driven from one engagement to an
other, from one duty to another, and has
barely time to make toilets and partake
of refreshments, and sleep sufficient to
keep life in the body, how can one do
more?''
"By not dawdling," replied. "Daw-
ding wrecks moro ambitions than mis-
fortune or lack of ability"
"What do you mean by dawdling?"
she asked.
"Just what you have been doing for
the last Is minutes" l responded
why, 1 have been making my Toilet"
she said in a grieved voice. lone must
not neglect the person, however ambi-
tious the mind may be-"
Iagreed with this assertion most ear
nestly. But" I added, "you have not
been making your toilet-only pretend
ing to do so. You asked me to come
into your room and chat with you while
you dressed. You let down your hair
and took up your brush: then you turned
and began to talk to me without making
one movement toward dressing your
hair. All you said could have been ut
tered while you braided your tresses
and pinned them up. You were not de-
livering an oration which required ges-
lures or the concentrated power of your
body.
Then you picked up your slipper and
seemed to fall into g. reverie over it.
Then you walked three or four times
across the room with no evident object
in mind-you were looking for some
hing, but you had forgotten what. All
this time your hair was down, and saw
you pick up and lay down your hair
brush FIVE times without doing more
,han to give your locks an aimless stroke
each time. This used your time and Vi
,ality and accomplished nothing. You
wasted time enough in that one operation
% have mastered the indicative of one
French verb. You dawdled in the same
way over your gown. You took needle
md thread to baste in piece of lace |
about the neck and wrists, and then you
lropped your hands in your lap and
eaned forward idly, while you told me
With pain in your eyes and regret in
7our voice how disappointed you were
Il not having more time to use in study.
This is the way your precious moments
lrift by. unnoticed and unseen by you.
f you gathered them like gold beads on
string. you would be rich in hours by
md by, which you could devote to study
Another young woman complained to
ne her great regret that she had no
ime to go twice a week to the swim
ming school. Il lead such busy life"
he said. Il have SO many distracting
luties that the leisure never comes, and
guess it never will"
|, too, doubt its e-er coming to her.