Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-08-09
SIDE TALKS WITH GIRLS.



Leave School.
Winnie May has written to Aunt
Polly to say she is Is years old and ex-
poets to graduate from the grammar
school this year. AS she does not in
tend to go to the high school, she wishes
Aunt Polly to tell her what would be
best for girl of her age to do. The
question isn't an easy one to answer,
SO much depends on the girl and her
tastes and opportunities There is one
thing she can do, though-she can make
up her mind to be first class and not
an average worker, to do thoroughly
whatever she undertakes.
Winnie May writes a plain, clear
hand, the spelling is perfect, and the
punctuation marks all in their proper
places These characteristics of her let
ter, which are by no means as common
as they might be, have suggested type
writing and stenography. To obtain the
best results Winnie May would better
60 to a business school and take up
these studies, together with bookkeeping
and Spanish and German. The stenog-
rapher's best friend next to thorough
ness is general information. She will
need to read one good newspaper every
day, foreign correspondence, editorials
and all, and it would be good idea
also to get good monthly review of
the worlds events. General informa-
ton is a friend worth cultivating not
only by the stenographer, but by every
business girl who wants to be a success.
Winnie Mays clear, steady writing
has also suggested drawing. Perhaps it
would pay her to take a course at a
technical school and learn to make de-
signs for wall papers and carpets and
laces. The large factories where these
things are made employ corps of such
designers, many Of them women.
But if technical and business courses
are beyond the capacity of Winnie's
purse there is nothing that will give
more satisfaction than the sewing trades.
If Aunt Polly's girl will learn dress
making thoroughly; if she will not only
learn to cut and fit and sew. but will
study up the history of costume SO she
will be able to predict the coming fash
ion, for even in dress history repeats
itself; if she will 60 to the art galleries
and note the artists color schemes and
the folds Of the draperies on the sculp-
tured masterpieces, she will probably
make more at dressmaking than at any
thing else. Even if she only learns to
sew thoroughly and is willing to go out
as a seamstress she will receive from 81
to So a day, and this includes one or two
good meals. Sewing stage canvas is said
to pay well, and few women are expert
at it The field is limited in this case
to the larger cities, Of course, Shroud-
making is another sewing trade which
requires special skill, pays well and has
no dull seasons There are many other
things no doubt which Aunt Polly hasn t
mentioned. There is just one thing more
she wants to say, however-that is, if
she had her way, little girls of ID or IA
should not go to school this year, and
they should not 60 to work in offices or
shops either Thirteen is critical time
for most little women, and unless their
mothers are very wise they are likely to
develop more nerves than they will
be rid of at 80 Aunt Polly S girl should
study at home with mother this year.
She should learn baking and cooking
and sweeping and dusting, and the after
moons should be given up to long walks
and books and receiving guests.
The business of life for most women
is the making Of homes, and very i'm
portant business it is too For this rea-
son Aunt Polly believes every little girl
should be taught the trades which un-
derIie the home This should be the
foundation, and the knowledge of these
home trades will not be in the way Of
any wage earning avocation she may
learn afterward AUNT POLLY.