The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-03-15
THOUGHTS FOR THE YOUNG
Do Young Ladies and Gentlemen
Read Much?
(Scotland Neck Democrat. |

Scotland Neck Democrat
"The flower that should grace and
beautify the garden of the soul are
rooted out, and the graces and ameni-
ties of life are sacrificed for the bril-
liant and glittering veneer Of a false
and empty social polish that is put on
with the paint and powder that uglify
their faces ''-DaUiN L. Pullman.
The Democrat speaks of no particu-
lar individual, bat refers to all young
people generally.
AS to young ladies, we fear that the
answer can not be given that they
read very widely. From some obser-
vation and from what others say
who dare to put their thoughts on
this subject into print, we are in
clined to believe that young ladies
too often neglect the accomplishment
that comes from reading good books
and papers for the imagined advantage
of wearing glittering jewels and attire
that is altogether becoming.
1t does not take casual observer
long to decide whether young lady's
attention is given most to the thought
of what impression she will make with
her pretty dress and graceful carria &c
and few we'll conned phrases of
" society usage" or whether she has
that deep seated nobility of soul which
comes from a well-trained and we'll
stored mind. ..oa
The graceful carriage and the pretty
dress are very becoming and not to be
condemned. The more graceful a
lady can show herself the better and
the more tastily she dresses the better;
provided, she does not place too high
an estimate on those as her best ac-
complishments. They elicit pleasant
remarks and real admiration some
times but woman may be as grace
full as the swan and dress like queen
all to little real advantage if knowl
edge Of her true capacity reveals the
fact that she is light headed.
Even beautiful smattering Of music
can not save young lady from disap-
pointing those who otherwise would
admire her when it is learned that her
general intellectual accomplishments
have been neglected. However much
we may admire the glitter and gloss
of a lady's dress or her graceful, glid
ing steps, we admire her all the more
if she shows by conversation and
otherwise that she has good stock of
what is known as common sense. y
And much Of this common sense
comes from knowledge of other peo.
pie, which is not all learned by personal
observation, but is largely learned by
reading and study. We admire the
young lady who in the home can make
herself helpful to her mother and the
household generally; but there is all
the more in her to attract and charm
if she proves to be industrious intel
lectually as we'll as otherwise. 1t is
the really intelligent and sensible girl
that the sensible man addresses when
he goes in search of wife. 1t is the
really intelligent girl that makes the
best and most lasting impression on
strangers. Other things may attrac,
and daze for a day, but the young
woman who makes the most lasting
and most desirable impression on all
whom she meets is the one who thinks
something and thinks it intelligently
and thinks it senslbly.
In short, young lady who does moi
put as much of her time as she can to
useful reading, is making great mis-
take, which in the far away future she
may realize with regret that will
even help to furrow her cheeks with
the marks Of premature. age. The
cares and responsibilities Of hJmc life
will, one of these days, fall upon the
young women who gaily and thought
lessly fritter away their time. Brigh
youth and young, joyous life is mos
oppor,une season in which to store the
mind with knowledge which will be :
ground work on which may be built ir
the future real home happiness ane
usefulness that can ever come to one
who does not make the best possible
use of the time as it passes.
Young ladies can not do better thar
to read books that are elevating anc
to read current literature in magazine
and papers that are clean and high
toned in their expressions. Even th'
i,ems>in the local papers may be read
and remembered to great advantage
The reading of young men will b'
considered in future issue.