The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-07
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I. FROM GIRLH0OD 5
TO MOTHERHOOD !
A Series of Papers Containing Hints
and Helps For the Young Women
of Our Day.
PAPER NO. 9.
By Mary Lowe Dickinson.
Self-Support: Its Effect on Charac-
ter. Choice of Vocation.

The women entering upon occupa-
tions by which they become wage
earners may be divided into three
classes.
The first class-a much larger one we
know-consists of the women and the
girls who have chosen some occupation
outside the home in the spirit that de-
sires to be independent of father. or
mother or brother. Their reasons for
this ,unwillingness may be various. One
principal reason is that often, in their
homes, where there is plenty of money.
the habit is to allow the young woman
very little use of it; even necessary
money must be accepted as a favor.
The homes are far too many where
the money for the girl must be secured
from the father by the intercession of
the mother. Under those circumstances
the girl never asks for quite as much
as she wants, and the mother never
asks for quite as much as the girl
thinks she ought to have. AS the de-
mands multiply there comes a growing
feeling of unwillingness to ask, and a
burdened sense of never being able to
do what one would most desire, be-
cause of lack of funds. The next step
is the determination to find some meth
cd by which one may secure
it without dependence. Under those cir
cumstances, girls are hardly to be
blamed for looking outside the home
for means of supply to their genuine
needs.
And then again we find in the very
nature and temperament of a girl that
which objects to receiving from any
one, however near, and this spirit is as
praiseWorthy as the one mentioned
above. Yet we have often and often
heard young women say: L have no
occasion to earn money. My father has
always supplied me with everything
desired; my brothers are very unwil-
ling 1 should labor, and my mother
would much prefer that 1 remain at
home; but / am not willing to be de-
pendent upon anybody, so | am making
my way in the world
Here are two classes. In the first
mentioned, if the family relations were
right, there would be no hesitation on
the part of the daughter to ask her
father for money, and there would be
no reluctance on his part, if able, to
give it. There would be no unwilling
ness either to receive it or do without
ii Il those whom she ought to love
best found it necessary that she should
be denied. And in the latter case, if
the family relations were right, ave be-
lieve that the girl who says she would
say that she saw no good reason why
a good father or good brother, if
abundantly able to do so, should not
care for her: and surely they should
care for her and should supply her
needs. And when these family ar
rangementS are right, this is the nat
uTal agreement. 1t is not that it gives
them a right to expect that she shall
help to make the home happy, but it
is that if the feeling is what it ought
to be, she will love more than anything
else to make the home happy; she g-ill
not want to leave those who are dear
est to her; and they, on their part,
will find no pleasure so sweet as that
which provides for her need.
But after these two classes, one of
which goes out into the world and finds
occupation because she wishes to be in
dependent of those who begrudge her
what is due her, and the other class
that goes out from a spirit of sheer in
dependence, comes a far larger class
which takes occupation outside the
home because it must, and ultimately
because the home needs a help. 1t is to
this class that the question of the choice |
of an occupation is vital. And this !
class subdivides itself into two di-
visions-half of this class may have a !
choice of occupation, and half may not |
be able to have any choice whatever. |
For those who are sufficiently well
situated as to be able to have any
choice and to select and to train them /
selves for a field of work should on
no account fail to do this, or take the |
first thing that offers simply because
IL does OFFER. On the contrary, their /
choice should depend first on their own
natural inclinations, for, working at
something one likes one is infinitely
healthier and happier than when in a
distasteful occupation.
Girls of this sort, study this question, !
and see what you want to do, what you
would like to do; if all things lay open
before you what you would like to
learn to do. Think about your future
usefulness and the probable length