Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-02-17

vulture, "but If you don't like my way,
you can leave" and with one angry stroke
of the beak, and another fierce clutch, the
vulture left the dove eyeless and wingless
and lifeless.
Many a woman who has had the hand OF
q young inebriate offered, but declined 1t,
or who was asked to chain her life to a
man selfish, or of bad temper, and refused
eternity that she escaped that earthly PAN
demonium.
In addressing those women who have to
battle alone, congratulate you on your
happy escape. Rejoice forever that you
will not have to navigate the faults of the
other sex, when you have faults enough of
your own. Think Of the bereavements
you avoid, Of the risks Of unassimilated
temper which you will not have to run, OF
the cares you will never have to carry,
and Of the opportunity of outside useful
ness from which married life would have
partially debarred you, and that you are
free to go and come as one who has tho
responsibilities of a household can seldom
be. God has not given you u hard lot, as
compared with your sisters. When young
women shall make up their minds at the
start that masculine companionship is not
necessity In order to happiness, and that
there is strong probability that they will
have to fight the battle of life alone, they
will be getting the timber ready for their
own fortune, and their saw and AK and
plane sharpened for its construction,
since every wise woman buildeth her
house."
AS no boy ought to be brought up with
out learning some business at which he
could earn a livelihood, SO no girl ought to
be brought up without learning the science
Of self-support. The difficulty is that many
family goes sailing on the high tide Of
success, and the husband and father de-
pends on his own health and acumen for
the welfare of his household, but one day
he gets his feet wet, and in three days
pneumonia has closed his life, and the
daughters are turned out on q cold world
to earn bread, and there is nothing rractt-
cal that they can do.
How is this evil to be cured? Start clear
back in the homestead and teach your
daughters that life is an earnest thing, and
that there Is a possibility, il not strong
probability, that they will have to fight the
battle of life alone. Let every father and
mother say to their daughters: "Now what
would you do for a livelihood If what now
own were swept away by financial disaster,
or old age, or death should end my career?"
My advice to all girls and all unmarried
women, whether in afIluent homes or in
homes where most stringent economies are
grinding, is to learn to do some kind of
work that the world must have while the
world stands.
o, young women of America! as many Of
you will have to fight your own battles
alone, do not wait until you meet with
disaster and your father is dead, and all
the resources of your family have been
scattered; but now, while in good house
and environed by all properties, learn
how to do some kind of work that the
world must have as long as the world
stands. Turn your attention from the en-
broidery OF fine slippers, of which there Is
surplus, and make useful shoe. Ex-
pend the time In which you adorn a cigar
case in learning how to make a good,
honest loaf of bread. Turn your atten-
tion from the making of fiimsy nothings to
the manufacturing OF important some.
things.
But" you ask, "what would my father
| and mother say IL they saw was doing
such questionable work?' Throw the
whole responsibility upon us, the pastors,
| who are constantly hearing of young wo-
men in all these cities, who, unqualified by
their previous luxurious surroundings for
the awful struggle of life into which they
have been suddenly hurled, seemed to have
nothing left them but choice between
starvation and damnation. They 20
along the street at o'clock In the wintry
mornings, through the slush and storm
to the place where they shall earn only
half enough for subsistence, the daugh-
ters of once prosperous merchants, law
yers, clergymen, artists, bankers and
capitalists, who brought up their chill
dren under the internal delusion that
1t was not high tone for woman to learn O
profitable calling. Young womanl take
this affair in your own hand, and let
there be an insurrection In all prosperous
families on the part of the daughters of
this day. demanding knowledge in occu-
patton and styles of business by which they
may be their own defence and their own
support IL all fatherly and husbandly
and brotherly hands fail them. 1 have
seen two sad sights, the one woman in
all the glory OF her young life, stricken
by disease, and in week lifeless in home
OF which she had been the pride. AS her
hands were folded over the still heart and
her eyes closed for the last slumber, and
she was taken out amid the lamentations
OF kindred and friends, I thought that was
sadness immeasurable. But have seen
something compared with which that
scene was bright and songful. 1t was a
young conan who had been all her days
amid wealthy surroundings, by the visit
OF death and bankruptcy to the household
turned out on a cold world without one
lesson about how to get food o. shelter,
and into the awful whirlpool Of city life,
where strong ships have gone down, and
for twenty years not one word has been
heard from her. Vessels went out on the
Atlantic Ocean looking for q shipwrecked
craft that was left alone and forsaken on
the sea few weeks before, with the idea
of bringing it into port. But who shall
hope and heaven that lost womanIy i'm
mortal, driven in what tempest, aname in
what conflagration, sinking into what
abyss? o God, helpl o Christ, rescue!
My sisters, give not your time to learning
fancy work which the world may dispense
with in hard times, but connect your skill
with the indispensables of life.
Let me say to all women who have al
ready entered upon the battle of life that
the time is coming when women shall not
only get as much salary and wages as men
get, but for certain styles of employment
women will have higher salary and more
wages, for the reason that for some styles
of work they have more adaptation. But
this justice will come to women not through
any sentiment of gallantry, not because
woman is physically weaker than men,
and, therefore, ought to have more con-
sideration shown her, but because through
her finer natural taste and more grace of
manner and quicker perception, and more
delicate touch and more educated adroit-
ness she will, in certain cailings, be to her
employer worth ten per cent. more, or
twenty per cent. more than the other sex.
She will not get 1t by asking for it, but by
earning it, and 1t shall be hers by lawful
conquest.