The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-06


not mean graham hour-should be used
instead; this, with the different break
fast foods. eggs. milk. vegetables, fruits
and nuts, form a proper diet for growing
girls. While I do not entirely exclude
meat, do not consider it necessary.
A girls appetite is apt to be ftful In
the morning especially II she does not
sleep in well ventilated room-hencA
she should have nourishing lunch at
recess time as we'll as noon, and a good
meal at night. This lunch may consist
OF bread, nuts and fruit, but never pie,
cake. crackers, cookies or doughnuts.
At noon sufficient time should be given
to allow the meal to be eaten without
haste, and at least a ha1f-hour should
pass before she is allowed to study. For
the noon meal bowl OF soup, bread
and butter, and fruit are sufficient.
More evils arise from improper food
than from over study, hence the import
ance I attach to this part of my SUBJ
ject.
Perhaps the most momentous period
OF girls life is when her brain stops
growing In size, while it continues to
grow more active and complex. At this
time, II ever, she becomes ambitious,
She builds her castles in the air. She
makes up her mind whether she wants
to be married or to plan her life diff
ferently. This is the time when she
should have all the sympathy OF both
parents. Her father or oldest brother,
or uncle-at any rate some pure, noble
minded man-should be her dearest
friend. and her mother, or some wise,
sympathetic woman, her closest conf
dante. She should be able to talk to
them freely upon the subjects which in
terest her most, whether it be "the
boys or metaphysics. This is the pc
Rod OF change, when a harum-scarum
girl may become wild and fast, or
thoughtful and wOmanly. AS we love her
let us watch and counsel her now! Her
passions are high, her temptations great.
and will be for ten years. She must be
fully occupied now, if never before. Let
her have fun, and plenty OF it, Of a
healthful kind, plenty of physical exer-
else, whether it be tennis, dancing or
wheeling, to work off her supernatural
ance OF animal spirits, but let her always
be accompanied by her sympathetic
father, mother or wise friend. At any
rate, know where she is and with whom
she is. Interest her now, If 1t hasn't
been done long before, in young peo-
pies societies, whether literary, musi-
cal, religious or scientific. If she is
leader naturally, give her important
things to do that her ambition may be
properly fed; if she is timid and re-
firing, encourage her to do the things
she does best, and so give her self-con-
fdence. But let us find something for
her to do and some place for her to
work. Now Is the time for her to be in
terested in the things which go to make
up a woman's life. Teach her to sew,
to cook, to nurse the sick, to care for
children, besides teaching her the
things which are usually taught nova
days.
If our girl already has bad habits
which we wish to correct, there is
remedy at every ones command, easy
to apply and quick to act, namely, sug-
gestion. All OF you suggest courses of
conduct to the people, especially chill
dren, around you many times a day.
You remember the story Of the mother,
who, upon leaving her children to take
care OF themselves for awhile, said:
Now don't play with the fire, nor put
beans up your noses," and found upon
her return that they had played with
the fire, and each child had put a bean
up it's nose. Well, that was case of
suggestion. II she had not said any
thing about the fire or the beans they
might not have thought to NEEDLE with
them. at least not until they had ex-
hausted every other means Of amuse-
ment. We must not say, You are a.
naughty girl" but suggest. you want
to be good GIRL" or you are a good
girl. you want to please me, because
you love me-" By suggesting to her,
mot to stand on the corner and talk to
the boys half an hour after school," you
make 1t easier for her to do 1t than for
her to come home. Instead say: "I'll
have something pleasant to tell you, or
for you to do, when you come home to-
night" Has she habit of biting her
nails, or Of walking with her toes
turned the wrong way? Does she de-
ceive you about things, or has she se-
cret vice7 Talk to her when she is
asleep. 1t can be done without waking
her. if properly done. Suggest to her
that she does not want to do such o
thing; that she knows that it Is wrong:
that she wants to be good, and become
a~woman whom everybody will love, and
after few suggestions like that you
will notice an improvement, a few more
and she will be cured.
We do not want our girls to be slangy,
to chew gum, to use slovenly English,
to walk ungracefully, to be headstrong,
or unladylike. or deceitful, or nervous,
or stupid, and she need be none of these
If suggestions to the contrary be prop
erly employed.