Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1900-02-24
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY "a,
ADVICE TO GIRLS.

turns out annually dozen or two Empor'
ia girls. most OF whom begin life with nc
other preparation for the world than they
get in high school. In the course of one
year. two years or five years these girls
find places in the MOSAIC of the town life
either as wives and mothers, working
girls or society people. None of these
girls ever find a prince. Most Of them
within five years from the time they blush
over the footlights with their essays on
the flaws OF our governmental system Of
ethics" finds themselves either alone or
married facing the problem of bread and
butter, which after all is the serious thing
that faces the world. These girls have
learned in the high school many things
about the Victorian poets; they have as
certained much that is curious about log
arithms. they have acquired familiarityof
amoam as-amat. and they can with reason
able certainty distinguish the salient
points OF difference between a metaphor
and hole in the ground.
But how many OF these girls can wash
baby' How many know where porter
house steak comes from'
What per cent of them can run a wreck
ing crew into a pullet and remove the
debris without breaking the gall bag.
How many can pick out good roast of
mutton and know how to dress it and
serve it so that it won't taste like rancid
nightmare'
How many can make their own under
wear'
How many know how to save the scraps
Of meat and potatoes bread and cake and
vegetables and make soups and stews and
croquets. and buildings and things out Of
them that saves half the grocery bill for a
man?
Yet these are the important thing OF life.
This knowledge is far more important 10
happiness than a knowledge that the
square of *" plus ~" is square plus
two KY plus y square.
The average girl in the course of time
marries. And she dosen' marry million
aire; she marries man who is making at
the time Of his marriage very little over
or under $40 a week. He goes out six
days in the week digging for that ten. 1t
is the girls part of the partnership to save
it for him. But il she Doesn't know
housekeeping farther than bakers bread
and fried beefsteak. the chances are that
the family will always be poor. that the
man will quit shaving more than once a
week and the slomick around in wrapper
and the tow-head, dirty-faced kids will
20 ragged and sick; that the doctor will
take all the money the grocer leaves and
that loves dream will soon be over and
the devil will be setting beside the 90 cent
alarm clock in the dirty bedroom. holding
his sides and laughing at what pudding
he has got.
And then when that high school girl
sees her graduation essay tied with a blue
ribbon in the bottom bureau drawer. she
will sit down and bawl while her bread
burns and she will wonder where all of her
high ideals have gone.
Here's where they've gone
The butcher has taken part Of them be-
cause the girl could not buy meat intelli-
gently. and save it making hash and stews
and croquets and things with the left over
parts.
The grocer has part of those ideals. be-
cause the girl lives on canned truck-the
most expensive food in the world, and
would bankrupt king
The dry goods man has taken some
more Of her ideals. because the girl buys
ready made garments that she Doesn't
know how to make.
The doctor will take a lot of those
ideals. because she dosen't know how to
cook wholesome food. to keep sanitary
house and to preserve sound body.
Then II the girl is like the average, she
will begin to toy with debt She will keep
her husbands nose to the grindstone. He
will lose heart. He will smoke more to-
bacco because he can't see that be is any
better Of for the saving when his wife
blows him for every cent he lays up. And
then they will jaw and row and people will
say:
And he used to be such a nice boy.
too"
Or, "And she was such sweet girl. too
before she married"
A boy who ties himself to that kind Of a
girl stands no more show than he would
with both legs of. OF course, he may win.
So may an armless man. A silly girl who
can't keep house is worse curse to man
than q dirt. As many men are ruined by
do.less women in their own homes as are
ruined by whiskey. And the thing that
the mother Of boy should fear is not SO
much the lady who anoints her bed with
myrrh and frankincense. as the girl who
leaves her bed unmade all day and who
lets the breakfast dishes 60 until noon
while she pins on street dress and lights
out for town. That is the kind of wom-
an that the boy should be saved from.
And she is lying in wait for the boy in
hundred parlors in this town every night.
Now all this is not the fault Of the high
school which has done much for the girl.
But IL is the fault Of foolish mothers who
think the high school does everything.
Given good home training in the homely
useful things Of life. high school educa-
ton is priceless boon. 1t brings happi-
ness. Il broadens the character: but II a
girl can only have one kind Of an educa-
ton. let her take her diploma from the
kitchen and ls. books 80 hang.
Nov this doesnt, agree with what the
school teachers say. and Il isnt what Mr..
Rnskin says. But Il Is what your good,
sensible. hald-headed daddy viii say or
your nice happy. fai mother win say, and
ihsy have lived life They have been
through . great dsnI. They have sean
rrsai deal. Il win pay % listen 70 then.
WILLIAM A. WHITE