Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-09-09
THE GIRL WITH NOTHING TO DO.
To Be Busy in Life Is Far Bet
ter.


''The old order changes" and no better
proof of this can be found than the
present symposium, in a magazine de-
voted to charity, as to the problem of
the well-to-do unemployed young girls.
George Eliot speaks somewhere of "the
perishing upper classes" and it is in this
spirit that the writers of the various
essays approach the we'll educated young
woman, living at home, going out in So
ciety, and well supplied with pocket
money, novels, open air exercise and
other Injuries. 1t might be supposed
that such young girl is frankly en-
viable. But it appears that the young
girl knows better and that her case is
one of peculiar hardship. owing to the
total lack of sympathy in the community
for her problems, and the total absence
of provision for her needs.
For consider what such q healthy,
energetic, educated, capable young wom-
an is expected to do with herself i'll the
five or ten years that elapse between her
graduation from school or college and
her probable marriage. If her mother is
in good health, there is no housekeeping
opening for her energies. She can pay
calls, keep up her accomplishments,
read, exercise and go to social functions
OF definite, systematic activity, with
tangible results, she has none. And as
it is i'll the very air of America to do
something and be something, she be-
comes restless and discontinued. Her
parents truly express it when they say
Ethel needs to be taken out of herself"
but neither they nor Ethel knows how to
administer this vague prescription. 4
rush to Il social settlement, an unsuitable
career" or even mistaken marriage
often closes the chapter. Certainly,
Ethel is an object of charity, in the
sense of plying desire to help.
The remedy, as agreed upon by the
symposium. is systematic social service.
Why should these young capacities go
utterly to waste? Why not utilize these
real forces in needed work for the conf
munity! One suggests normal courses
OF training in nursing, teaching, philan-
thropic work, and so on, for 4 definite
short period, so that the girl can give her
best activities for immediate use. An
other believes in kindergarten and nurs-
cry classes, gymnastics, library work
among the poor, stamp savings banks:
and third advocates home hygiene and
household economics, applied both at
home and among the tenements. A
fourth believes that every girl should
take this chance, IN the free years of her
youth, to learn a trade thoroughly,
whether it be cooking, stenography.
dressmaking, or what not, the only point
being that ''she shall delve and not
dabbe"
In all cases, the writer's maintain land
the majority of them are married wom-
EN- the girl, by becoming a happier
member of society-for sensations pail
with repetition, while all activities aug
ment their joy,"-wil be both more COM
panionable and cheerful at home, and
more likely to marry acceptably. Her
service is not to be paid for, and not to
Whether we agree with its possibilities
or not, it is certainly an interesting dis
cussion of a modern girls problems. The
theories advanced are not new, but there
can be no difference of opinion as to
their timeliness. And one thing is very
certain: The girl who is busy-heath-
fully, pleasantly busy-is far more hap
ply than the one who ''has nothing to do
but kill time"