The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-12-15
Practical Thoughts
For Practical Women,
By MINNA s. CRAWFORD.

My mail, of late. has been SO full of
to know how to earn money at home
that | feel inclined to devote a special
article to this very important subject
Included among the requests for in
formation are appeals for advice from
girls who are possessed with the desire
to go to the big towns and cities. Some
of the writers tell ME that they are tired
OF home life, its monotony or its drudg-
cry, or both; others express longing
for the larger opportunities that are
supposed to be a part of town and city
life.
There is something intensely pathetic
to me in contemplating the restlessness
Of spirit and the dissatisfaction ex-
pressed IN these written condolences.
They reveal countless tragedies of in
armony-inharmony that saps the love
ard corrodes the heart, sometimes mani
tested in peevish fauthndings and again
in sullen, sour faced obstinacy. Poverty
is usually given as the root and cause
Of dissatisfaction; but l feel sure, if
probed to its source, that source looked
at with clear vision, would often be
found to be selhshness This makes it
an extremely delicate matter to give ad-
vice or counsel where but one side Of
the case is known, and feel il a great
responsibility to have thrust upon me to
counsel step that may mar human
life.
The first and most natural impulse in
the case Of the young girl who wants
to leave home and venture among stran-
gers is to warn and counsel her not to
do so, but-will this advice be needed
I hardly think so for human nature de-
lights in acting contrary to all advice
that disagrees with inclination. Conse-
quently, it is well to qualify whatever
advice is given by urging those deter
mined to go not to do so until they have
equipped themselves for the venture by
learning some trade or profession that
will assure them of employment and sup
port from the start Here the advan-
tages of the correspondence schools
shine out as beacon lights. One need
not cross ones door sill! to learn any
thing, from cooking to engineering,
from dressmaking to architecture Uncle
Sans free mail delivery brings the
school right to your home freside, and
dwellers in the remotest, lonciest farm
house can enjoy the individual instruc-
ton of the worlds best teachers in every
line of human endeavor and knowledge.
To the young girl whose ambition
lies cityward these correspondence
schools open the way to secure such
knowledge and skill as may serve to
guide and save the frail bark from
wrcckage in the great whirlpool Of the
cities and enable her to find perma-
net anchorage in pleasing and lucrative
work.
There are so many courses taught in
branches that are open to women that
personal inclination and native ability
are usually the best guides to selection.
Shorthand is favorite study and we'll
paid profession for those who have the
necessary proficiency in spelling. gram
mar and punctuation. Salaries range
from eight to twenty-five dollars weekly.
for, curiously enough, these professions
Of shorthand and bookkeeping, once re-
garded as belonging exclusively to men,
and now subject to the keen competi-
ton of men, are not nearly so well paid
as the purely feminine work of either
millinery or dressmaking. It is hard to
explain this, except by the fact that there
are nowadays two aspirants for Office
work where there is one who turns to
the needle for livelihood. Yet it is
an acknowledged fact that there is no
branch of woman's work that pays so
handsomely as either millinery or dress
making, nor Is there any so valuable to
the woman herself, whether she wishes
to make only the garments worn by her
self and family, or learns it in order to
add to her income right in her own
home, or intends to devote all her time
and energy to either millinery or dress
making as a business.
The girl or woman who takes up =
course in millinery and gives to it the
serious thought of q student instead Of
the superficial inefficiency of the happy
go-lucky amateur will find that her work
soon becomes extremely fascinating and
profitable. The delight Of noting her