The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-05-07
TO GIRLS WHO
HAVE TO WORK

5ne lS lUueeu fortunate III Sne mas
been brought up to work and given
the necessary training for her career
In life. But there is another sort of
girl who starts in life heavily handi-
capped by her ignorance of any kind
of craft or profession-the girl who
Is suddenly left almost penailess, to
face the world as best she may; or
the girl whose parents have lost their
money and who feels it incumbent on
herself to provide for her own main
tenance as well as assist in their sup
port.
Now, the first thing that any wo-
man should do who is obliged to
make her own way in the world is to
carefully consider what talents she
has, so that she may not take up
work for which she has absolutely
no natural taste and in which she
can never be a success. For instance,
it is unwise for the girl who is a
good housekeeper and who has been
thoroughly trained in all the domes-
tic arts to try to find artistic work.
Even the homely occupation of talk
ing boarders will pay her much bet
ter and bring her more happiness in
tho end than a profession for which
she has no natural aptitude.
The chief rule of success is to per-
severe, and yet to persevere again.
Work is not easily found, and rebuffs
are sure to be many. But the girl
who succeeds in life is never daunted
or disheartened. She accepts defeat
cheerfully, and in trying to rise above
circumstances eventually conquers
them.
In an article of this sort 1t is i'm
possible to particularize on exactly
how one should go to work to make
money, for circumstances alter cases
so greatly, and the sort of thing that
would be a success in one environ
ment would fail in another. One
can only generalize, but the follow
ing few hints may be useful: Do not
attempt to write unless you have
good education and are certain you
nave a talent for writing. To wend
one's way successfully through the
horny paths of literature to the goal
of success one needs not only talent,
out an endless amount of energy and
patience. If girl is a particularly
bright and interesting letter-writer,
she may safely assume that she will
write an interesting, chatty article;
but articles are many and competi-
lion is great, and l should advise
everyone to try a less overstocked
market.
A doctors daughter might take up
massage. There is always an open
ing for skilful masseuse. 1t is not
eery expensive to take a three
months course, and you may be a
long time in working up a connec-
lion, but il you send your business
cards to all the doctors of your ac-
luaintance or. better still, interview
hem personally, modestly explaining
your capabilities. they will probably
De only too glad to recommend you
20 patients in need of your services.
II you have deft fingers and are
clever at the better kinds of fancy
work, you can nearly always dispose
If good needlework at the shops or
woman's exchanges. The great thing
20 remember, IL you wish to sell your
work, is to keep it spotlessly clean.
It would be as well If some of the
girls who work things and expect
heir friends to buy them would re-
member this. 1 should be inclined
20 allow cake of soap to every large
piece of work.
have said nothing about the pro-
:essions of stenography, bookkeeping
or trained nursing, in which many
thousands of women are profitably
employed, because these are profess
;ions that require from one to three
or four years training. and this ar.
ticle is intended especially for girls
thrown suddenly on their own re-
sources, who are not able to spend
such a long time in preparation.
Perseverance in whatever line you
take up cannot be too great, but it
must be perseverance allied to dig
nifty, a stern and wise desire to get
on, not vulgar wish to elbow every
one out of the way. All girls should
be careful of taking offense at real or
imaginary sights l have helped a
good many people both to seek and
find employment, and l must regret
fully say that the chief thing that
has struck me about the girl in re-
duced circumstances who wishes to
work is her want of perseverance and
her readiness to imagine she is being
slighted. A friend once asked me to
help such girl to get something to
do. She said she had no accomplish.
ments, and she did not think she was
very useful. However, she was
nice girl and exceedingly pretty, with
beautiful large dark-brown eyes and
a tender, mobile mouth. 1t struck
me that she might with advantage
make something of her precious gift
OF beauty.
l consulted a celebrated lady art.
list, who was also a friend of mine.
She offered to let her sit as a STUDY
of head" to a class of lady pupils.
The pay was fairly good and the
work light flour hours a day., and
she was not obliged to keep her head
in one stiff position. She came to
see me after the first day, and seemed
very pleased and grateful. Then
suddenly ! heard she had left. The
artist told mo she thought 1t a great
pity, as she could have given her