The Hattiesburg news., 1911-07-24
FEW YOUNG WOMEN
LACK QUALITIES WHICH
AWAKEN RESPECT.
BY Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

We have been surfeited recently
with accounts of the foliles and sins
of some foolish young women, women
who have sold their good names and
self-respect for the fieeting pleasures
which dishonest money can bring, wo-
men who have allowed libertines to
pursue them and who have been led
into the path of folly, without much
resistance.
In Oriental lands, when these news
paper tales are repeated, there is much
derision expressed for the American
woman
The men of the Orient say their
own system of keping women in Sc
clusion and away from temptation, is
far wiser, and more in accordance with
the Divine Plan.
Meantime, we have but to look about
MS, in our great city centress, to real
ize how snail a proportion Of The
young women Of America are lacking
in those qualities which awaken the
respect and admiration of the world
in every age and cline.
Every day from shops and factories
and offices thousands of young girls
in every city in the land may be seen
going home after hours of hard work.
Many of these toilers are remarka-
BILE for their beauty of face and form,
and hundreds of them have met and
scorned the tempter who sought to
lead them upon the path of adventure.
1t is said that happiness and virtue
do not make history and so the world
hears little or nothing of these honest
and good girls, while it hears much of
the idle and weak and vicious women
of the adventures class.
But let every girl and woman who is
living honestly, working Industrious
ly, and keeping her self-respect be
happy in the thought that she is weav
ing one of the strong durable fibres in
the great fabric of our nation.
1t does not matter whether she is
ever heard of outside of her own
small circle; it does not matter If she
fails to reap the reward of gratitude
and appreciation from those for whom
she gives her toll; so long as she is
conscious of doing what she feels is
right and best, so long as she keeps
her own souls respect, and refuses to
sell it for lordly pleasures, fine ap-
parel, or life of leisure and pleasure,
Divine Plan, and she is making the
world better for living in it.
And somewhere, some time, must
come her reward.
Thousands of these beautiful toilers
have old, i'll parents or relatives, or
younger brothers and sisters depend
ent upon them. To know the daily
lives of many of these working girls
would stir the heart of the most hard
ened pessimist with admiration for
the lovely qualities in human nature.
1t is worth the effort of every work
ing girl who is trying to be cheerful
under difficulties to learn a little of
the power which lies in her own mind,
to better her condition.
However dreary and uncomfortable
her surroundings, let her picture to
herself beautiful andl convenient en-
vironments, and in every possible
manner. in small ways, try to fit her
self to suit a different position in life.
When she is mentally fitted for better
things they will come.
The humblest rooms can be made
orderly; the simplest costume can be
neat and trim, and suitable.
Working hands can keep trimmed,
clean, polished nails; and working
minds obliged to think of the daily oc.