El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-20
Preparing Girl For Life
Teach Every Girl in the World 10
Be Self Supporting.
Nv nOrofhv

A NAN who signs himself, =
~ Father" asks this question:
4 n do you not think that before
a girl spends much time in thinking
of love or marriage she should equip
herself in some useful speclalry-Say
domestic science, for instance so as
to insure her having some occupation
by which she could support herself IL
she should ever be Obliged tOt Dom
you think she should do this regard
less of the financial condition OF her
rarentsT
hail it Is a glad day when even
one father has begun to think seri-
Ously and intelligently Of MS daugh-
ter's future. instead OF leaving it to
chance, as is the happy-go-lucky Gus
tom in dealing with girls
have written thousand times that
I think IL is simply criminal for par
ents to send their daughters out into
the world as helpless to deal with the
conditions that they are bound to face,
as a lamb would be to fight horde OF
wolves.
If a girl belongs to the welI-to-do
class her parents think they've done
their full duty by her II they have
given her the smatterfne- of an educa-
ton, and put all the balance of the
money they could spare on her back
They base all their hopes for her fu-
tGre welfare on the chance Of her mar
rying- They practically force her into
marriage for a livelihood because she
hasn't been taught any honest way OF
WOefuI Neglect OF Parents.
Even when a girl IS poor, and must
work. her parents do not take the
trouble to think out for her, as they
would for a boy, the occupation for
which she displays a natural aptitude,
nor do they take the trouble TO have
her thoroughly taught some trade or
procession so that she may get a good
salary instead of a small wage
It is not at all certain in these days
that a girl VIII marry, and If she does
IL
Of having an anchor thrown out to
the WindWard in the shape Of a knOWl-
edge Of how TO make a living for her
self. Husbands die Husbands become
invalids, and must be supported instead
Of supporting their wives Husbands
are sometimes good worthy, 1OTable
men, who do the best they can. but
who Just have the faculty for getting
along in the world left out Of their
composition, and they drag their fam
lilies down to penury. unless the wife
knows how to put her shoulder to the
wheel
Prepared for Emergencies.
Every girl in the world should be
prepared for some such contingency as
this She should be taught some occu-
patton By which she can support her
self II she needs to, and she VIII make
a better wife il she has practiced it
for a year or two before she marries.
There would be no need to cry out
against the extravaganza Of women if
every woman knew by experience what
OF every dollar
Give a woman q 5000 trade and you
put in her hands the weapon that is
going to reform matrimOny- There are
tens OF thousands OF wives who put
up with every sort Of insult and mis-
treatment from their husbands, because
they are dependent on them These
women are treated with inc0nceivabls
cruelty, but they have to eat the bread
OF dependency or starYe, because they
have no way Of supporting themselves.
Makes Her Independents.
The woman who has a good profess
sion OF trade viii not submit to this
humiliation She viii simply get I'D
and leave and 90 back to her old JOB.
The woman who can earn a fine salary
viii not stand for having pennies doled
out TO her as If she was a beggar. She
will turn her back on the cook stove
and repair to her typewriter or coun-
ter and for tR1S reason there viii be
who Is married to an independent WON
an VIII respect her independence
Above all the woman who has had
at her fingers ends some trade where
by she can make q living VIII be saved
from that most piteOus lot on earth
that Of the middle aged woman who IS
suddenly thrown out helpless and pen
nlless on the world. incompetent. IN
skilled, as ignorant as a baby OF any
gainful occupation, and too old TO learn
one
Every girl in the world should be
taught some way Of supporting her
self and every father should see to IL
that his daughter is that far protected
against the misfOrtunes Of life For
none Of US can tell what the turn OF
the wheel is going to bring Us