The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-20
BY ADA PATTERSON

ny ADA PATTERSON
" oU are II and you must find work
4 to live 1t is a commonplace sit
ualon to every one save you. you
ana your mother. who, il she is wise
ana tender, lies awake many a night
seonizing over II.
hou are the fifth girl One of
every five girls IN the United states
works for her own living. and. in
greater or less degree. helps others to
Ilve- So you see you are not alone. You
are. in fact. quite usual.
You must earn your living, and I.
VINO have earned mine for 20 years,
write this because I want to help you.
oI course. in twice 10 years of earning
my rent. my food. my clothing. that
with which to pay my doctors and
dentists, and my savings fund for
tnat time when will be able to earn
less than I do today, perhaps less
than you will tomorrow. have
learned some truths about the girl
VINO wants to get on and who does.
MOST IMPORTANT
Are you surprised to learn that
most important is what you think
about 1t? No. not what others think
about you or what you are planning
10 do. what you yourself think about
It. What is the difference between
the persons you like and those YOU
dislike? 1t IS what they think about
things. isn't It? Think that over, for
1t is true. What we think about any
thing is our attitude toward it and all
important is attitude. Our thoughts
are our character, and, believe me.
dear little Miss Seventeen. upon char
acter rather than brains depends sue
cess. Sturdiness. inability to be
beaten, hopefulness. belief in the best.
these are our character because they
are our thoughts. Yes. It is most i'm
portant what you think about this
work finding and living making.
Think your own thoughts about II
and see that they are right thoughts.
What your mother thinks about II.
She is terrified and really thinks
that the world out beyond your cur
tain shades is a place of carnage.
of awful. death dealing battle It
isn't quite that Take my word.
have been in it for 20 years. Not
what Mrs. Brown who lives around
the corner thinks about 1t. Hers
are thoughts OF dark suspicion. Out
in that world, Mrs. Brown believes
every man has cloven hoofs and
every woman hard heart. Don't
accept Mrs Browns thoughts. Look
lug at the world through a crack
in the parlor shutters. her vision is
narrow. The business world isn't
hades, though IN acute moments its
temperature resembles it. The busi-
ness world on the whole, corre-
spends fairly with the family and
neighborhood and friendship circle.
You will find about the same ratio OF
good and bad traits in the folk you
meet Working for your living is
not a sinister girl trap. nor it is a
heavenly state. Like the family and
friends. it has it's good and bad points
NOT AN IDEAL PLACE
ideal place nor an impossible one. II
is a place TO sell goods. and you
have goods to sell That is what
being a business girl means. The
business world is a market place or
a shop window. Stop at the next
market place, or pause at the next
shop window you pass, and study Il.
The man who has something to sell
has placed his goods there and ar
ranged It In as attractive a way as
he can. That is what you must do.
You have to sell some ability or tall
ent. Perhaps you sing. Perhaps you
take shorthand" Perhaps you sit
on a high stood and add long columns
of figures and make them balance.
Perhaps you cook or scrub.
show you best goods" says the
merchant
do your best work" say /. The
world wants good work and will pay
for it. Don't sentimentalize. Leave
your emotions at home. Go clear
eyed and calm pulsed to market You
have something to sell Make your
sales. Polish your goods. Sell them.
Those are the right thoughts about
business life.
Miss Pattersens' next article VIII be