The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-02
ADVICE FOR
YOUR GIRLS
Instruct Them Care
fully While They
Are Young.

Is In beauty, in purity. in good
ness. it is woman"
1t ia every woman's desire
to be loved and even in her most in
discreet moments, could you get to the
heart Of the matter. you would discov-
er that she is only seeking admiration
and affection. This is more trans
parent with the growing girl, because
she has not yet learned to hide her
feelings, and in consequence does
many rash things.
This 10 the reason why she 1irts, ex-
changes pictures and jewelry, and al
lows familiarities with boys of whom
she knows very little,
The parent is either too weak-mind-
ed or ignorant to influence her daugh-
ter in the right direction, or she goes
to the other extreme and forbids all in
tercourse with boys.
The first course permits the girl to
take any liberties with her home and
its Inequalities, and, having no respect
for her mothers judgment and pos
Sessing none herself, she welcomes
anybody she happens to meet.
The second course is even more
blamable. A normal girl seeks inter-
course with boys, and will get it
whether her parents approve or not.
She will meet them at other girls
houses, or even worse, on the streets,
and, having no power of discrimina-
ton. results are often disastrous.
It is the mothers duty to see that
her daughter meets the right men.
Even If this side of her nature devel-
ops early, due, perhaps, to environment
or companions, she would do better to
allow the boys than to refuse her
4 daughter their companionship. She
can and should discriminate, however,
and so exercise a stronger influence
than otherwise on the girls life.
There comes a time when the prin-
ciple Of life should be explained by the
mother to her daughter. She herself
knows best when this time arrives, and
never should she shirk what is per-
haps her highest duty. Many who call
themselves mother" shrink from this,
salving their consciences with the
thought that 1t is unwomanly to speak
of such a subject, thereby forcing the
child to learn from outside sources.
The mother is the girls nearest and
dearest friend, and she alone can pre-
sent this knowledge in delicate way,
far better than can a doubtful book, or
q girl friend. If there were less reti-
cence about such matters between
mothers and daughters, there would be
less freedom between boys and girls,
and more properly placed modesty.
It Is the mother who can best ex-
plain to her daughter why kissing, in
itself perfectly proper, is better re-
fused to a man until the ideal is found,
and an engagement exists. If the
mother be an up-to-date woman in 9TH
er respects, her daughter will respect
her opinion in this matter, ALSO
Every girl has an ideal woman. She
may be the heroine of book, a crea-
lture Of her mind, or a real woman; no
matter, she must be beautiful. But
does she analyze her further, demand
ing for her beauty of speed and action,
'graciousness of manner, straightncss
of mind and desire?
It Is good plan to spend a short
time each day in thought. Every girl
OF growing age INDUCES in dreams"
so she can spare little time to pic
ture the Attributes of her ideal woman.
She should make it plan to model
herself daily upon her ideal, and she
will find herself improving, but even
then she will have work to do, for her
ideal has not been standing still, bun
advancing as she progresses.
Girls, can you imagine your ideal
firting on street corners, exchanging
LECTURES or rings with men whom she
has met perhaps once, kissing boys
who place no value on what should BE-
a precious privilege? Can you imagine
her losing her womanly dignity to
"chase after" boy who Is already
tired of her foolishness?
Or do you picture her attracting
through sheer force of character as
well as personality? Don't you want
her to refuse overtures of affection
from Tom, Dick and Harry, and keep
her heart in reserve for the one man
who is worthy of both her respect and
love? All sure that you do. And as
surely as you want your ideal to be-
have in this manner. SO you will act
yourself