The border vidette., 1931-07-25
WASHlNGTONS ADVICE TO A
YOUNG LADY

of the United States Commission
for the Celebration of the Two
Hundreth Anniversary of the
Birth of George Washington, has
long been q student of the writ
ipes of our First President. He
has read practically everything
written by that great man. When
asked what be considered the
| most interesting letter Washing.
ton ever wrote, the Senator
smiled for moment and said:
That is a difficult question to
answer. Practically every letter
be wrote was interesting. But
the one be wrote to Harriet
Washington. his neice, has al
ways appealed to me. You must
remember that when Washington
took the time to write that kind
" letter of advice be was serving
as President of the struggling
young Republic and had more
serious problems on bis hands
than any man in the country. l
wish that every young woman
in our fair land would read it.
It is full of excellent advice. that
has a present-day appeal"
The famous letter to which the
Senator referred reads as fol
lows:
"Philadelphia, 80 Oct. 1901.
Dear Harriott,
II have received your letter of
the 21st instant, and shall al
ways be glad to hear from you.
When my business will permit,
inclination will not be wanting
in me to acknowledge the receipt
of your letters; and this / shall
do more cheerfully, as it will
afford me opportunity at those
times of giving you such occa
sional advice, as your situation
may require.
| AT present I could plead o
better excuse for curtailinR my
letter to. you, than you had for
shortening Of yours to me, hav
ing multitude of occupations
before me. while you have moth
Eirg to do; consequently you
might with equal convenience to
yourself have sat down to write
your letter an hour or two or
even a day sooner, as to have
delayed it until your cousin was
on the point of sending to the
Post Office. I make this remark
for no other reason. than to
show you it is better to offer nc
excure than q bad one, If at any
time you should happen to fall
into an error.
Occupied as my time now is,
and must be during the sitting
of Congress. I nevertheless will
endeavor to inculcate upon your
mind the delicacy and danger of
that period, to which you are
now arriving under peculiar cir.
cumstances. You are just en-.
tering into the state of woman
hood, without the watchful eye
of a mother to admonish. or the
protecting aid of a father to ad
wise and defend you; you may
not be sensible, that you are at
this moment about to be stamp
ed with that character, which
will adhere to you through life;
the consequences of which you
have not perhaps attended TO-.
but be assured it is of the ut
most Importance that you should
Your cousins, with whom yon
live, are we'll qualified to give
you advice; and I am sure they
will, if you are disposed to re-
ceive it. But, if you are disc
bliging, self willed, and unto.
wardly, it is hardly to be expect
ed that they will engage them
selves in unpleasant disputes
with you. especially Fanny,
whose mild and placid temper
will not permit her to exceed the
limits of wholesome admonition
or gentle rebuke. Think, then,
to what dangers giddy girl OF
fifteen or sixteen must be expos
ed in circumstances like these.
To be under but little or 20 con
troll may be pleasing to mind
that does not reflect, but this
pleasure cannot be of long dura
tion; and reason, too late per
haps, may convince you Of the
folly of mis-spending time. You
are not to learn. I am certain
that your fortune is small. Sup
ply the want of it, then, with
we'll cultivated mind, with dispo
sition to industry and frugality
with gentleness of manner, OBJ
liging temper. and such qualifi
oa<;ooo oS mill q otfrack nnkicp nr