Milford chronicle., 1931-06-26
WASHINGTONPS
ADVICE TO A
YOUNG LADY

Senator Simeon d. Fess, of Ohio
who is the vice-chairman of the
United States Commission for the
Celebration of the Two Hundredth
Anniversary of the Birth of George
Washington, has long been a student
of the writings of our First Presi-
dent. He has read practically every
thing written by that great man.
When asked what he considered the
most interesting letter Washington
ever wrote, the Senator smiled for a
moment and said:
THAT is difficult question to an
swer. Practically every letter he
wrote was interesting. But the one
he wrote to Harriet Washington his
neice, has always appealed to me.
You must remember that when
Washington took the time to write
that kindly letter of advice he was
serving as President of the strug-
glilng young Republic and had more
serious problems on his hands than
any man in the country. l wish that
every young woman in our fair land
would read it. 1t is full of excel
lent advice, that has a present-day
appeal" -.--...
The famous letter to which the
Senator referred reads as follows:
Philadelphia, 80 October, 1871.
Dear Harriet.
Il have received your letter of the
21st instant, and shall always be
glad to hear from you. When smy
business will permit, inclination will
not be wanting in me to acknOwl-
edge the receipt of your lettersj and
this l shall do more cheerfully, as
it will afford me opportunities at
those times of giving you such Occa-
sional advice, as your situation may
require
'At present I could plead a better
excuse for curtailing my letter to
you, than you had for shortening of
yours to me, having a multitude of
occupations before me, while you
have nothing 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 postoffice. 1 make
this remark for no other reason, than.
to show you it is better to offer no
excuse than a 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 Con-
gress, l nevertheless will endeavor
to inculcate upon your mind the
delicacy and danger of that period,
to which you are now arrived under
peculiar circumstances. You are !
just entering into the state of wO-
manhood, without the watchful eye |
of a mother to admonish, or the pro- |
tecting aid of a father to advise and |
defend you; you may not be sensi-
BILE, that you are at this moment |
about to be stamped with that char
acter, which will adhere to you
life; the consequences of
which you have not perhaps attend
ed to, but be assured it is of the ut
most Importance that you should.
"Your cousins, with whom you
i've, are we'll qualified to give you
advice; and | am sure they will, if
you are disposed to receive it. But,
f you are .disobliging, self-willed,
md untowardly, it is hardly to be ex-
lected that they will engage them
selves in unpleasant disputes with
,Ou, especially Fanny, whose mild
md placid temper will not permit
Ter to exceed the limits of whole
or, ,onnifin11 70 1soh1lIrn |
Think, then, to what dangers a gid {
ly girl of fifteen or sixteen must be
exposed in circumstances like these. t
70 be under but little or no control s
nay be pleasing to a mind that does {
lot reflect, but this pleasure cannot l
Ie of long duration; and reason, too ]
ate perhaps, may convince you of
he folly of mis-spending time. You i
re not to learn, | am certain, that t
our fortune is small. Supply the a
yant of it, then, with a we'll Guilt f
ated mind, with dispositions to in }
ustry and frugality, with gentleness {
f manners, obliging temper, and
uch qualifications as will attract o
office, and recommend you to a S
Apply establishment for life. C
"You might, instead of associat-
lg with those from whom you caA f
erive nothing that is good, but may +
ave observed everything that is t.
eceitful, lying, and bad, become
he intimate companion of; and aid a
}, your cousin in the domestic con- b
erns of the family. Many girls,
efore they have arrived at your s.
ge, have been found so trustworthy E
5 to take the whole trouble .of h
Lmily from their mothers; but it is IL
Y a steady and rigid attention to a
lie rules of propriety, that such con-
lence is obtained, and nothing R
ould give me more pleasure than n
hear that you had acquired it. The b.
erits and benefits of it would re- fC
)und more to your advantage in
,ur progress through life, and to
e person with whom you may in =
lie time form a matrimonial con- n
fboO 70 an1y OfI,ovc bi1f m