Year: 1867

life was TO be "in Society" They
had siren 9Th, too, TO meet the nee.
ossary iatigucs of dancing all night
and night after night, and did know
somo little, oven il they did not
afterwards learn any more.


During the war, however, this
was all changed, and q number Of
| young girls were admitted into so.
ciety who ought to have been in the
nursery. OF course they were pet
ted and admired and by this time.
just when they ought to commence
their careers, they are thoroughly
tired of all the pleasures of the
world, and would long for "cavc
in some vast Wilderness" only that
they are afraid Of their own shad.
ows. | know that our Southern
sirlsdid n great deal during the
war, but even our friends in the
army are sorry now that they
should have encouraged the precoci-
ty of so many who are now vcnera-
bic old children.


Ofcoursc, this can't be helped, and
want to teach girls to do better
better for themselves and every
body. / have seen great deal,
and, if any pain of mine can save
any one from the same pain, | shall
not have suffered in vain. We know,
dear Mr. Editor, that we have no
right to keep all our experience to
ourselves, and yet, it docs seems
strange, that can tell all the thou
sands Of people who read tho Mer-
cury what | would not tell even my
very, very dearest friend.


A young girl bin sleree, when she
first goes into society, is an attrac-
ton to every man who ever made a
pretty speech that he did not mean
of course / do not mean you'll
| There is the naiuete and freshness
of innocence. and the simplicity of
q heart that knows and suspects no
wrong. Even the grimmest old
campaigner, who has fought the bat
tie Of drawing-room and parlor,
through many gay winter is tas-
cinatcd by her. She says what she
| thinks, has no concealments, and
docs not think, as you said so wise
! ly the other day, that language was
given to men or women to enable
them 20 conceal their thoughts
Her heart is on her i ips, she speaks
according to her impulses, and likes
or dislkcs almost intuitivcly. un-
happily, though, all the persons we
know are not our friends. The
poor little 'roscbud" soon finds that
this stupid person is offended be-
cause she said that, and that stupid
person because she said this. The is
misunderstood by gentlemen, and
severely criticised by her young
lady friends. 1t is bitter enough
but she soon realizes that, according
to the code. she is in the wrong, and
going to the other extreme, be-
comes, self defence, as entirely arti
fetal as she was natural before.


What, then, ought young girl to
do? will tell her. She must con-
tinue to be natural and sincere, but
she must not say all that she thinks.
Where she cannot conscientiously
compliment or approve, she must
not always criticiSe and condemn.
She must learn that it will not do to
tell always the whole truth and that
the man with the beam in his eye
does not want his own attention or
that of his noighbor's called to it.
She must be polite, with the under
standing that, if the decision has
ever to be made between truth and
faIshood, sincerity and expediency,
right or wrong, in little things or
great, the true, the sincere and the
right must be adopted and pro-
claimed whatever the trouble or
cost. Girls ? you must be sincere
and if you want to ,rticise any one,
do it to some one friend whom you
have tried and can trust There is
no harm in having an intimate
friend! (Do you think there is?
l have one who always tries to make
me do great deal better than l
ever d do) Do not give the choicest
fruits of your mind to the whole
world. Be courteous, amiable and
obliging. Do not look for faults
there are enough on the surface
and always be charitable in your
conclusions. Lean to the side Of
mercy in every instance. Avoid,
above all things, reputation for
sarcasm and the abomlnable "smart-
ness" and remember that it is the
Southern girls who give the tone
and temper to the men of tho South.
If we sink. men sink; five deterior-
ate. they dcteriorate They natu-
rally look up to us! They recollcct
the tender, trusting love they bear
their mothers, and form for them
selves and ideal that we must help
them to realize. Let MS, then, help
them in peace as we did in war, and
teach them that, though all else fail
and deceive, they may always rely
on the truth, honor and sincerity of
a Southern girl; who, though poor,
perhaps, in worldly goods, can still
be rich in all that makes woman
worthy of admiration, reverence
and love.


Is this a long letter? | usually
write ten pages, but then | stretch
out the words: and my poor fingers
do ache so badly that | must leave
of. Good-by and du reroir.


RosE.


We are sorry to learn from Judge
Sayles that yesterday morning, a.
bout a mile beyond the Brazos river,