Year: 1879

Looking with mothers interest up
on the habits of young people and their
relations together, in this day; and
looking also upon the personal expert


ence of more than so years, l am pro-
foundly convinced that idlenesss in
women has as much Gf not more) to do
with the deep-rooted evil that is under
mining our social and national virtue so
rapidly and terribly, as any other intiu-
ence. The girls of this generation are
idle, even where families are in but mod
crate circumstances, and suffering must
come in somewhere from expenses en-
tailed by necessary work that is not
done by the daughters. Housework is
considered degradiug-even the light
offices for her own room, which every
true woman ought to feel unwilling
should be done by any hands but her
own, and by which every young girl
should make that place a sanctuary,
where her dignity and purity are to be
recognized and guarded by each ap-
pointment and arrangement within it;
and sewing is handed over to the
machine-workers as something quite out
of the question to be done. .s..


If no more should be said respecting
these points, it is pitiful to consider
how they are missing their own happi-
ness in this state Of things. No girl is
fitted for her future duties and respon-
sibilities as wife and mother who can
not do these things, and do them thor
oughly well and her future is not pro-
vided for unless her present is steady
and organized foundation for it, and
that can not be unless the mothers train
the daughters from babyhood for the
work that is sure to come to their wom-
anhood. When this is done the happi-
ness comes in. Mothers and daughters
have life together, bond of employ
ment and interest that is in constant
operation. Over their household mat
ters, and especially over the work Of
their needles, they have a companion
ship that grows with their lives, and
brings them into close intimacy, Of
which, alas, the mothers and daughters
of this day know very little. They are
really strangers to each other. The
steady training which the character of
the mother ought to be to the daughter
is not known, because they have no
work toget ther. The needle is a part of
woman's s dover. will not dwell upon
"the benefits of the sewing machine. p"
God means that women should use their
needles, and there is not the slightest
need ofinjury from its use, excepting in
cases which correspond with any other
necessity for oxerwork. 1t is great
subject, and not easily opened up in as
brief space as is allowable here; but /
believe-as l believe in God and his au-
pointments for us Shat if the girls of
this generation would take up daily
duty of work, no matter what their po-
sition or their means, the world would
be happier for it. Mothers would have
their society and their affection, as they
sorely miss it now; fathers would have
many dark hour of discourage
ment over heavy bills lightened


brothers would have q companionshir
of whose charm, as we'll as benefit, very
few have any knowledge now; anc
young men in other relations would have
view of womanhood that is almost en-


tirely lost in the present day Womer
are never more brilliant or fascinating
, (and they have God given right to b.
. brilliant and fascinating) than whel


their hands are occupied. Awkward
: ness and embarrassment disappear, AM
, perfectly at her ease-a charmin,
r woman becomes mistress of the posi-
t tion, and, happy herself, makes al
| around her happy.-"A Mother," i
, Ne,y York Trfhu,,e