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A Plain Word Of Two

A Plain Word Of Two image
Parent Issue
Day
10
Month
September
Year
1880
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Souie reccDt cvents iu western villflgau tuakc timely a few plain words about the condition of tbat largo class of young girls, the daughters of sniall faruiern, tradeamen, mechanica, shopkeepers, etc, in inland towcs. They have, as a rulu, bonest blood in their veina. Thcir fathor is liard at work now in the field or bhop- tho mother is drudging just &s hard in the kitohen ; they live pcantily, and save every ponny to " give the children a lift in the world." Tü accompli.sh this, the boys are nushed through the high school, or soiue local college, and then sent out west with a profession or a trade ; tho girls are given two or three years at school. With that, their proparation lor life stops short. In Frauce, ;i fkrmer'a daugl'tcr of' tliis rank becomes the hcad of the dairy (as our farmers' daughters did two generation3 ago. ) Shc knows nothiug about decorating gingcr jars or Btruinming waltzes on the piano, hut she turns out of her skilful fingers delicate ohowea and butter, which command the highest prioe in the Paris and London markets. " American butter," says the last report, " does not rank high, becau;c it is handled by uiachinery ; the Breton is worked by manipulation." So high do the Breton dairies rank, siuiply in consequenco of the personal supervisión of them by the farmers' wives and daughters- wonien with intelligence as well a-s hands - that it is not uncouimon for a dairyninn to give bis daughter a dower of from $15,000 to $20,000 ; much of it the product of her own skill iu detail work and management. This great industry in its higher branches is open to the clasfl of which we write. In Germany a girl of tilia elass and of classes much more clevated is carelully taught dotuestic duties, and expocted also to practice them. In the Scandinavian. nations she is taught work in her school ; is brought to confirmation, and thenceforward the good pastor of the village with her parents watches over the maid to keep her modest and devout. Now, what is a girl of that class in this country taught to do ? The affection of her fáther contentó itseli' in supplying her with cheap finery, which she Letrilla und ties back after the latest Worth design - her mother, in nine cases out of ten, stands between her and work of any kind, drudges herself' and turns the girl loose to have a good time and to eatch a beau. The girl Uerself, though innately yirtuous, truthful, and disposed to be religious, by the time she has dawdled away three or four idle years, filled her ignorant brain with the literature of' the cheap story-papers, and carried on a dozen romping flirtations, is oourse, blatant, and port beyond the toleranco of decent people. She has just enough schooling to enable her to look down upon her old father and mother ; she has no trade, no einploymcnt, no object in life except to be married. If' she had fortunately belonged to a lower rank in life, she would have had to learn industrious habita by working for her living ; if she belonged to a higher rank, she would feel the necessity of selfcultivation, she would learn to use both head and hands in music, art, in the thousand duties and accomplishments which belong to a refined wornan. But our poor girl is neither the useful ant nor ornamental butterfly. She is her own mistress. She goes, as we have seen, alone with young men to circuses and camp-meetings, and nobody thinks any harm of it. Ruin, as in cases we have noted, does not often follow it. But the coarsening and vulgarizing of this layer of our social life is the inevitable result. We wish to be understood. There are no more virtuous women than the American ; this licensed freedom granted to our younggirls is a sign that we all believe that. But the freedom is being carried a littlo too far. Let us havo modesty as well as virtue. Every class of wonion has its defect. - The defect in this ono lies not in any in feriority of moráis or intellect, but simply in that they have reachod that stace of developement when they are idle. They are not elevated enough to work with thcir heads ; they have learnod to despise howehold labor as monial ; and nono other offers to them in the country. If compelled to earn their living, they crowd at once to the ei ties. The best private houses would welcome an intelligent, modest, expert American girl as housekeoper, cook or waitress, would give her a secluded home, high wages, a luxurious tablo, and, most yaluable of all, protection. But tüey invariably prefer to enter milis, to run sewing machines, or to take places as unskilled shop girls on wages that range from $2 to $4 per week ; to lodge in garrets and live on starvation fare. It is out of the ranks of these girls that the lowest dopths of infamy in our cities are filled. Tho cure for the defect seems to be that fathers and mothers should take better care of their daughters. Give a girl as well as a boy work of their own, and let it be dono under their father's roof and laother's eye. Give to them an old-fashioned faith and skill in downright work ; and, whether you be farmer, tradesman, sr laborer, surround your little daughter "rom her eradle with protection, the honor, and the modeaties due to her as a woman. You will not only have elevated her life, sut you will have done more than you can measure to civilizo and refine the class to whicli sho

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News