Teach your girls not to boast of their own achieve-
ments. Teach them early what to do with their hands
and how to talk and walk quietly — not to shout and
call around the house. Teach your girls that work is
honorable, that riches are uncertain, and incompetence
is the beginning of crime. If a girl never has to work
she needs the training for discipline and development
of character. The mother who teaches her girl that
wjork is a disgrace is simply laying a foundation for
her ruin. If you read the life of some great men and
women, you will find they worked, and they were not
ashamed to work. A lazy, idle woman is not a woman
83
to be looked up to in any way. They are always
selfish, hateful, mean, and gossiping. You study such
people — you will find nothing Christ-like about them.
Harriet Beecher Stowe has left her imprint on the
nation and she was disciplined and developed by labor.
Still labor wtill relieve anyone from the certain evils
that follow idleness. We wish to say to the mothers :
if you have a child who is inclined to be wild, the best
cure for that kind of child is labor. We also say to
parents : let no child look forth to a life of idleness ;
make them think that they have to do something to
help themselves. Teach your girls to sew, paint, make
fancy work ; these things go tO' make a beautiful home.
Our whole life is a school and as the saying goes,
''The early bird catches the worm," so it is with our
lives : if begun by work and diligence they will be
a success ; spent in efifort for good, w^e can make our
fnark in life and men will call us blessed.
When your girls are old enough, teach them how
to entertain young men, also- how to be dignified and
lady-like in the presence of young men; not to allow
them to put their hands on them, or hit them with
fans, handkerchiefs, etc. Teach your girls not to keep
late hours unless in company with an older person,
and not to ride late at night with young men alone.
There may be no harm in the ride, but these things
often bring unjust criticism.
Teach your girls to seek the best things in life.
Anything that has no good moral is not worth your
notice. Teach them never to say unkind wtords about
other girls to young men ; this is not only an unkind
thing to do, but an intelligent young man will have
very little respect for such girls. Teach theiri to
84
converse well ; it is a great accomplishment. Teach
them to be nice in all places and at all times, but be
careful not to be toO' prim and precise because that
does not show gracefulness nor good breeding. In
the conclusion in our talks to mothers we hope some
good thoughts may be gotten out of them.
We further wish to say, girls, and boys, must be
early brought to Christ. This will build the founda-
tion for all teachings mentioned above. The boy or
girl without Christ has no foundation on which to
W'Ork; without a foundation all things are uncertain.
TALKS TO GIRLS.
The girls of the colored race are fast making their
mark in the educational, professional, business and
domestic world. Yet we who love and take girls into
oitr hearts, see many things to which we should call
their attention.
Page 35
Presented as published in 1905. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Teach your girls not to boast of their own achievements. Teach them early what to do with their hands and how to talk and walk quietly — not to shout and call around the house. Teach your girls that work is honorable, that riches are uncertain, and incompetence is the beginning of crime. If a girl never has to work she needs the training for discipline and development of character. The mother who teaches her girl that work is a disgrace is simply laying a foundation for her ruin. If you read the life of some great men and women, you will find they worked, and they were not ashamed to work. A lazy, idle woman is not a woman
to be looked up to in any way. They are always selfish, hateful, mean, and gossiping. You study such people — you will find nothing Christ-like about them.
Harriet Beecher Stowe has left her imprint on the nation and she was disciplined and developed by labor. Still labor will relieve anyone from the certain evils that follow idleness. We wish to say to the mothers : if you have a child who is inclined to be wild, the best cure for that kind of child is labor. We also say to parents : let no child look forth to a life of idleness ; make them think that they have to do something to help themselves. Teach your girls to sew, paint, make fancy work ; these things go to make a beautiful home.
Our whole life is a school and as the saying goes, ''The early bird catches the worm," so it is with our lives : if begun by work and diligence they will be a success ; spent in effort for good, we can make our mark in life and men will call us blessed.
When your girls are old enough, teach them how to entertain young men, also- how to be dignified and lady-like in the presence of young men; not to allow them to put their hands on them, or hit them with fans, handkerchiefs, etc. Teach your girls not to keep late hours unless in company with an older person, and not to ride late at night with young men alone. There may be no harm in the ride, but these things often bring unjust criticism.
Teach your girls to seek the best things in life. Anything that has no good moral is not worth your notice. Teach them never to say unkind words about other girls to young men ; this is not only an unkind thing to do, but an intelligent young man will have very little respect for such girls. Teach them to
converse well ; it is a great accomplishment. Teach them to be nice in all places and at all times, but be careful not to be too prim and precise because that does not show gracefulness nor good breeding. In the conclusion in our talks to mothers we hope some good thoughts may be gotten out of them.
We further wish to say, girls, and boys, must be early brought to Christ. This will build the foundation for all teachings mentioned above. The boy or girl without Christ has no foundation on which to W'Ork; without a foundation all things are uncertain.
TALKS TO GIRLS.
The girls of the colored race are fast making their mark in the educational, professional, business and domestic world. Yet we who love and take girls into our hearts, see many things to which we should call their attention.