GIRLS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13664, 5 August 1908, Page 6

GIRLS.

TERRORS OF PARENTHOOD. (By "M.W.,"- in the ■ "Daily- Express.!'). "Boy or girl?" I,enquired of the happy father. "Boy,".'said he,'.his face radiant, his expression that of , a man who would be charmed to. give you: the . half , of his kingdom ; and he. added : " I tianik all the stars for this great mercy of a boy," "Wliy?" quoth. I; whereupon .the happy father made me this discourse: "A girl or two (said he) is all very well at first; ■■ you hope "for better .hick. But when a third is added to the first pair, and, you sit-in the, gloaming , and think of the future, terrifying visions rise before your eyes. You see. yourself an old man leaning on a staff, with- your three; perhaps your four, five, or six old maiden daughters . grouped about.- you. - Or you see yourself a lonely old man, bereft by marriage of till your lambs; and you do not flatter yourself that every one of them will make .a ; ha;ppy maicbl Again you see your daughters, while still young, fatherless, fighting against, , the world. And then you almost hope that there will be no more children; so dread are the fears of the father of girls. Whether it was a greater trial ; to. have' six married or six -unmarried. daughters depends, of course, on the daughters;. generally, the greater trial is to have the daughters at home. Mothers, at least, have the idea that daughters' who do not marry, are .failures. : ; Now with a boy it is no matter, whether he marries or not. Let him do. so, you flatter yourself on an irresistible son. A lady-killer, yon say—a chip., of . the old block. Let- him remain a bachelor, .. and you swear that- no girl is worthy to be his" mate. My son, you say to your cronies, finds the modern girl insipid. " The future of a boy hoiods, sma.l terrors to a father. ' He will look after himself, whatever betides. He has his father's spirit; he will carve his way: to the front. If you have, no money put by for the boy, in case you may be called to another place "where ;you may no longer support him—it is not a fearful thought. The boy, you say, will be the better - man for having to make his own future. . " .... But the -future of your girls—how terrifying is. the thought of it! What agony of mind a father must- suffer, when he trite to lift, the veil of Time to see what, shall-become of his daughters. And if itbe that he has no money put by to iDsure them against want, his days are likely to be hunted by the fear that one day they would ba thrown protectories to the world. And what then? ' . . Pitfall and gin shall beset their feet. The world remains a cruel and wicked place; the young girl, going her ways, is pierced by thorns, bruised by stones. Your girl, thrown to this merciless monster world, is likely enough to know the pangs of hunger, to bruise ' her hands knocking at' the dorr of every overcrowded labour : mart. - ' At last slie gains work,, and . what tlien ? Very, long .hour's and very, small wages

will doubtless be her lot. She becomes, perhaps, a. ' tea-girl, serving for ten, twelve, or fourteen hours a day in. an underground cavern, "airless, sunless, reeking with tobacco smoke. ; .. Without a. thorough training in some specialised branch oi womans work, you realise. that your daughter's .chanoce® of earning a- .living are- exceedingly, risky, depenaing large on influence, or luck, or looks. " . It ! may '.be she - learns typewriting .and shorthand. . a large office, well; organised, with good,, true men at the .head of affairs, no;-doubt all would be well; bub the better- the conditions of' work, the smaller the chances of , a berth. ISo she seeks employment in a small office; every business requires a girl for typewriting in these, days. - There: is no guarantee -of regular 1 pajr,' or of - constant employment, or of chivalrous treatment. If she becomes a nursery governess; her life: will too' often he -hard' and monotonous. Her leisure - will be a scanty, and . she will always have. the irritation of living near pleasant things - that she, herself does not share. : '; ' , Thoughts like. these come crowding upon the father of girls who is hard put to it to support himself and -his young fariiily. They . come as he is looking'. with doting, eyes upon his darling, baby girl,, a vision of -innocent loveliness; .as ; he watches .her dolls, dM over the ,lawn>. or starting out, a prim, "'little' dainty .figure, in; a, new poke-bonnet,; for church.. So weak is a woman,: so strong.is the worldl .. ,■ >- The; only grain of comfort: is that women have learnt wonderfully to- look after themselves during the past twenty years. ... But-' in vain the father.- tries - to. lift the veil of;thei.future.. Whether, he. will live long, or die young, whether he will be able to, provide for. his girls,- or-must soon go : bankrupt—he • does. not • know. ' Trade is had; Jus ; bi}ahess (n particular is risky. It may. be—but then again. ■ A lid there arises- side byside-' with !-h is great fears and his little hopes/a' new - strong, hope,' which grows overtops-, his ;;fears,-: and" becomes the-tower-,on 5 whichi he leans all his-very burdens;, ' -fit is. the hope that' his: daughter may: marry.•' He ' throws ■ his- heart on the scales >of hope and fear on the side wherein ■ .the .mother's -heart has been . froni- the. .'beginning. •.. '•' . ■ - • .' may make -a gp.od -match, and -may. live happily, ever after.. .. Then she must , be' educated well, must. be trained in. all sorts of. coquetry, . diiess'.finely, must-, attract attention. 'lhis> meatis .money; ' .The - father works at ; 'moneyrmaking "harder than ever, . and as fast as'money is made lie spends it upon . -his daughter, and\upon the. family's .appearance.- He. has no money to' spare ,for provident fund. . - v . And tlien? " But who knows? ' Whatever the outcome, the moral is as ' clear,u's'daylight.■ A father of daughters ought from the day of their ■ birth to .put by ev^rj T ',penny tlia't cfin be spared to, make secure provision for-the earliest, possible .moment for Ins ■ daughtew' future. Every; spare, penny, -'.halfspenny,, and- ;farth-. irig ought to' be put aside, until, for each daughter, he has amassed a capital of' one thousand, pound's. ; . "■ "I take it ..yerj 1 " .kindly," said I at this point,- " that. Fate lias sent nie no. daughter.", V ' .