OUR GIRLS AND THEIR FRIENDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XVI, 16 April 1898, Page 494

OUR GIRLS AND THEIR FRIENDS.

Among the greatest educational factors of a girl’s life are the friends with whom she habitually associates, and especially the ‘ liosom friend,’ the ‘ twin soul' which seems almost one of the necessities of lieing in early girlhood. The devotion to this friend is sometimes a passionate idolatry, and is a form of hero-worship that has a determining effect upon character in educating the capacity for unselfish admiration. It is one of the generous impulses of human nature to be genuinely enthusiastic over another's real or fancier! perfections. Experience of life will correct the mistaken admirations, and the capacity will remain to I* more worthily bestowed.

A mother should caretully guard herself from jealousy of the girl friends. However congenial she may be with her daughter, she cannot share with her the fun and fancies, the hopes and speculations, the dreams of that possible future whose charm lies in its mystery—as one can do who sees life from the same point of view. The ardent letters between the girl lovers are often regarded by the wiseacres of the family as silly affairs that consume time that should lie more profitably employed. They undoubtedly are silly, but rarely does one acquire the facility of expression that is needed to write those charming letters that we all welcome so gladly, who has not learned its first principles in some youthful correspondent. Any correspondence with boy friends is, 1 think, to be strongly discouraged. Indeed. girl and boy friendships are only advisable under exceptional circumstances. If a girl have brothers her intercourse with their friends comes about in a natural manner, and brothers are such fastidious guardians that passing through the crucible of their criticism she is protected from errors that others are liable to. Mothers should warn their daughters to conduct themselves in such a manner that undue familiarity would lie impossible, that in the future they may look every man in the fate and know that none may recall word or act of theirs that could canse a blush Sheer animal spirits, from excitement and pleasure, are generally the cause of any approaches to indiscretion. The heart of nearly every man and l»y holds an ideal woman. These charming impersonalities are ‘ pure, lovely and of good report' in proportion as the idealist’s own standard of right and wrong lie noble or ignoble. They place their girl friends on a sort of moral pedestal, from which the foolish maidens too often step down themselves. A girl need never ‘ stoop to conquer' those who are worthy.