thought, and, as a consequence, insipidity of speech are strongly marked
faults in some young ladies." This writer pleads for deeper, intenser
earnestness. "Young women will reach a high excellence of moral
character only as they prepare themselves for life by self-discipline
and culture." Another puts it down as "A want of firm decision in
character and action," and says that too often, in times "when they
ought to stand like a rock, they yield and fall;" and adds: "The young
ladies of our land have power to mould the lives of the young men for
good or for evil."

There is a caution in these words which every young woman should heed.
Life is not play, for it has its solemn responsibilities, its sacred
duties; and eternity lies beyond this little span. I call you to
earnestness, moral earnestness. Determine to make the most and the best
of your life. Get an education to fit you for life's duties, even though
it must be gotten in the little fragments of time that you can redeem
from busy days. Life is too short to crowd everything into it. Something
must always be left out. Better leave out many of your amusements and
recreations, than grow up into womanhood ignorant and with undisciplined
intellectual powers. Train your mind to think. Set your ideal before
you,--rich, beautiful womanhood,--and bend all your energy to reach it.

Some of these letters speak of the common _talk_ of girls as being
largely idle gossip; criticisms of absent people; unkind words about
persons whom the ladies would meet with warm professions of friendship
and fervent kisses if they were to come in a minute later.

Dear girls, I plead for sincerity in speech. "Do not yield to the
passion for miserable gossip which is so common. Talk about things, not
people. Do not malign or backbite your absent friend. What is friendship