Ruth Ashmore

“ Can you expect your girl to be modest when you show no respect for her and think that she need not mind saying or doing anything before her mother? Can you expect your girl to tell the truth, when, to save yourself a little trouble, or because it would involve a long explanation, or for some equally silly reason, you do not hesitate to tell a falsehood? Can you expect your girl to give to you the respect that is due when she hears you laugh and make a jest of your own mother's peculiarities? ”

“ They are friends that never fail us; they never deceive, they never gossip, nor can we ever find them lacking in any of the virtues. Just as long as there are books in the world we can live in the very finest society; we can be worldly and courteous with Lord Chesterfield; we can be gay at Little Trianon with Marie Antoinette; we can be powerful and rule Russia with the great Catherine; we can be diplomatic with Richelieu, and best of all we can live in our books that old, old story of hope, of suffering, and of love, the story which has been the key-note to every book that ever was written. ”

“ Think of it and be to your girl all that you should be, not because of what you look for in the future, but because it is right, and because you want to make your girl happy. Your sons may love, honor, and revere you; but as the years go on it is your daughter who is closest to you—your woman child. Make her girlhood a happy one, and be sure that when she is a mother she will make other girls happy, and so the good seed will be planted, and from generation to generation the good that you have done will grow like a beautiful green vine until it covers all of the house of life. ”

“ And you who claim to be upon the right one, so far forget the very first of the virtues of pure religion, charity, that you condemn your neighbor. She goes along her way pouring oil upon the wounds of the sick, giving drink to those who thirst and a helping hand to whoever may need it, while you do not hesitate to say that her way is wrong. I don't like to think that any one of my girls is like this, and yet youth is inclined to be severe.
Charity should pervade the whole of life, just as the fresh odor of the trees fills the air with a thousand sweet scents. ”

“ It seems to me that it must make all the words spoken sweet, all the looks kindly, and all the actions unselfish, and yet with it all there must be so much of humanity in you that you never once suggest to the other girls that you are anything but the most agreeable girl they know, and the best one. I wouldn't have you a hypocrite for the world; I would not have you assume any virtue that you do not possess, but I am more than anxious that you should get so close to every virtue that it will become a part of you, and that your life will be a picture of perfect faith as shown by works. ”

“ THE YOUNG HUSBAND'S FIRST YEAR
HE stands beside you a wonderful vision in white satin and orange blossoms, so beautiful that you can find no words in which to express your admiration, and so lovely that it seems as if the English language were not rich enough for you to tell of your love. She seems something too bright and good for every-day life, and as you are promising to care for her you think to yourself how unnecessary is this vow, for caring for such a beautiful object can only be a never-ending delight. ”

“ Perhaps you have known your sweetheart for years, perhaps you have only known him for a few months, but, nevertheless, he has discovered that you are the one woman for him, and the one whom he wishes to have walk beside him all his life, sharing his sorrows and his joys. And you? You are only too glad to be his companion. And thus being of one mind, it becomes necessary that you shall think out what are your duties toward each other, for life is not all love, though, as far as you two are concerned, you may make it so. ”

“ You think how you will rise and rise and rise, and with the hopefulness of eighteen you see a great future before you. Suppose I tell you exactly what the life of the New York working girl is. If this will keep one girl at home I shall feel that all my thought has not been in vain, and if one girl is convinced that, by staying at home and helping with head and heart, living out her life as it is planned for her, she is doing right, I shall feel so glad that extra thanks will go up to Him who careth for all, and before whom the rich and the poor are equal. ”

“ I have been talking to you about the foolish and the wrong kind of a friend, but you must not suppose for a minute that there is not a sensible and a right friend. She can be as jolly and as full of fun as possible; you and she can read together, walk together, play on the same side in the out-door games and find much joy in each other's society. But this companion won't show a ridiculous jealousy because you happen to walk to-day with some other girl and to-morrow take tea with another one. ”

“ He who is out in the busy world earning the bread and butter doesn't want to be met with complaints and cross looks; he wants to be greeted with a kiss, to be entertained by the mind which he has really formed by earning the money to pay the teachers to broaden and round it, and to be able to look at the bright, cheery girl, neat in her dress, sweet in her manner, and ever ready to make glad those who are sad. ”

“ A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
HAT'S what you are, you and I. We have come to this great city to earn our bread and butter, and the people we loved and who loved us, the people who had kindly thoughts of us, the people who were interested in our hopes, our joys, and our sorrows, are all left behind. And we are facing a new world. Now, how shall we do it? Shall we perform our tasks indifferently, returning home to mope and be unhappy, and refusing to find anything good in life because the dwellers in this new land do not put out the hand of good-fellowship? ”

“ If you do not have the luxuries of life, if you do not handle much money, you can still give and give lavishly, because you can give of your kind. The half-day spent in helping your pretty cousin to make her gown, the hour devoted to reading to some one whose eyes are not quite as strong as they used to be, and the cheerful visit paid to some one who is ill—all these are acts of charity that will stand out like golden stars opposite your name on the judgment-book. ”

“ THE ACTRESS AND THE WOMAN
You think I am severe. You think that you can live your own life as you wish it without giving a thought to the people about you. My child, this is impossible. Unconsciously, we are impressed by our environment, and people with whom we are thrown in contact, day by day, are each doing something for or against us. They may never know it. I do not like to think any human being would wilfully set a bad example, and yet the mere lives of some people make the difference between good and evil seem less. You imagine you can keep to yourself. ”

“ I wonder if you realize that you can be the cheerful, loving, willing, helping hand? My dear girl, if you do you can be a comfort to so many people. You can give the loving word of advice, you can help the one who is in doubt, and by the beautiful power of kindred and love, you can have an influence that is greater than any other over your brothers and sisters. What do I mean? Well, in this, the little talk between you and me, I am going to tell you—tell you just what your position is, and what you can make of it to each member of the household. ”

“ I have no trouble in deciding that I prefer to go from the table to a book, and have nothing more than a mere bowing acquaintance with any of the people there. But you, who are a sociable little creature, you, who wonder what pleasure I find in books, would like to know about the pretty girl who sits opposite to you, and if the young man next her is really in love with her, and whether the young matron at the end of the table makes all her pretty gowns, or if she doesn't how she occupies her time. You, who represent the general woman, want to know your kind, and be of them. ”

“ There have been vulgar jests, ridiculous songs and coarse puns about the husband's mother ever since any of us can remember, but in how many households is the husband's mother an angel, not in disguise, but appreciated and loved? Now, will you take my advice and call her what your husband does? Will you treat her just as you do your own mother, not being afraid to tell her of your little affairs, receiving her as one of your own, and making her feel happy in the fact that she has not lost a son but has gained a daughter, and a loving, considerate daughter? ”

“ It is true your mother's household runs like a perfectly oiled machine, but then your mother has been keeping house for fifty years, and this little girl, who, in her white satin and orange blossoms a couple of months ago, you thought must be an angel, has only been experimenting a short time. Just remember that, physically, women are not as strong as men, and that a headache that makes her eyes burn and a backache that makes her wonder if she can walk upstairs, sometimes come to her, forcing her to be conscious of nothing but her physical misery. ”

“ I do not want my girls to be advanced women. I want them to be healthy, happy, normal women, intelligent, well-read, and above everything else, to understand the art of making those bound by ties of blood cling close to them. I do not think women can be good politicians and good mothers, wives and daughters, too. I do not think that a woman can speak on politics to-night and be interested in having a dainty dinner as a rest for her husband to-morrow night. ”

“ THE MANTLE OF CHARITY
T is the one garment the fashion of which never changes. The years may go and come, and yet she who cloaks herself in this mantle is at once happy herself and the giver of happiness. In cut it never alters. It is always large and full, so that it can envelop those who are unhappy and give them warmth and comfort. Like the cloak worn by the prince in the fairy tale, it is invisible to all but those whose eyes are made clear by faith. ”

“ It is great and strong to take the woman you love close to you, close to your heart, to make your wife understand that every day brings her nearer to you, every hour makes you love her more, and that you are ten times happier when you think of her as your wife than when you dreamed of her as your sweetheart. A man is at his best when he loves most. And he is the best husband who makes his wife most thoroughly understand the strength of his love and all that she is to him. ”