“Girls are queer creatures, but we cannot help liking them. Under all the silliness and vanity there is a vein of gold in everyone which is undoubtedly genuine,—it comes to the surface sometimes, but is often so deeply imbedded in nonsense that a superficial observer would not have the slightest suspicion of its existence. Part of this want of sense is natural, but a great deal of it is acquired in a negative way. The majority of girls have very little object in life, and cannot see the use of accumulating material which they never expect to use; to be sure they all intend to be married some time, but, judging from the specimens of male suitors, they see that which requires but very little effort and less sense. So, when papa and mamma, after a great deal of consultation, decide upon a good school their daughter goes there, but she could hardly tell you why. If she has no positive love for study, her chief end and aim, while in school, will be to shuffle off the lessons for the day with the utmost dispatch, and ‘there’s an end.’ When school days are over, she expects to have nothing more to do with the subjects there considered, excepting a little reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic. She is to enter society, which to hundreds means spending the days with a little house-work, making a good many calls, and doing some shopping. The evenings are devoted to dancing or talking with vapid-brained young men, who never had an idea in their lives, and consider it an insult if a lady ventures one. Or worse than this, perhaps they must talk with young men whom they know _have_ sense, but will not condescend to use it in their presence. “After a while the girl is expected to marry one of these individuals. They do very well for a partner in a cotillion, but how about life? Let us see what she has to say about it, talking to a confidential friend: ‘Oh, yes, it is decided that Mr. B. and I are to be made one. I can’t say I love him devotedly, and really think him decidedly stupid sometimes; but I suppose it is all for the best, for you see I cannot do a single thing, and if papa should be taken away or lose his health, having nothing to depend upon but his salary now, what would become of us then? As it is, Mr. B. is rich, and I can give a nice, comfortable home to both mamma and papa at any time after we are married.’