The Project Gutenberg eBook, Stray Thoughts for Girls, by Lucy H. M. Soulsby

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Stray Thoughts for Girls

Author: Lucy H. M. Soulsby

Release Date: January 13, 2005 [eBook #14679]

Language: English

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STRAY THOUGHTS FOR GIRLS***

E-text prepared by Clare Boothby, Diane Monico, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

STRAY THOUGHTS FOR GIRLS

by

L. H. M. SOULSBY

"I sing the Obsolete"

New and Enlarged Edition

Longmans, Green, and Co. 39 Paternoster Row, London New York and Bombay

1903

DEDICATED TO

GIRLS AT THE "AWKWARD AGE."

    "An unlessoned girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd,
    Happy in this, she is not yet so old
    But she may learn."

PREFACE

What is the awkward age?

Certainly not any special number of years. It is most frequently found between the ages of thirteen and twenty-seven, but some girls never go through it, and some never emerge from it!

I should be inclined to define it as the age during which girls are asked—and cannot answer—varying forms of the question which so embarrassed the Ugly Duckling: "Can you purr—can you lay eggs?"

Most girls on growing up pass through an uncomfortable stage like this, in which neither they nor their friends quite know what niche in life they can best fill—sometimes, because of their own undisciplined characters; sometimes, because the niche itself seems to be lacking. Whether this stage be their misfortune or their fault, it is an unpleasant one—both for themselves and for their friends. With much sympathy for both, I dedicate these few suggestions to my known and unknown friends who are passing through it.

                             L. H. M. SOULSBY.
    OXFORD, April 4, 1893.

PREFACE TO NEW EDITION

In bringing out a new edition, the book has been enlarged by adding papers on "Making Plans," "Conversation," "Get up, M. le Comte!" "Sunday," and "A good Time;" "Coming out" has been omitted, and "Friendship and Love" somewhat altered. The present form has been adopted in order to make it match the other volumes of "Stray Thoughts."

                             L. H. M. SOULSBY.
    BRONDESBURY, Nov. 23, 1903.

CONTENTS

LINES WRITTEN ON BEING TOLD THAT A LADY WAS "PLAIN AND COMMONPLACE"

THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

MAKING PLANS

CONVERSATION

AUNT RACHEL; OR, OLD MAIDS' CHILDREN

"GET UP, M. LE COMTE!"

A FRIDAY LESSON

A HOME ART; OR, MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS

ESPRIT DE CORPS

ROUGH NOTES OF A LESSON

HOLIDAYS

SUNDAY

FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE

A GOOD TIME

"The Sweet, Sweet Love of Daughter,

"I have discovered a thing very little known, which is, that in one's whole life one can never have more than a single mother. You may think this obvious and (what you call) a trite observation…. You are a green gosling! I was at the same age (very near) as wise as you, and yet I never discovered this (with full evidence and conviction, I mean) till it was too late."—Gray's Letters.

"of Sister,

    "The Blessing of my later years
      Was with me when a Boy
    She gave me eyes, she gave me ears,
      And love, and thought, and joy."
                             Wordsworth.

"and of Wife."

    "The thousand still sweet joys of such
    As hand in hand face earthly life."
                             M. Arnold.

"I desired to make her my wife, knowing that she would be a counsellor of good things, and a comfort in cares and grief. For her conversation hath no bitterness; and to live with her hath no sorrow, but mirth and joy."—Wisdom of Solomon.

LINES

WRITTEN ON BEING TOLD THAT A LADY WAS "PLAIN AND COMMONPLACE."

    You say that my love is plain,
      But that I can never allow
    When I look at the thought for others
      That is written on her brow.

    The eyes are not fine, I own,
      She has not a well-cut nose,
    But a smile for others' pleasures
      And a sigh for others' woes:

    Quick to perceive a want,
      Quicker to set it right,
    Quickest in overlooking
      Injury, wrong, or slight.

    Nothing to say for herself,
      That is the fault you find!
    Hark to her words to the children,
      Cheery and bright and kind.

    Hark to her words to the sick,
      Look at her patient ways;
    Every word she utters
      Speaks to the speaker's praise.

    "Nothing to say for herself,"
      Yes! right, most right, you are,
    But plenty to say for others,
      And that is better by far.

    Purity, truth, and love,
      Are they such common things?
    If hers were a common nature,
      Women would all have wings.

    Talent she may not have,
      Beauty, nor wit, nor grace,
    But, until she's among the angels,
      She cannot be commonplace.

Arthur Heathcote.

The Virtuous Woman.

A FAREWELL BIBLE LESSON TO GIRLS ON LEAVING SCHOOL.

    "Wisdom ordereth all things strongly and sweetly."—WISDOM viii. 1
    (Vulg.).

It would be interesting to make a "Garden of Women" from the poets, collecting the pictures of "Fair Women" they have drawn for us, but I want to consider specially the ideal woman of that ancient poet Solomon, and to see how far she can be translated into modern life.

The subject ought to be considered by you who are leaving a school you have loved and valued, and which you should commend to the world,