p. 11 | A Letter to a Young Girl by Mrs. Luella B. Priddy

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 3, 1907

A Letter to a Young Girl

By Mrs. Luella B. Priddy

MRS. LUELLA B. PRIDDY

My dear young friend, I understand that you are going away from home, out into the great wide world that is more wicked than you imagine. You may, if you will, be like the white lily that grows in the mud and slime and still retains its purity and sweetness.

A quiet, modest manner will be a wall of protection to you. Do not let the customs of a world sunken to the depths in evil be your standard. You call yourself a Christian. The people you meet will be very apt to judge of the religion you profess by the way you live it. “Young people will be young people,” said a young lady in apology for her rude and boisterous conduct. Many youth have the idea that their earlier years are to be spent in “having fun,” and that when they get a little older, they will naturally settle down into sober, sensible people. Instead of this view of life being true, youth is a time when habits are formed which often continue through life.

Be slow to make the acquaintance of young men, especially when you know nothing of their history. Do not call them by their given names. You may not see the need of this caution, but a little formality has a tendency to check overfamiliarity. Avoid making acquaintances while traveling.

I am sure you would not accept the company of young men merely for the doubtful honor of being considered a girl who has many admirers. Girls often make mistakes in such matters because they do not foresee the results of their conduct. If you allow a gentleman to pay you marked attention, you encourage him to expect that, should he offer his hand in marriage, he would not be refused. If your judgment convinces you that he would not be a suitable life-companion, it is unkind to let matters drift along, allowing him to believe his suit is being received with favor. Accepting gifts from him puts you under obligation to him, and he will so understand it.

Marriage is a divine institution, and under proper circumstances is a blessing. But it carries responsibilities with it. It means the founding of a home which should be a copy of the one in Eden.

Education, culture, and practical domestic training will broaden and enrich the home life, and will add greatly to one’s usefulness and influence. It is a serious mistake for young people to enter upon matrimony at so early an age that they lose their only opportunity of acquiring a thorough education.

When a man makes an offer of marriage to a lady, he means to confer upon her the greatest honor that he can bestow. And when he does so in an honorable way, he should be treated in a considerate manner. No kind-hearted girl would wish to wound the feelings of another person. If a gentleman’s attentions are unwelcome, tell him so, kindly, but plainly.

There are occasions when one should sacrifice inclination to duty. A mother died, leaving a household of little children to the care of an older sister. The sister, instead of cheerfully lifting the burden, and helping her father keep the family together, deserted them, to establish a home of her own, and the little brothers and sisters were scattered

wherever homes could be found for them. Do you think that she did right?

Do not make the mistake of trying to do missionary work with young men. The results are not satisfactory. A young Bible worker was out one day distributing tracts. At one house where she called, she met a man who appeared to take a great interest in the subject of religion. In subsequent calls he always appeared anxious to talk on Bible topics. One evening, to the young lady’s surprise, he called at her boarding-place, and stayed until a late hour. He began to press his attentions upon her, until she did not know what to do to get rid of him. She was advised not to call at the house where he lived, when working on that street. She heeded the advice, and had no further trouble.

You have but one youth, my girl. Let that be spent in doing good. You will thus prepare for a useful womanhood. “Unless a tree has borne blossoms in the spring, you look vainly for fruit on it in the autumn.”

Markham, Ontario.