The Iola Register

"Girls" and "Young Ladies."

Benjamin F. Taylor, the poet, has
written a letter to a young girl at the
Lowville (N.Y.) Academy in which he
mixes up poetry and good advice in
equal doses most charmingly. What
Mr. Taylor says will bear repetition:

"I call you a girl, but it is not the
fashion any more. The girls are gone,
and there is nobody left but young la-
dies. -I like girls best. There used to
be a flock of Carolines in Lowville, and
as fair a flock as ever wore muslin.
There were Caroline Collins, Caroline
Northrup, Caroline Davan, and ever so
many
more.
There were Cornelias,
Janes, Elizabeths, Marys and Paulinas.
They were all girls, and they never
scorned the title. Now they would be
Carries, and Nellies, Lizzies, Mamies,
Jennies, and Cornies, and young ladies
withal, every daughter of them. Let us
not end our names in "ie." Let us not
forget that affectation is the art of being
a fool according to rule. Let us learn
to work worsted cats of impossible pink.
if we must, but let us know how to make
Indian pudding and a golden loaf of
cornbread as well. Let us talk French
if we can, but let us avoid "slang" as
we would pestilence and famine. Pure
and undefiled English never sounds so
musically as it does from the unadulter-
ated lips of a genuine girl. Let us learn
the exquisite art of keeping young. You
read of Roman ruins. I think I have
heard Tyre, Tadmor and Thebes men-
tioned once or twice, but there is noth.
ing so ancient in all this world as an old
dilapidated heart. It is everybody's
duty, especially every girl's to keep
young. Now, to you and your class-
mates:

"Dear girls, I pray you read the book of
That old love-story beautiful as truth:
Ruth,
Of one who lives in everlasting youth;
And say with her to Truth, 'forever thine.'
Thy God my God, and thy people mine!
And life's sweet cadence prove a perfect
So shall you keep in loving step with time,
rhyme,
And when at last the song is done,
And level shines the dying sun,
Another dawn will show its early light,
And bid 'good morn,' though you have said
'Good Night.'"