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Eustacie wishes to know ‘up to what age a girl may climb a tree?’
If a pack of wolves were after you, we should advise you to climb a tree up or
loo (pay the penalty). Otherwise why make yourself look like one of Mr. Darwin’s
monkey progenitors? Were there apples in the tree we should excuse you so doing;
but otherwise it is not so delightful to be up a tree, nor a suitable position
for a girl. (1880)
Forget-Me-Not: Had you asked for our advice before your engagement, we should
have endeavoured to dissuade you from marrying one to whom religion appears very
distasteful. But now your marriage is about to take place, what can we advise?
You should let him know, now at once, how far above all earthly affection is the
love of Jesus, the Redeemer, and that it will be a sure trial for you, if you do
not have him accompany you to church on Sunday. (1881)
Bluebell (16 years old): It is disgraceful in a little girl of you age to resist
the wishes and authority of your mother and to dream of going out alone. Your
reputation would not be worth much if you did. (1884)
AFW: We are unable to take part in the reform of existing hardships and abuses
such as you name. We can only sympathise with you and all the girls working in
the steam laundries, or as ‘packers’ who have to work six days a week from 7
AM to 11 PM and wish that these institutions did come under the Factory Act. But
we could not take up or discuss such subjects, as they are quite out of our
line. (1889)
Dollie and Nettie (Australia) enquire whether it be the correct thing for a
gentleman to embrace a lady when he is first introduced to her? Certainly not.
Possibly after 50 years acquaintance, and on some special occasions, such as the
Christmas Festival or a wedding, the rule might be relaxed. (1893)
Ruby: So many of our girls complain of indigestion that we have taken the matter
into serious consideration, and we recommend them to stiffen their dress bodices
with whalebone and leave off wearing stays. Let the ribs expand well, and the
process of digestion will not then be interfered with. This is likewise our
prescription for the red nose trouble, of which many of our readers complain. An
extra woven vest would be an excellent substitute for stays because it would be
elastic. You would all then approximate a little nearer to the classic forms of
a Venus, instead of a wooden figure. (1893)
Lonely Girl (Clergyman’s) Wife: You had better write a letter, having asked
divine direction and a blessing on your so doing. Represent your utter
loneliness from the 7 o’clock breakfast to 10.30 PM. Say that if your husband
desires you to give up your old work in the school and the parish, he, as a
vicar, has a right to do so, and you submit, but that, by Divine ordinance, the
wife’s duty is to ‘guide the house’ and that you could not be set aside by
the old housekeeper’s declaration that your husband detested strangers ‘meddling’
nor by being told that ‘children must be seen and not heard’. That you
desire to do your duty as a wife and mistress of the house, to please him as far
as you may, and to show him you are worthy of his confidence, respect and love.
May the Lord help, direct and comfort you. (1894)
Sack: How comes it that you sometimes walk with a gentleman, if not engaged to
him? If your intended husband, you may of course, walk under one umbrella; but
otherwise you had better keep your own to yourself. (1895)
Ta-ra-ra: It surprises me to find that a girl sufficiently educated to write and
spell well should be so deplorably ignorant of the common rules of society to
think she may go out alone with a young man in his canoe. And further-more, one
whom she "only knows slightly". (1895)
Tootsie: Go by all means to see your betrothed husband, but take your sister
with you. (1895)
Verena: No well principled person, thoroughly well-bred, would demean themselves
to what is termed a ‘flirtation’. It is a vulgar, undignified amusement and
no man respects a girl who allows him to be so familiar. (unknown date)