22 The Time to Build 



This first love period furnishes the rarest opportuni- 

 ties for teaching the girl proper lessons in respect to 

 her comeliness, her purity of thought, and the sweet- 

 ness of her own personal character. If during this 

 time she be withheld entirely from wholesome asso- 

 ciation with boys and young men, there is a probabil- 

 ity that she may become a drone or a mope, and 

 especially that she may lose valuable training in the 

 acquisition of those winsome ways so helpful to young 

 women in the matter of their obtaining suitable life 

 companions. 



Perhaps less need be said in respect to giving the 

 growing son those forms of social training which 

 make it possible for him to win to his side an attrac- 

 tive helpmate. But beyond the question of a doubt 

 there can and should be much done by way of train- 

 ing the daughter in this respect. In addition to her 

 good health, her moral self-reliance, and those other 

 desirable qualities illustrated in a preceding para- 

 graph, the young woman who is thoroughly prepared 

 for meeting successfully the issues of life has had care- 

 ful training in all the practices that refine and beau- 

 tify her character. 



This duty of rural parents to the growing daughter 

 is no less imperative than in the case of city parents. 

 It may be considered as an excellent way of planning 

 for the future happiness and well-being, not merely 

 for one, but doubtless for an entire family, if the 

 growing girl be indulged and directed reasonably in 



