Dangers of Over-work 193 



American people is this gradual starvation of the 

 maternal instinct usually necessary in the case of 

 the well-sexed young woman of the class just men- 

 tioned. 



And yet much of this fatal choice of an independent 

 vocation on the part of many young women doubtless 

 results from bad management of the growing girl. 

 In too many country homes especially, the work 

 is complete master of the housekeeper and not the 

 converse, as the case should be. As a result, thou- 

 sands of good women who ought to be in the pink 

 and prime of life are going pathetically to the only 

 rest which the conditions seem to allow the grave. 

 It is an awful thing, this wreck of so many good lives 

 through over-work. Under such conditions, may 

 we reasonably censure the many young women who 

 foresee such a fate as a possibility for themselves 

 and avoid it through choice of an unmarried life 

 and independent support ? 



Girls are more readily enslaved to work than boys. 

 It is comparatively easy to teach a young woman to 

 work, but it is an extremely difficult matter to teach 

 her when and how to quit work. Here, then, is 

 the point whereat we would center the attention of 

 the parents of the country girl. Make her mistress 

 of her work. Develop in her by actual concrete 

 lessons the ability to stop and rest or take recreation 

 at the necessary time, even though the work be 

 not half done. 



