a degree of
attractive beauty as she can hope to attain in after-years, though of
a different character. But genuine girls are scarce. Really natural
little girls are almost as scarce as real boys. Too many girls begin
at a very early age to attempt to imitate the pride and vanity manifested
by older girls and young ladies. It is by many supposed that to be
ladylike should be the height of the ambition of girls as soon as they
are old enough to be taught respecting propriety of behavior, which
is understood to mean that they must appear as unnatural as possible
in attempting to act like grown-up ladies. Many mothers who wish their
daughters to be models of perfection, but whose ideas of perfect
deportment are exceedingly superficial in character, dress up their
little daughters in fine clothing, beautiful to look at, but very far
from what is required for health and comfort, and then continually
admonish the little ones that they must keep very quiet and "act like
little ladies." Such a course is a most pernicious one. It fosters pride
and vanity, and inculcates an entirely wrong idea of what it is to be
ladylike,--to be a true lady, to be true to nature as a girl. Such
artificial training is damaging alike to mind and body; and it induces
a condition of mind and of the physical system which is very conducive
to the encouragement of dangerous tendencies.

How to Develop Beauty and Loveliness.--All little girls want to be
beautiful. Girls in general care much more for their appearance than
do boys. They have finer tastes, and greater love for whatever is lovely
and beautiful. It is a natural desire, and should be encouraged. A pure,
innocent, beautiful little girl is the most lovely of all God's
creatures. All are not equally beautiful, however, and cannot be; but
all may be beautiful to a degree that will render them attractive. Let
all little girls who want to be pretty, handsome, or good-looking, give
attention and we will tell them how. Those who are homely should listen
especially, for all may become good-looking, though all cannot become
remarkably beautiful. First of all, it is necessary that the girl who
wishes to be handsome, to be admired, should be good. She must learn
to love what is right and true. She must be pure in mind and act. She
must be simple in her manners, modest in her deportment, and kind in
her ways.

Second in importance, though scarcely so, is the necessity of health.
No girl can long be be