Beautiful Girlhood compiled by Debra Maffett

would put it off a little longer, for she will miss her little daughter, her baby
girl; but even mother love cannot stop the hand of time.
Youth cannot stand monotony. So rapid are the changes in those eventful
years, that nature has tuned the mind and spirit of youth to seek and desire
change and variety. Even a few days of sameness, become wearisome to the
girl. The more full life is of excitement and change — the more happy she is.
Life to her is a succession of glad surprises.
The child becomes a woman at last. She slipped into girlhood naturally —
and just as naturally will she lay off girlish ways and settle
into womanhood. Life will take on a more sober look and she will see things
more distinctly. Many of the admonitions and reproofs that she received in
her girlhood, and which seemed hard and unnecessary at the time — will
now appear in their true light, and she will thank her guardians who gave
them. Her cheeks will glow with embarrassment when she thinks of some of
her girlish escapades, and become redder still when she thinks of some of
the things she wanted to do but Mother would not permit.
She will talk more quietly and laugh less boisterously. New feelings
of responsibility will press in upon her. Life will look more earnest and
serious than it used to do. She will wonder how she could ever have been so
careless of consequences. Our child is now a woman, and her nature craves
something more real and satisfying than the fleeting pleasures of youth.
You, my dear girls, are now in these busy, changing years. I can have no
better wish and prayer for you than that you may arrive in due time into the
glorious state of womanhood, with hearts pure and hands clean. Godly
women are needed everywhere, and the call for them will never grow faint.
There will always be responsible places in life to be filled by women who are
true and noble. Their price is above rubies; that is, their worth is more than
all the riches of this world!
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