,,html version by ,al ,haines4          
,,girls3 ,,faults ,,and ,,ideals4  ,a   
,,familiar ,,talk1 ,,with ,,quotations  
,,from ,,letters4  ,,by  ,j4,r4         
,,miller1 ,d4,d4  ,,new ,,york #aj      
,,east ,,fourteenth ,,st4  ,,thomas ,v4 
,,crowell  ,,co4  ,,boston3 #ajj        
,,purchase ,,street4     ,,girls3       
,,faults ,,and ,,ideals4   ,cleanse thou
 me from secret faults4 ,,psa4 xix1 #ab4
 ,the ,king's daughter is all glorious  
within3 her clothing is of wrought      
gold4--,,psa4 xiv4 #ac4  ,the religion  
of ,christ has something to say to every
 man1 woman1 and child1 in every        
relation1 on every day1 in every        
experience of life4 ,it is not something
 for ,sundays1 and for prayer-meetings1 
and for sick-rooms1 death-beds1 and     
funerals3 it is just as much for the    
school-room1 the play-ground1 the store1
 the kitchen1 the street4 ,wherever you 
may chance to be1 if you listen you will
 hear a voice behind you1 whispering1   
,this is the way2 walk ye in it4 ,the   

,bible is the ,word of ,god1 our        
,father's will concerning his children2 
and it has something to say each day1 at
 every point of experience1 to every one
 of us4 ,i want to help the girls and   
young women1 if ,i can1 to hear a little
 of what ,christ has to say to them4    
,it is good for us to see ourselves as  
others see us4 ,hence1 ,i have asked a  
number of ,christian young men to give  
me answers to certain questions1 and    
from these ,i have quoted in this       
familiar talk4 ,i take two of these     
questions1 viz42  #a4 ,what are some of 
the most common faults in young women of
 your acquaintance8  #b4 ,what are some 
of the essential elements of character  
in your ideal of true young womanhood8  
,we shall think then of common faults   
and of ideals4 ,the first text ,i have  
chosen is a prayer for for the cleansing
 of faults4 ,the second is a description
 of the life that pleases ,god4         
,cleanse thou me from secret faults4 ,is
 there one of us who does not1 from     

deepest heart pray this prayer8 ,i pity 
that man or that woman who does not long
 to be cured of faults1 whatever they   
are1 however painful or costly their    
removal may be4  ,some one says1--and   
the words are worthy of being written in
 gold1--,count yourself richer that day 
you discover a new fault in             
yourself1--not richer because it is     
there1 but richer because it is no      
longer a hidden fault2 and if you have  
not found all your faults1 pray to have 
them revealed to you1 even if the       
revelation must come in a way that hurts
 your pride4 ,mr4 ,ruskin has this word 
also for young women3 ,make sure that   
however good you may be1 you have       
faults2 that however dull you may be1   
you can find out what they are2 and that
 however slight they may be1 you had    
better make some patient effort to get  
rid of them4444 ,therefore see that no  
day passes in which you do not make     
yourself a somewhat better creature2 and
 in order to do that find out first what

 you are now4444 ,if you do not dare to 
do this1 find out why you do not dare1  
and try to get strength of heart enough 
to look yourself fairly in the face1 in 
mind as well as in body4444 ,always have
 two mirrors on your toilet table1 and  
see that with proper care you dress both
 the mind and body before them daily4   
,these words show us the importance of  
the prayer3 ,cleanse thou me from secret
 faults4 ,we all have our faults1 which 
mar the beauty of our lives in the eyes 
of others4 ,every noble soul desires to 
grow out of all faults1 to have them    
corrected4 ,the smallest fault mars the 
beauty of the character2 and one who    
seeks to possess only whatsoever things 
are lovely will be eager to be rid of   
whatever is faulty4 ,ofttimes1 however1 
we do not know our own faults3 we are   
unconscious of them4 ,we cannot see     
ourselves as others see us4 ,the friend 
does us a true kindness who tells us of 
the things in our character1 habits1    
manners1 which appear as blemishes1     

although many people have too much      
vanity to be told of their faults4 ,they
 resent it as a personal insult when one
 points out any blemish in them4 ,but   
this is most foolish short-sightedness4 
,to learn of a fault is an opportunity  
to add a new line of beauty to the life4
 ,our prayer each day should be that    
,god would show us our secret faults1   
whatever messenger he may send to point 
them out1 and then give us grace to     
correct them4  ,the young men who have  
replied to my question concerning the   
faults of young women have done so in   
most kindly spirit1 for to a noble soul 
it is always an unwelcome task to find  
fault2 it is much easier to name the    
beautiful things in those we love than  
the blemishes4  ,several writers have   
referred to the matter of dress4 ,one   
says ,too much time is given by many    
young ladies to dressing4 ,they scarcely
 think of anything else4 ,another names1
 ,the love of dress1 the inordinate     
desire to excel their companions in this

 particular1 as among the common faults 
in young women1 adding that it has led  
many of them to ruin4 ,another says they
 like to make themselves attractive by  
conspicuous colors1 and suggests that if
 they would spend less time in shopping 
and more in some elevating occupation1  
for example in making home brighter for 
brothers and parents1 it would be       
better4  ,following fashion to an       
extreme that is unbecoming and often    
extravagant2 too great attention to     
outward adornment at the expense of     
inner adornment1 another marks as a too 
prominent fault4 ,we remember that ,st4 
,peter has a word about dressing3 ,whose
 adorning1 let it not be that outward   
adorning of plaiting the hair1 and of   
wearing of gold1 or of putting on of    
apparel2 but let it be the hidden man of
 the heart1 in that which is not        
corruptible1 even the ornament of a meek
 and quite spirit4 ,every young woman   
should dress well1 that is1 neatly1     
tastefully1 modestly1 whether she be    

rich or poor4 ,conspicuous dressing is  
vulgar4 ,true refinement avoids anything
 showy and flashy3 it never dresses     
better than it can afford1 and yet it is
 always well dressed1 even in simple    
muslin or plain calico4  ,another fault 
mentioned is the lack of moral          
earnestness4 ,frivolity1 arising from   
want of purpose in life1 one names1 even
 the most sacred duties and relations   
being marred by this frivolousness4 ,the
 best years of life are wasted in small 
talk and still smaller reading1 tears   
and sighs being wasted over a novelist's
 creations1 while ,god's creatures die  
for want of a word of sympathy4 ,another
 names1 ,frivolity1 want of definiteness
 of purpose4 ,still another says3 ,the  
giving of so little time to serious     
reflection and for preparation for the  
responsible duties of life4 ,in other   
words1 frivolity of manner1 shallowness 
of thought1 and1 as a consequence1      
insipidity of speech are strongly marked
 faults in some young ladies4 ,this     

writer pleads for deeper1 intenser      
earnestness4 ,young women will reach a  
high excellence of moral character only 
as they prepare themselves for life by  
self-discipline and culture4 ,another   
puts it down as ,a want of firm decision
 in character and action1 and says that 
too often1 in times when they ought to  
stand like a rock1 they yield and fall2 
and adds3 ,the young ladies of our land 
have power to mould the lives of the    
young men for good or for evil4  ,there 
is a caution in these words which every 
young woman should heed4 ,life is not   
play1 for it has its solemn             
responsibilities1 its sacred duties2 and
 eternity lies beyond this little span4 
,i call you to earnestness1 moral       
earnestness4 ,determine to make the most
 and the best of your life4 ,get an     
education to fit you for life's duties1 
even though it must be gotten in the    
little fragments of time that you can   
redeem from busy days4 ,life is too     
short to crowd everything into it4      

,something must always be left out4     
,better leave out many of your          
amusements and recreations1 than grow up
 into womanhood ignorant and with       
undisciplined intellectual powers4      
,train your mind to think4 ,set your    
ideal before you1--rich1 beautiful      
womanhood1--and bend all your energy to 
reach it4  ,some of these letters speak 
of the common talk of girls as being    
largely idle gossip2 criticisms of      
absent people2 unkind words about       
persons whom the ladies would meet with 
warm professions of friendship and      
fervent kisses if they were to come in a
 minute later4  ,dear girls1 ,i plead   
for sincerity in speech4 ,do not yield  
to the passion for miserable gossip     
which is so common4 ,talk about things1 
not people4 ,do not malign or backbite  
your absent friend4 ,what is friendship 
worth if the moment the person is out of
 sight the tongue that has professed    
affection becomes a poisoned fang1 and  
the lips which gave their warm kiss     

utter the word of ridicule1 or sneer1 or
 aspersion8 ,better be dumb than have   
the gift of speech to be used in the    
miserable idle words1 insincerities1 and
 backbitings too common in modern       
society4 ,surely something better can be
 found to talk about2 if not1 utter     
silence is more heaven-like4 ,a stupid  
girl who cannot talk at all is better   
far than a chattering girl who can talk 
of nothing good or useful4    ,find thou
 always time to say some earnest word   
between the idle talk4  ,one mentions   
want of reverence for sacred things as a
 sad fault in some young women4 ,he has 
seen them whispering in the church and  
,sunday school1 during sermon and       
lesson1 even during prayer1 and has     
marked other acts of irreverence4 ,it is
 to be hoped that this fault is indeed  
rare1 unless it be in very young girls1 
who know no better4 ,but as the fault   
has been pointed out by one who has been
 sorely pained by it1 will not the girls
 and young women think of it a moment8  

,a girl's religion should be full of joy
 and gladness4 ,it should make her      
happy1 fill her lips with song2 but it  
should make her so reverent that1 in the
 presence of her ,god1 in prayer1 in    
worship1 in the study of the ,bible1 her
 heart shall be silent with the silence 
of adoration4 ,dear girls1 remember that
 in any religious service1 you are      
standing or bowing before ,god1 and let 
nothing for one instant tempt you to    
whisper1 to smile1 to do aught that     
would grieve the ,holy ,spirit4 ,others 
speak of a want of respect for the aged1
 and especially for parents1 as a fault 
of young women4 ,how often is the kind  
advice a father and mother set aside1   
just because it goes against some whim  
or fancy of their own6 ,a desire on the 
part of a young lady to live in the     
fashion1 to be well-dressed at all hours
 and ready for callers--how much toil   
and sacrifice often fall to a good      
mother from such an ambition6 ,the      
writer gives other illustrations of the 

same spirit in some girls4 ,it is hoped 
that there are but few who see their own
 face in this mirror4  ,not long since  
,i stood by the coffin and grave of a   
young girl whom ,i had known for a dozen
 years4 ,she received a fine education1 
having finished a course in one of the  
best colleges of the land4 ,what did she
 do with her education8 ,did she sit    
down as a lady of elegant leisure8 ,did 
she think her trained powers were too   
fine to be used in any common work8 ,did
 she look down from her lofty height    
upon her mother as old-fashioned1 out of
 date8 ,no3 she came home from college  
at the end of her course1 and at once   
went into her home to lift the burden   
and care from the shoulders of the      
loving1 patient mother who had toiled   
for her so long in order that she might 
receive her education and training4     
,when the beautiful girl was dead1 the  
mother told me with loving gladness how 
,gertrude had lifted one by one every   
burden from her during those years1     

until1 at last1 the child's own hands   
carried all the household care and      
responsibility4 ,she did not think her  
richly-furnished life too fine to be    
used in plain household duties1 ,she    
remembered all her mother's self-denials
 in her behalf in earlier days1 and     
rejoiced that now she might1 in some    
measure1 reward her4 ,i have spoken of  
this one young woman's loving regard for
 her mother1 and of the way she showed  
it1 in the hope that it may inspire in  
many another young girl's heart a spirit
 of noble helpfulness toward a tired    
mother4  ,one writer notes as a fault in
 some young women1 that they are        
careless of their good names4 ,they are 
not careful enough as to their          
associates and companions4 ,some of them
 are seen with young men who are known  
to be of questionable moral character4  
,on the streets they talk loudly1 so as 
unconsciously to attract attention to   
themselves4 ,they act so that young men 
of the looser sort will stare at them   

and even dare to speak to them4 ,in     
these and other ways1 certain young     
women1 this writer says1 imperil their  
own good name1 and1 ,i may add1 imperil 
their souls4  ,when will young girls    
learn that modesty and shrinking from   
public gaze are the invariable marks of 
true beauty in womanhood2 and that      
anything which is contrary to these is a
 mark of vulgarity and ill-breeding8    
,guard your name as the jewel of your   
life4 ,many a young woman with pure life
 has lived under shadows all her later  
years1 because of some careless--only   
careless1 not wrong--act in youth which 
had the appearance of evil4  ,in one    
letter received from a thoughtful young 
man1 mention is made of a disregard of  
health1 as a common fault in young      
women4 ,another mentions but one        
fault1--the lack of glad earnestness4   
,another specifies1 thoughtlessness1    
heedlessness1 a disregard of the        
feelings of others1 ,another thinks some
 young women so weak and dependent that 

they incur the risk of becoming a living
 embodiment of the wicked proverb1 ',so 
good that they are good for nothing4'   
,on the other hand1 however1 one writer 
deplores just the reverse of this1 the  
tendency in young women to be           
independent1 self-reliant1 appearing not
 to need protection and shelter4        
,doubtless there is truth in both those 
criticisms3 there are some young women  
who are so dainty1 so accomplished1 so  
delicate1 that they can be of little use
 in this world4 ,when misfortune comes  
to such and they are thrown out of the  
cosy nest1 they are in a most pitiable  
condition indeed4 ,they can do nothing  
to provide for themselves4 ,then there  
are others who so pride themselves on   
their independence1 that one of the     
sweetest charms of womanhood is         
lost--the charm of gentle trustfulness4 
,i have suggested enough faults for one 
lesson1--perhaps as many as you can     
carry in your mind1 certainly as many as
 you can correct1 although ,i have not  

exhausted the list that ,i find in my   
correspondence4 ,as ,i said at the      
beginning1 these faults are pointed out1
 not in the spirit of criticism1 but in 
the spirit of kindness1 of truest       
interest1 and with desire to help4 ,many
 of them may seem very trivial faults1  
but small specks stain the whiteness of 
a fair robe4 ,little things make        
perfection4 ,you cannot afford to keep  
the least discovered fault in your      
character or conduct1 for little        
blemishes are the beginnings of greater 
ones that by and by will destroy all the
 beauty of life4    ,it is the little   
rift within the lute   ,that by and by  
will make music mute1   ,and1 ever      
widening1 slowly silence all--   ,the   
little rift within the lover's lute3    
,or little pitted speck in garnered     
fruit1   ,that rotting inward1 slowly   
moulders all4  ,will you not1 then1 pray
 this prayer3 ,cleanse thou me from     
secret faults8 ,do not try to hide your 
faults--hiding them does not cure them4 

,every true woman wants to grow into    
perfect moral and spiritual beauty4 ,in 
order to do this1 she wants to know     
wherein she fails1 what blemishes others
 see in her1 what blemishes ,god sees in
 her4 ,then1 as quickly as she discovers
 the faults1 she wants to have them     
removed4 ,the old artist ,apelles had   
for his motto3 ,nulla dies sine         
linea--,no day without a line4 ,will you
 not take this motto for yours1 and seek
 every day to get the victory over some 
little blemish1 to get some fault       
corrected1 to get in your life a little 
more of the beauty of perfect womanhood8
 ,cleanse thou me1 ,o ,lord1 from secret
 faults4  ,now ,i turn your thoughts    
away from faults to ideals4 ,the second 
question was3 ,what are some of the     
essential elements of character in your 
ideal of true young womanhood8 ,here    
also ,i can give only very few of the   
answers received4  ,nearly every one    
emphasizes the element of gentleness4   
,one says3 ,i like to see a young lady  

kind and agreeable to all1 yet          
dignified4 ,gentle in speech1 voice1 and
 manner2 full of love for her home1 yet 
firm and decided in her convictions1    
says another4 ,one sums up his ideal in 
these particulars3 ,an unspotted        
character1 a cheerful disposition1 a    
generous1 untiring heart1 and a brave   
will4 ,nearly all put strength with     
gentleness1 in some form4 ,all the      
firmness that does not exclude delicacy1
 and all the softness that does not     
imply weakness4 ,loving1 helpful1 and   
trusting1 she must be able to soothe    
anxiety by her presence2 charm and allay
 irritability by her sweetness of       
temper4 ,another writes3 ,a beauty of   
spirit in which love1 gentleness1 and   
kindness are mingled4 ,patience and     
meekness1 fortitude1 a well-governed    
temper1 sympathy1 and tenderness1 ,says 
another3 ,kind1 courteous1 humble1 and  
affectionate to old and young1 rich and 
poor1 yet ambitious to right limits4    
,one young man writes3 ,loving and kind1

 a ,christian in heart and arts2 a      
character based on ,christ and his      
teachings4 ,then follows this noble     
tribute3 ,my own mother has lived and   
proved this ideal for me4  ,of this     
tenor are all the letters4 ,without     
gentleness no woman can be truly        
beautiful4 ,cruelty in a man is a sad   
disfigurement1 but in a woman it is the 
marring of all her loveliness4  ,purity 
is another element which1 in many of the
 letters1 is emphasized4 ,i need not    
quote the words4 ,i need only remind you
 that purity must have its home in the  
heart1 if it is to be the glory of the  
life4 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 is
 the ,master's beatitude4 ,you are pure1
 you say2 are your thoughts as white    
,as the snow that falls with the        
midnight's hush8   ,could you see them  
blazoned in letters of light1   ,for the
 world to read1 and feel no blush8      
,if you stood in the court of heaven1   
mid swift1   ,glad greetings of loved   
ones who know no wrong1   ,could you    

bare your heart to them all1 and lift   
,unshrinking eyes to that spotless      
throng8  ,faithfulness is named by many 
as another essential element in true    
womanhood4 ,one answers3 ,courage to    
take a positive stand on all moral      
questions 444 ,industry that consists in
 something more than playing            
mechanically a few pieces on the piano1 
or tracing grotesque figures in wool or 
silk4 ,here two elements of faithfulness
 are indicated--faithfulness in one's   
place in all one's work1 and moral      
faithfulness in following conscience4   
,other letters suggest practically the  
same essential quality4  ,it is         
impossible to over-emphasise this       
element4 ,the time has gone by forever  
when woman1 in ,christian lands1 can be 
regarded as a mere ornament1 and can be 
shut out of active life4 ,she is not a  
doll or a toy4 ,she has her duties and  
responsibilities4 ,she is not born      
merely to be married as soon as         
possible1 and from girlhood to consider 

her wedding as the goal of her life4    
,thousands of young women will never be 
married1 and yet their life need not be 
a failure though their fingers are never
 circled by a wedding-ring4 ,women have 
immortal souls4 ,their heaven does not  
depend upon being linked with a husband1
 as the ,mormons teach4 ,marriage is a  
good thing for a woman1 if she marry    
well4 ,i honor marriage as one of the   
holiest and most sacred of ,god's       
ordinances4  ,but1 here is the truth    
which ,i want to impress1 that a young  
woman should not begin her life with the
 thought that she must get a husband4   
,oh1 the sad desecration of womanhood   
that such a purpose in life produces6   
,every young girl should set for her    
great central aim in life1 to be a      
woman1 a true1 noble1 pure1 holy woman1 
to seek ever the highest things2 to     
learn from her ,master her whole duty   
and responsibility in this world1 and to
 do the one and fulfil the other1 ,that 
should be her aim1--to realize in her   

character all the possibilities of her  
womanhood1 and to do all the work for   
her ,master which he may give her to do4
 ,then1 if ,god shall call her to be a  
wife1 let her still go on with the same 
reverence1 faith1 and love1 in whatever 
lines she may be led4 ,i call young     
women to faithfulness--that is all1     
simple faithfulness1 ,accept your duty1 
and do it4 ,accept your responsibility1 
and meet it4 ,be true in every relation 
you are called to fill1 ,be brave enough
 to be loyal always to your womanhood4  
,one letter refers to what a true and   
noble sister may be to her brother1     
especially of the better than angel     
guardianship of an older sister over her
 younger brother4 ,evidently this young 
man writes with the consciousness that  
he himself has had the benediction of   
such an older sister4 ,volumes could be 
written concerning such ministries4     
,moses was not the only child by whose  
infancy's cradle an older sister has    
kept sacred watch4 ,he was not the only 

great man who has owed much of his      
greatness to a faithful1 self-denying   
,miriam4 ,many a man who is now honored 
in the world owes all his power and     
influence to a woman1 perhaps too much  
forgotten now1 perhaps worn and         
wrinkled1 beauty gone1 brightness faded1
 living alone and solitary1 but who1 in 
the days of his youth1 was guardian     
angel to him1 freely pouring out the    
best and richest of her life for him1   
giving the very blood of her veins that 
he might have more life2 denying herself
 even needed comforts that he1 her      
heart's pride1 might be educated and    
might become a noble man among men4     
,men who have true-hearted1             
self-forgetful older sisters rarely ever
 honor them half enough for their       
sacrifices1 their unselfishnesses1 the  
influence of their gentle purity and    
their hallowed love4 ,many a sister has 
denied herself everything1 and has worn 
out her very life1 for a brother who in 
his wealth or fame too often altogether 

forgets her4  ,there is a class of women
 in every community whom society        
flippantly denominates old maids4 ,the  
world needs yet to be told what         
uncrowned queens many of these women    
are1 what undecorated heroines1 what    
blessings to humanity1 what builders of 
homes1 what servants of others and of   
,christ4 ,in thousands of cases they    
remain unmarried for the sake of their  
families4 ,many of them have refused    
brilliant offers of marriage that they  
might remain at home to be the shield   
and comfort and stay of parents growing 
feeble and needing their gentle care4   
,hundreds more there are who have hidden
 away their own heart-hunger that they  
devote their lives to good deeds for    
,christ and for humanity4  ,florence    
,nightingale denied herself the joy and 
sweetness of wedded happiness1 and gave 
her life to service in army hospitals1  
carrying to wounded and weary men the   
blessing of her kindly ministry1 instead
 of shutting it up within the walls of a

 home of her own4 ,and ,sister ,dora1   
who wrought with such brave spirit in   
,english perl-houses1 whose story is as 
a helpful evangel1 was the bride of the 
world's sorrow only4 ,every community   
has its own examples of those whose     
hands have not felt the pressure of the 
wedding-ring because home loved ones    
seemed to need their affection and their
 service4 ,we ought to honor these      
unmarried women4 ,many of them are the  
true heroines1 the real sisters of      
mercy1 of the communities where they    
live4 ,those who sometimes speak lightly
 of them might better bow down before   
them in reverence and kiss the hands1   
wrinkled now and faded1 which never have
 been clasped in marriage4 ,some one1 by
 the coffin of one of these unwedded    
queens1 writes of the folded hands3     
,roughened and worn with ceaseless toil 
and care1   ,no perfumed grace1 no      
dainty skill1 had these6   ,they earned 
for whiter hands a jewelled case1   ,and
 kept the scars unlovely for their      

share4   ,patient and slow1 they had the
 will to bear   ,the whole world's      
burdens1 but no power to seize   ,the   
flying joys of life1 the gifts that     
please1   ,the gold and gems that others
 find so fair4   ,dear hands1 where     
bridal jewel never shone1   ,whereon no 
lover's kiss was ever pressed1          
,crossed in unwonted quiet on the       
breast1   ,i see through tears your     
glory1 newly won1   ,the golden circlet 
of life's work well done1   ,set with   
the shining pearl of perfect rest4      
,every writer speaks of ,christlikeness 
as the real crown and completeness of   
all womanly character4 ,i have not space
 to quote the words of any letter4 ,i   
may say only that ,christ is not merely 
the ideal1 the pattern1 for every young 
woman to model her life upon1 but that  
,christ is to be her ,friend as well as 
her ,saviour1 her ,master1 her ,helper4 
,mary1 sitting at ,christ's feet1 is a  
loving picture which every young girl   
ought to keep framed in her heart4 ,one 

letter sums up the ideal womanhood in   
these elements3 ,trustfulness1          
hopefulness1 joyfulness1 peacefulness4  
,but ,christ must be in your heart      
before you can have these qualities in  
your life4  ,let me now turn your       
thoughts to the other ,scripture test4  
,the ,king's daughter is all glorious   
within2 her clothing is of wrought gold4
 ,as the words read in our ,common      
,version1 they seem to describe the     
heart life and the outer life1 or       
conduct4 ,all glorious within1 with     
heart pure1 beautiful1 radiant1 bearing 
the image of ,christ4 ,her clothing is  
of wrought gold1 woven of threads of    
gold2 that is1 her outward life also is 
pure1 beautiful1 radiant1 ,christ-like4 
,this is the ,king's ,daughter's text2  
it is the motto which gives them the aim
 of all their life and activity4 ,let us
 look at it a few moments as containing 
the ,scriptural ideal for all young     
womanhood4 ,all glorious within4 ,that  
is the first thing to seek in your ideal

 of true young womanhood4 ,you must have
 your heart right1 and it must be kept  
right4 ,an evil heart never made a holy 
life4 ,a dark heart never made a shining
 life4 ,a selfish heart never made an   
unselfish life4 ,a sad heart never made 
a glad life4 ,says ,faber3 ,there are   
souls in the world who have the gift of 
finding joy everywhere1 and of leaving  
it behind them when they go4 ,joy gushes
 from under their fingers like jets of  
light4 ,their influence is an inevitable
 gladdening of the heart4 ,it seems as  
if a shadow of ,god's own gift had      
passed upon them4 ,they give light      
without meaning to shine4 ,these bright 
hearts have a great work to do for ,god4
  ,the reason these lives are such      
benedictions is because they are        
glorious within4 ,i cannot press home   
this truth too earnestly4 ,everything   
depends upon the heart4 ,the heart makes
 the life4 ,a beautiful soul will make  
even a homely face beautiful4 ,seek1    
dear girls1 to be all glorious within4  

,there is only one way4 ,our natural    
hearts are not beautiful1 not pure1 not 
glorious4 ,we must let ,christ wash our 
souls till they are made whiter than    
snow4 ,we must let the ,holy ,spirit    
cleanse us and purify us and glorify our
 life within4 ,here is a little prayer  
for all who would have their hearts     
transformed3    ,holy ,spirit1 dwell    
with me2   ,i myself would holy be2     
,separate from sin1 ,i would   ,choose  
and cherish all things good2   ,and     
whatever ,i can be1   ,give to him who  
gave me thee4  ,her clothing is of      
wrought gold4 ,not only is the inner    
life of the ,king's daughter all        
glorious1 but her outer life also is    
resplendent4 ,her character is          
beautiful4 ,her disposition is kindly4  
,her spirit is gentle4 ,she does lovely 
things4 ,the heart makes the life4 ,a   
glorious light within shines out and    
transfigures all the being4 ,it is      
wonderful how the whole life is         
brightened by a loving1 joyful heart4   

,so ,i counsel the young women to seek  
to have their very faces shine with the 
glory of peace4 ,watch your life1 your  
temper1 your disposition1 your conduct1 
your acts1 your words4 ,you are a       
daughter of the ,king2 wear your royal  
garments wherever you may go4 ,go       
continually on your ,king's errands4    
,you know the morning prayer which each 
,king's ,daughter is requested to offer3
 ,take me1 ,lord1 and use me to-day as  
thou wilt4 ,whatever work thou has for  
me to do1 give it into my hands4 ,if    
there are those thou wouldst have me to 
help in any way1 send them to me4 ,take 
my time and use it1 as thou wilt4 ,let  
me be a vessel close to thy hand and    
meet for thy service1 to be employed    
only for thee and for ministry to others
 in thy name4  ,it does not need great  
and conspicuous things to make a life   
golden and radiant in ,god's sight4 ,go 
out each day with this prayer of        
consecration on your lips1 and be a     
blessing to every one you meet4 ,be a   

blessing1 first1 in your own home1 to   
those who love you most4 ,leave joy in  
their hearts as you go forth1 or as they
 go forth1 for the day4 ,then go with   
benedictions to every other life you    
meet or touch4  ,we are told of ,jesus  
that when persons touched even his      
garment's hem1 virtue went out of him   
and healed them4 ,we read of ,peter that
 the people laid their sick in the      
street1 that the apostle's shadow as he 
passed by might fall on them and heal   
them4 ,it should be so1 dear ,christian 
young people1 with your lives4 ,you     
should be so full of the ,spirit of ,god
 that at every touch of love or need or 
sorrow1 virtue may flow out of you to   
heal and bless1 and that the mere shadow
 of your presence may have a benediction
 for every one on whom it falls4 ,is    
there not some one whom you know1       
perhaps some lowly one1 whom it always  
does you good to meet8 ,seek to have    
your life such a reservoir of good1 of  
blessing1 of life1 of peace1 of joy1    

that no one can meet you without taking 
away some blessing4  ,some one may be   
discouraged by this setting forth of so 
high an ideal4 ,i can never reach it4 ,i
 can never train my life into such      
beauty4 ,i can never be such a woman4 ,i
 can never do the duties of a ,christian
 in such a perfect way4 ,no1 never in   
your own strength4 ,if no help came from
 ,god1 if there were set for us all the 
lofty ideals of the ,scriptures1 and we 
were then left alone to work them out as
 best we could1 unhelped1 we might well 
despair4 ,but1 for every duty and       
requirement there is a promise of divine
 grace4  ,ruskin says3 ,he gives us     
always strength enough1 and sense       
enough1 for what he wants us to do4 ,if 
we either tire ourselves or puzzle      
ourselves1 it is our own fault4 ,this   
puts tersely1 and in strong1 homely     
phrase1 the essence of such promises of 
the ,scriptures as ,my grace is         
sufficient for thee2 ,as thy days so    
shall thy strength be1 and many others1 

,strength enough and sense enough4 ,the 
latter is a fresh reading of the old    
assurance4 ,we often say we shall get   
strength enough1 but we do not always   
remember that we shall get sense enough 
for every duty1 every perplexity1 every 
place where great delicacy of wisdom is 
required4 ,yet there is a promise to any
 one who knows that he lacks wisdom and 
will ask for it4  ,so the young girl    
need not be afraid to step out into     
life1 if she have ,christ with her4 ,he 
will show her the way4 ,he will make her
 strong for duty4 ,he will be in her1   
and will help her to grow into radiant  
beauty of life4 ,he will give her wisdom
 for every place where wisdom is        
required4 ,as you bow at his feet1      
,christ looks into your face with love  
and yearning1 eager to grant you a new  
blessing4 ,ask him for what you want    
most1 and will it not be for the        
blessing of simple goodness1 the love of
 ,christ to fill your heart and pour out
 through all your life8 ,no other gift  

can be such a benediction to you2 no    
other can make you such a benediction to
 others4  ,i cannot tell you how my     
heart yearns for the young people to    
whom these words are addressed2 how ,i  
long and pray that they may be cleansed 
of all hidden faults and made all       
glorious within1 and that their garments
 may shine as if woven of threads of    
gold4 ,with all sincerity ,i can make   
for each one who may read these pages   
this earnest1 loving prayer3-- ,father1 
our children keep6    ,we know not what 
is coming on the earth2   ,beneath the  
shadow of thy heavenly wing1   ,oh keep 
them1 keep them1 then who gav'st them   
birth4    ,them in thy chambers hide6   
,oh hide them and preserve them calm and
 safe1   ,where sin abounds and error   
flows abroad1   ,and ,satan tempts1 and 
human passions chafe6    ,oh keep them  
undefiled6   ,unspotted from a tempting 
world of sin2   ,that1 clothed in white1
 through the bright city gates   ,they  
may with us in triumph enter in4