Excuse me if I indulge in a personal reminiscence. It is in every way a pleasant incident to recall:—
Between nineteen and twenty years ago, in the Dark Ages, when as yet there was no Girl’s Own Paper, I remember a quite accidental meeting at luncheon in a London restaurant with the present Editor. We had become well acquainted before that, in connection with a magazine of which he was sub-editor and to which I then played the part of contributor.
THE AUTOGRAPH TEA-TABLE CLOTH.
I found him full of a scheme he had in view, a paper which he anticipated would be a lasting success, for it was going to appeal to and cater for those sensible girls who are always in fashion and who hitherto had possessed no magazine which they could call their very own.
From the restaurant we adjourned to the Editor’s chambers, and there he read to me the proof of the prospectus about to be issued, announcing the publication of the first number of The Girl’s Own Paper. At this distance of time I cannot recollect the terms of that document, but, as it is not every day that editors write prospectuses, we may take it for granted that it was a very moving discourse which no girl could read without wishing at the very least to see Number One.
The confidence of the Editor in his project was infectious. Confident he was, and confident he deserved to be, for he had had considerable experience and, it was clear, knew well what he was about. From that day I believed in the fortunes of The Girl’s Own Paper. It is true that we might have paused to consider how it is impossible to tell beforehand what will hit the public taste, but to the enthusiasm of so long ago that fact was only a sort of bogey to frighten enterprising spirits from starting anything new.
Beginning with that interview it is pleasant to follow the career of The Girl’s Own Paper, leading up to its present flourishing fortunes. As the day is judged by its dawn, so girls apparently made up their minds about the aims, quality, and character of their special organ from the very first number. When it came out, “You are a treasure!” was uttered in every tone of voice, and with every inflection of enthusiasm.
The sunshine of that time has lasted up till now. From being a new serial The Girl’s Own Paper has become a well-established favourite, with an influence for good in the community to which an outsider to the editorial office like myself may with propriety call attention. It is a paper which has been always in the front in advocating what is best for girlhood; always up-to-date; always interesting; always, one can see, trying to be sensible, and—without forcing its recognition—never losing sight of the highest subject of all.