Miss Frances White, Yaverland Manor, Brading, Isle of Wight, would be pleased to exchange stamps with girls living abroad; she would send twenty British stamps in exchange for the same number of the nationality of her correspondent.
Maud M. Baughan, Vernon Villa, James Street, Oxford, would like to correspond in English with Miss Ruby Tizarel and Miss Nelly Pollak. As Miss Baughan is a teacher, she would also like to correspond with any teachers across the sea.
Miss R. M. Cooke, Oxford Villa, Gordon Road, Southend-on-Sea, wishes to correspond with some girls of her own age (20) living abroad. She is an enthusiastic collector of view post-cards, and would like to exchange English cards for those of other countries.
Will O Mimosa San exchange illustrated post-cards with Madame Gaston Cantin, Rue de Saujon, La Tremblade, Charente Inférieure, France, whom we thank for her pleasant words, describing the delight of her correspondence with an English reader of the “G. O. P.”
“Bertram,” a girl fond of out-door exercise, would like to correspond with a French girl about sixteen years of age.
Miss Sofie Abelsberg, Budapesth, Hungary (11, Nagy János Street), wishes for a well-educated English or American girl correspondent of her own age (18) who would write in German or English, Miss Abelsberg in English.
Florida would like to correspond with a Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish or Russian girl of good family about 20 years of age. She would help them in English if they would help her in their languages. Will any girls of these nationalities send addresses here?
GIRLS’ EMPLOYMENTS.
A Farmer’s Daughter (Choice of Employment).—Are there not rather many kinds of work which you dislike? You “would not think of entering into domestic service at all.” You “would not care for shop business either.” You think, however, that you might like to act as a clerk, or a lady’s companion. Now, we are obliged to tell you that companions are very little wanted, and that clerks, if they are to receive moderately good salaries, must be well educated. You tell us, however, that your parents would not be disposed to spend anything further on your education or training. This makes the position somewhat difficult. It compels you to regard home as your school. But there are many useful things that a girl can learn on a farm. You might learn dairy-work thoroughly and earn something by the sale of butter. Later, if you could master the newest methods, from studying the appliances used by your most successful farming friends, you could seek a position as superintendent of some gentleman’s private dairy. People who can make butter and cheese well never go a-begging. Then you should also study the best and most remunerative methods of rearing poultry and of marketing eggs. Something, even, might be earned from your garden, if you have one, and the soil is favourable for bulbs—as in many parts of Ireland it is. The secret of comfort in farmers’ households is for the family to remain together, and for each member—father and mother, sons and daughters, to contribute their share of work. But where families break up, the trouble comes, for each person then wants a separate house, and consequently larger earnings.
Twentieth Volume (Art Teachership).—Your friends have unfortunately been only too well acquainted with the facts, when they told you that it would be extremely difficult to obtain a situation as teacher of art in a school. Drawing is taught in a good many girls’ schools, but by no means in all. The head-mistresses of many High Schools are disposed to give most of the time allowed to general English subjects and languages, which count in examinations, and to leave girls of artistic tastes to study drawing later at a regular school of art. Evidently you draw well, or you could not have obtained so much success in the South Kensington examinations. But the question arises, can you not earn something by your own drawings? Could you not draw illustrations for stories, or make designs for some commercial or advertising purpose? In all directions of this kind there is much work to be done and money to be earned. Or have you thought of trying some handicraft such as lace-making, silk-weaving, or cane basket-making? Perhaps, as you live in the Midlands, you could some day visit the Birmingham Municipal School of Arts and Crafts and observe the many kinds of beautiful work done by girls there. Such a visit might give you useful ideas. In chromo-lithography, too, there is constantly a demand for good designs. There are some large chromo-lithographic firms in Birmingham. The other matter you speak of is not one in which we can help directly, but you might make the cottage known to the railway authorities so that they could include it in the lists of country lodgings which they publish.