CONFIDENCES
_By the same author_
TRUTHS
Talks With a Boy Concerning Himself
_50 cents_.
HERSELF
Talks With Women Concerning Themselves
_$1.00_.
FALSE MODESTY
_50 cents_.
CONFIDENCES
TALKS WITH A YOUNG GIRL CONCERNING HERSELF
BY EDITH B. LOWRY, M.D.
CHICAGO
1919
* * * * *
_To the daughters of my friends,
but especially to
MARY LOUISE
this little book is lovingly
dedicated._
* * * * *
PREFACE
No one can come in contact with children and young people without
feeling the need of a united effort on the part of the parents,
physicians and teachers to lessen the immoral tendencies, with their
degrading effects, to which the present generation is subjected.
Knowledge of the right sort will prevent many wrecked lives. Ignorance
as to facts and to the best manner of presenting them prevents many
a parent from daring to trespass upon such sacred ground, and the
instruction is postponed from day to day until it is too late.
With the desire to aid mothers in giving the necessary instruction to
their daughters, this little book has been written. The author has tried
to tell in suitable language the facts that should be known by every
girl from ten to fourteen years of age. The book is of such a character
that it may be placed in the hands of the young girl, but better still
it may be read aloud by the mother to her daughter. It is hoped this
book will form the basis of a closer intimacy between mother and
daughter, and that the knowledge herein set forth will forestall that
which might be given in an entirely different spirit by the girl's
companions.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. The Secret
II. The Flower Babies
III. The Bird Babies
IV. Mother's Baby
V. The Baby's Nest
VI. Building the Nest
VII. The Sign Language
VIII. Rest and Sleep
IX. Injury of the Nest
* * * * *
In all places, then, and in all seasons,
Flowers expand their light and soul-like wings,
Teaching us, by most persuasive reasons,
How akin they are to human things.
Longfellow.
* * * * *
CHAPTER I
THE SECRET
Listen, Violet, I am going to tell you a wonderful secret. And this
wonderful secret is about your namesakes, the violets. Every little
flower that grows is a living being, as you or I--and every plant is a
household. How do I know this? The flowers told me themselves, and now
I am going to let you into the secret.
Of course, I must admit that the flowers do not talk as we do. Unlike
ourselves, they cannot express themselves aloud. They must show their
thoughts by their motions or by their change of expression. When a
flower is thirsty, how does it tell us so? By drooping its head and
looking sad. Then, if we give it a drink, how quickly it says, "Thank
you!" by lifting its head and smiling at us.
If we would have the flowers tell us their secrets, we must watch them
very closely so as to be able to hear what they say. Sometimes, however,
we must learn from others what the plants like, for at first, until we
are better acquainted, we will not be able to understand them, and might
make many mistakes; so I am going to tell you a few things today.
First, we must learn something about the flower's family, and where the
flower gets its food. The flowers are a part of the plant household just
the same as you or any little girl is only a part of the family. You
could not very well live without the rest of the family--your father and
mother, who do so many things for you and take such care of you, and
your brothers and sisters, who all help to make the home happy.
The flower is like a little girl and needs some one to care for her. Do
you know the other members of the plant household?
First, there are the roots, whose work it is to hold the plant in place
so it will not be tossed about by every wind. The roots also must draw
the water and nourishment from the ground. You know when the rain comes,
it soaks into the ground and then when the plant needs water the little
roots suck it out of the ground just as you could draw lemonade through
a straw, for every root is supplied with many hair tubes that serve as
straws. These hair tubes often are so small we could not see them
without a microscope, but it is through these tiny tubes the plant
receives nearly all the water it uses.
Other members of the family, the leaves, are kept busy, for they must do
the breathing for the plant, as well as digest the food. You know water
is never quite free from mineral matter, so when the roots draw up the
water from the ground, they also draw up some mineral food for the plant
which is dissolved in the water. Before the plant can make use of this
food, it must be digested by the leaves, much the same as your stomach
must digest the food you eat. That is, it must change it into another
form. But in order that the leaves may do this, they must have plenty
of chlorophyll, which is the green coloring matter of the leaves. This
chlorophyll will grow in the leaves if they have plenty of sunlight, and
if it does not grow the leaves will not be able to digest the food and
the plant will starve. So you see how necessary it is for plants to have
plenty of sunshine, and why they lose their green color and then die if
they are kept away from the light. They really are starved to death.
* * * * *
Flowers are words
Which even a babe may understand.
Bishop Coxe.
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