CHAPTER XVI

MOTHER’S THIRD TALK--CHOOSING A CHUM

=Early Adolescence.=--You are now entering upon that period of a girl’s life known as the adolescence period. You are now passing from girlhood to womanhood. This period will be about seven to eight years long. The first four years will be the most important years of your life. This is true for many reasons. During this period you will be largely a girl and partly a woman. The mind of the girl that was and the woman that you will be, will occasionally cause you to have confusing experiences. You will have many new and strange feelings, emotions, impulses. During these years you will need the advice of those older than yourself.

=New social desires.=--One of the new experiences you will have, will be the desire for social privileges. You will want a little girl chum. This is perfectly natural. God has given you a social nature. You should cultivate your social gifts. This will enlarge your happiness and usefulness.

=Why a girl wants a chum.=--The reason small girls desire chums is because the new sex life stimulates and awakens the social nature. This is a period in a girl’s life when she is especially interested in things romantic and sensational. Girls naturally choose their special chums, and it is so easy for them to engage in conversation that they would not want their mothers to hear. This sensational friendship might lead to exaggeration, disobedience, and the secret meetings with other girls or boys. It is not hard for a mother to see how her daughter might become thoughtless, rash, indiscreet and be overtaken in some very great wrong.

=A girl needs two chums.=--In this period of life little girls need two chums, her mother and a girl friend. She will often need her mother’s advice in the choice of a girl chum.

=Choosing the right chum.=--If you wish to have one or more girl friends, you should exercise great care in your choice. If you find a girl inclined to exaggeration, to use by-words, to use improper language while talking about her boy friends, to desire secret meetings with boys, however attractive she may be, you should not be chummy with her. To form intimate friendship with such girls would be a great risk. You will find it safest always to be chaste, sincere and dignified in conversation, even with a girl chum. This does not mean that you should not have innocent fun.

=The wise girl.=--The wise girl will take her mother into her confidence and ask for advice in the choice of her chum. Mamma will always appreciate the opportunity to be to you a chum, a friend, a companion and a mother.