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C H A P T E R 4 "A GIRL' S BES T FRIEND" : ADOLESCENT DAUGHTER S AND THEI R MOTHER S F OR Edn a Ormsby , th e birt h o f a daughter o n Decembe r 20 , 1891, represente d a n auspiciou s occasion . "Sh e i s perfec t i n every wa y and promise s t o be a bright child fo r which we fee l that we can not be thankful enoug h t o the Good Father," Mrs. Ormsby wrote i n he r diary . " I hope an d pra y tha t she ma y live to be a noble godfearing woma n an d a 'woman's woman. ' If she migh t be permit ted to do some great service for the uplifting of her sisters I shall feel that I hav e no t live d i n vain, " she continued . "I f sh e migh t onl y do the work that I have dreamed of how glad I should be. . .. W e named the bab y Esthe r b y commo n consent . I ha d though t o f tha t lon g before and when Fulton [her husband] suggested it and Mother liked it th e matte r wa s settled." 1 Wit h thes e succinc t observations , Mrs . Ormsby embarked on th e task of raising a daughter. By th e tim e Esthe r wa s born , th e er a o f th e u new woman " ha d been launche d b y th e first generatio n o f youn g wome n t o pursu e higher educatio n an d variou s professiona l paths . I n thi s setting, th e challenge o f guidin g a daughter safel y throug h childhoo d an d ado lescence t o maturity an d adulthoo d coul d b e a formidable on e fo r a conscientious mother . A s Mrs . Ormsby's comments indicate , it might also suggest a n opportunity fo r th e vicariou s fulfillmen t o f materna l aspirations throug h th e potentia l achievement s o f th e nex t genera tion . Over a perio d o f abou t ninetee n years , Edn a Ormsb y recorde d her efforts t o meet th e challenge o f raisin g a daughter well , and he r thoughts and feelings abou t the mother-daughter relationship , in the 70 "A GIRL' S BES T FRIEND " 71 diary sh e title d "Th e Boo k o f Esther. " The concern s sh e expresse d mirrored th e contemporar y cultura l expectation s fo r middle-clas s mothers a s the y fulfille d thei r assigne d responsibilit y fo r socializin g their daughters. Reminiscent of prescriptive literature that urged th e importance o f friendshi p between mothe r and daughter, Mrs . Ormsby noted fervently : " I hope tha t we will be companionable an d tha t he r mamma wil l alway s b e he r closes t confidan t unti l ther e i s a 'neare r and deare r on e stil l tha n al l others. ' "2 A s Esthe r develope d fro m babyhood t o adolescence , he r mothe r worrie d intensel y abou t he r mood changes, her attachment to other children, and her headaches. She played piano duets with her daughter, removed her from kinder garten whe n it seemed t o tax her strength, and nursed he r when sh e experienced wha t appear s t o hav e bee n a n emotiona l breakdow n around th e ag e o f fifteen. 3 Sh e als o too k grea t prid e i n Esther' s appearance: "None of her pictures do her justice because her expression is so brilliant and in her pictures she wears an unnatural look." 4 And sh e reflecte d thoughtfull y o n he r ow n reaction s t o Esther' s progress: Her development has been very interesting and in most ways very gratifying to me. She is said to be one of the most popular girls who has ever attended the [high] school... . There seems to be an elusive spiritual quality about her that makes her very charming to both her...

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