Young ladies will read novels, excusing themselves from active labor because they are in delicate health. Their feebleness is the result of their lack of exercising the muscles God has given them. They may think they are too feeble to do housework, but will work at crochet and tatting, and preserve the delicate paleness of their hands and faces, while their care-burdened mothers toil hard to wash and iron their garments. These ladies are not Christians, for they transgress the fifth commandment. They do not honor their parents. But the mother is the one who is most to blame. She has indulged her daughters and excused them from bearing their share of household duties, until work has become distasteful to them, and they love and enjoy delicate idleness. They eat, and sleep, and read novels, and talk of the fashions, while their lives are useless. {3T 151.1}

Unge damer vil læse noveller, undskylde sig fra aktivt arbejde fordi de er fintfølende. Deres svaghed er følgen af de ikke bruger de muskler Gud har givet dem. De kan tro at de er for svage til at gøre husligt arbejde, men vil arbejde med hækling og orkis og bevare deres hænders og ansigters fine bleghed, medens deres bebyrdede mødre slider hårdt i det for at vaske og stryge deres klæder. Disse damer er ikke kristne, for de overtræder det femte bud. De ærer ikke deres forældre. Men moderen er den der mest skal have skylden. Hun har føjet sine døtre og har fritaget dem fra at bære deres del af hjemmeopgaverne, indtil arbejdet er blevet usmageligt for dem og de elsker at nyde en sart ladhed. De spiser og sover og læser noveller og taler om moder, medens deres liv er unyttigt.