It was greatly to be regretted, on Jenny’s account, that her father was so burdened with cares as to overlook this dark side of the guardian of his daughter. Mrs. Knír̓ová had only one boy of her own, and was not fond of children. The daughter of her cousin Kuc̓era she received very readily into her house, for it brought her some little emolument; and besides, she would have in her somebody ways near, to whom she could enlarge upon her own views of the world, and things in general. And she imposed the tender mind of Jenny with principles which she herself considered infallible, but which were downright dangerous for the young girl. For instance, she would cry to her—
“One woman adorns her head with some striking style of frisure, or bonnet; another decks herself out with shopfuls of jewellery; a third sweeps the streets with her a train of silk or satin;—and all this, only to attract the attention of men, and to catch a husband, and to provide comfortably for themselves. And the girl who has no money for ostrich-feathers, or for jewels, or silks, must check herself out with knowledge, science, art; with all sorts of accomplishments, in short, in order to attain the same end in that way. So it has always been in the world, and so it will be to the end. Look at the actresses—they are all poor, portionless girls. Do you think that they trouble themselves with learning and practising for years only to get applause in the theatre, or praise in the newspaper? Not at all; to catch some nobleman is their chief aim. And there are examples of some of them having got even princes of reigning houses! Many one, whose father could hardly find means enough to buy her a calico dress, now orders robes for hundreds of florins from the first magasins in Paris every month.
