Not in the Textbooks

The complete education of a daughter is something no American has ever been willing to leave entirely to the schoolteachers. Culling over their own back issues for wisdom on this and other subjects, the editors of the Reader's Digest last week republished Lines to a Daughter --Any Daughter (in an anthology entitled Fun Fare; Simon & Schuster, $2.50), written four years ago by Manhattanite Agnes Rogers:

One of the things that you really should know Is when to say "yes" and when to say "no."

There aren't any textbooks, there aren't many rules, The subject's neglected in orthodox schools. You can't be consistent; there's often a reason For changing your mind with a change in the season. You may be quite right in accepting at seven Suggestions you'd better refuse at eleven.

Perhaps you'll consider these tentative hints:

"No" to a dirndl of highly glazed chintz, "Yes" to the bashful young man at the dance, "No" to the man who's been living in France,

"Yes" to a walk in the park in the rain, "Yes" if he asks for a chance to explain, "No" to all slacks unless you're too thin,

"No" to that impulse to telephone him, "Yes" to a baby, and "no" to a bore, "No" if you're asked if you-ve heard it before,

"Yes" to a Saturday "no" to a Monday, "Yes" to a salad and "no" to a sundae, "Yes" to a stranger (but use some discretion!), "No" to three cocktails in rapid succession,

"No" if he's misunderstood by his wife, "Yes" if you want it the rest of your life.

Remember, my darling, careers and caresses

Depend on our choices of "noes" and of "yesses."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.