The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-28
VOLUME II.

at home" With all reverence for fhe
oft-quoted opinion of the great Apostle,
will say that his admonition will
scarcely apply to those women who, by
toll of brain or sweat Of brow, are alone
able TO preserve even a semblance OF
home, and from this they must daily
absent themselves or be, with their
loved ones, permanently driven forth
by gaunt famine, most dreaded child of
poverty. How many Of us have heard
the remark-and verify, from the wise
look and confident manner which ac-
companies it, one is led to think that
the speaker believes himself again en-
trenched behind st. Paul;-how often. ]
say, have we heard from some self-con-
stituted oracle, who, in his jealous
search for woman's sphere, has wan
dered far from his own, this remark
concerning some woman engaged in
public work, "She had better be at
home taking care of her children. /"
Pray, good sir, who told you she had a
home, or that there were children
therein in need of her care? 1t does
not more necessarily follow that, be-
cause she is n woman, she is the fortu-
nate possessor of these blessings than
that, because goa are a man, you should
attempt to write out for her her lesson
Of duty. This wholesale consignment
Of women TO home and nursery duties,
whether or not in accordance with their
condition or inclinations, was rather lu-
dicrously illustrated in my hearing dur
ing Miss Anthony's late visit to our
State. Said a gentleman to a lady,
''Miss Anthony is quite pleasant look
ing woman-much more so than l had
expected to see-but, after all, / could
not help thinking how much better she
would have looked with baby in her
arms than with her lap filled with the
placards announcing her appearance be-
fore the public" The lady addressed
slightly elevated her eyebrows, and
presumed the gentleman meant a Bor-
roloed baby. Now, although all women
are not possessed of homes-or, being
possessed of them, must struggle abroad
for their maintenance-it is vet the lot
of vast majority to find their greatest
pleasures and exercise their chief tai
ents in home work. No man can ex-
pect TO have q home, in any degree
worthy of the name, without the loving
care Of mother, wife, daughter or sister;
yet it is by no means necessary, in order
to render this home attractive, that the
women constituting part of the house
hold should be secluded therein-should,
in common parlance, be always at home
and constantly engaged in household
cares. A little careful observation will
one that those are by no means
the happiest and best-Tegulated homes
where this rule prevails. True, the
sweeping may be done with great nicely
and regularity; the meals served in
good season and faultless style; the
weekly washing, ironing and mending
accomplished in proper time and man.
ner, but does this atone, o husband, for
the slowly paling cheek, the weary
step, the nervous movements, and, sad
dest Of all, for the constantly narrowing
mind of the little wife, who is fast set
Ting into a household drudge, and who
is each day less a companion for you
less able TO enter into and appreciate
and enjoy with you those things in
which you find your greatest pleasures,
and this not from any natural inability
or defect, but because you, from the ex-
tent and variety Of your opportunities,
are constantly advancing, while she,
from the monotonOus nature Of her sur
roundings in the narrow circle that
comprises her roTId, can at best but re-
main stationary? 1t seems TO me that
The mass OF mankind are uncommonly slow
To acknowledge fact IL behoOvcs them 10
know,
And 20 learn that a woman is not like mouse,
Needing nothing but cheese and the walls OF a
house."
Nor are the mass of women blameless
in this respect, nor can they be so long
as they dwarf their minds by so many
needless cares, and by this to some ex-
tent "willful starvation" allow TO lie
dormant those faculties, which, If prop
erly cultivated, may be the means Of
bringing the refinement and happiness
to their homes, for which their children's
children will rise up and call them
blessed.
To many persons the name of home
merely suggests the idea of n place to
which one can retire when weary. oh
tam refreshments when hungry, fret
and scold when irritated, laugh and
make merry when there is companv-
in short, to repeat a common phrase. go
place where man can 90 when he
can't go anywhere else" Now, If il he
really and truly necessary for a human
animal to have a kennel, by all means
LET him be provided with one, and let
him be the sole occupant thereof. Or,
If a woman is so unfortunate as to pre-
side therein, do not require of her the
human impossibility of rendering the
place a pleasant home. To approximate
at all nearly to human perfection in our
daily abOdes is not the work of men
alone, nor Of women alone, but in this
requisite means Of happiness, as indeed
all things else, whether for private in
terest or public benefit, each should
work with or for the other, and by mu-
tual and harmonious effort the twain
may accomplish that which to either
unaided could only have resulted in