The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-11
Happy Women.
~ KATE TRUE.

~ woman is never so happy, believe me, as
when Intending old pants. darning stockings or
tending babes."-IWashington Letter.
There is unadulterated wisdom for
YOU! Think of it! Never so happy.
How nonsensical art and science ap-
pear when viewed through pair of ma
terialistic spectacles How frivolous
the work of women in the past, aud the
work of women to-day when their hap
piness is considered What tons and
tons of paper have been wasted in i'm
parting instruction, or amusing the
masses, when all the time the writers
might have been good and happy with
what q woman calls 'darnation en-
broidery." No profanity is intended; il
sounds better even than darning stock
ings. Alas, for the old maids, the pretty
and cheerful widows, the hard students,
devoted teachers, editors, merchants,
saleswomen and others, who have
neither pants to mend, babies TO tend,
or darnatiOn embroidery to make them
happy Alas, for womanly aspirations
and womanly strivings for the highest
and noblest life bequeathed to mortals
Throw culture 10 the dogs, or leave it
for men, and return at once to the days
of barbarism and unlimited happiness.
Give US virgins with a mending bas-
ket, Mater DOlorosas inserting an inde-
scribabIe figure in the rear of dilapidated
pantaloons, st. Cecilia with a dish towel,
and Mary Queen OF Scots diligently
darning a blue yarn sock! Away with
all sentiment, beauty, poetry, and in
spiration; let the high offices of COM
panion, counsellor, teacher and guide
be no longer eligible 10 woman, but per-
NIT her TO abe happy" Hereafter, let
familiar sentence read % I.ife, liberty,
IL &c ofnA hahfoaff-
piness will be the natural result.
Drop your pens, fair sisters, you who
WELD them for the healing of hurts, and
the pleasure of Gods childrenl
Drop the chisel, o gifted Hosmer, and
bid your companions do the samel
Come from your observatory, Maria
Mitchell, and forget the marvellous works
written in the heavensl What have we
to do with GeOrgium, Sidus, Nesta,
Ceres, or any of the starry host? Be
take thyself to mending and happiness,
and forget that brave woman, wise
mother, and superior scientist, Mary
Somervillei Forbid the bans, when
lovely women are about to consecrate
themselves to a life OF scientific research;
silence the sweet singers. muzZle the
press, and bar the doors Of college and
OF schoolroOm; life's prime purpose is
"the pursuit of happiness" and let the
women be happy
Can we as a people afford it
Are we TO fight with all the weapons
given us by liberal education, and hard
earned advantages, against the tendency
to materialism, or are we to 60 back TO
our mending, or fold our hands in idle
ness il fortune or fate has denied us the
luxury Of rents and rips, and be happy ?
God bless the babies say !, from the
wee, red-faced, helpless atom fresh from
the land Of the unseen, to the healthy,
vigorous boy or girl "tOO large to be
petted.n lt would be poor world with
out them, and every mother knows il;
more than one woman has been lifted
out OF the frivOlOusness Of life into the
glory Of wOmanhoOd with its RESPONSE
bilities by the coming Of her first baby
more than one woman has grown up
and out of, the stern practical dulie.
aud drudgeries Of life, led by the hanC
Of her babe. II is the father who won
ders 'why you don't stop its crying,
when he wishes TO sleep; it is the fathe
who looks keenly 10 the externals, AN,
hopes to be proud OF his son or daugh
ter; but the mother hides great thing
in her heart, and little by little sh
draws from this supply Of never-failinl
love, patience, and purity, and feeds tn
fresh young soul which is a part OF her
self All, yesl the babies are preciou
things, whether in our arms, or in th
dear All-Father's The knowl
edge, love, and necessary patience come
with the little ones, and blessed are tn
mothers who find comfort i'm them daily
But what is TO be done when a larg
number of women are without families
Must happiness be denied them? Ar
they Of necessity cold, heartless and un
mOtherly? Not at all. One Of the ten
derest nurses / ever saw was a southern
woman Of wealth, who was not permit
ted to marry the man of her choice, anI
therefore became what the world call
an old maid. Her mOtherliness and dc
vOtiOn 10 the little children might vel
shame some of our modern matrons
who publicly parade with frOwsy lap.
dogs and leave their children 10 hire.
lings.
Looking over long list Of American
women who contribute regularly to cur
rent literature, we find few who are not
known as excellent house keepers, not
withstanding the oft-repeated Islander
THAT literary women are slOvenly" D."
Two pictures present themselves as