The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-04-27
STUDY YOURSELVES.

In q recent number of the HOttSekecp-
er, I find this paragraph, which I wish
could be taken IS text, which would
set every girl looking toward to choice
of vocation for life, to thinking. The
words which have arrested M attention
are these, used after The assertion that
there are many women whose duties
never come as pleasures, and whose
whole life is round of heavy, hopeless
toll: ST believe some women are born
with so little capacity for domestic life,
that to resume its responsibilities is lit
tie short OF sin; sin too which finds
the perpetrator out, with swift and unre-
lenting vengeance. IF a woman once
discovers that she is destitute OF home
genius, and likely SO to be, let her seek
some other outlet and vocation. I have
often wondered why, when men choose
from scores of professions and indutries,
women almost en- nasSe take up the role
of housekeeper, wife, mother. Home
making is indeed vocation. 1t is more
than housekeeping it is the combination
of art and skill and sweet temper, OF the
faculty of adaptation to circumstances
and the taste and temper of others, OF
that sweetest and most enviable power
which some women have of falling into
any position OF occupation, as mistress.
or cook, seamstress or nurse, mother or
hostess, and filling each O. II, and many
more with skill and pate ace. There is
no other occupation under the sun that
has so many and varied requirements,
and vet how few who enter upon it, but
ignore the fact that there is any special
skill required in any one department. L
do think that girls-should
weigh their capabilities well, make more
of q matter of business, if you please, Of
it, before assuming duties for which they
may have no natural capacity. And If
one finds on trial that she lacks in some
one faculty which disables her from per-
forming certain parts Of the duties of
the situation in which she finds herself,
let her canvass the subject sensibly, and
endeavor to have herself freed from that
branch OF the occupation. I know
woman who has large family of chill
dren, requiring, of course, the fashion
ing of many garments. She said to me
once, ST hire all my sewing done, be-
cause L can not make garment, not
even by taking one of the plainest of cut
paper patterns rs a guide. How [ do
envy your genius in such things" In
further conversation [ found that she
was il the habit of doing for her family
what I could not do with any satisfaction
TO myself for mine-cooking and wash
ing dishes. I can't make their clothes"
she said, ssand my husband says that as
il is such a task to me, he would rather
7 would do what suits me better, and 1
do not mind cooking nor washing dishes.
L could but admire the wisdom OF the
husband in advising to such course.
If she had undertaken to do the sewing
she would have failed utterly while in
doing the work her natural preference
dictated, she was success. Had L at
tempted change Of role with her, her
success would have been my failure, and
gice gersa and in either case, unless
the husbands were models of patience
and virtue, the ultimate result would
have been fault finding and discomfort.
Why should not women study these
thingsssoth before and after marriagea
If they conscientiously would, much I'M
happiness would be avoided. do veri-
" believe that one who has no talent for
cookery, or any other specially, to whom
the performance is hateful task, never
successfully performed even though done
with a sincere effort to aequit ones self
of a duty, should no more attempt it
than man who has no faculty for any
thing but music, should try to make a
farmer Of himself
Happy is she who has that rare com
bination OF qualities which makes her a
genius in any or all OF the departments
of home making. MARY.