The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-04-21
Practical Training for Women.

Practical Training for Women.
A paragraph has recently been going
the rounds of the Journals, wherein much
respected and justly beloved divine is
represented as saying that trimming Of
women to be good wives aud mothers was
Of vastly greater Importance than their
education in social accomplishments OF
money-making pursuits. A word or two
inspired by practical experience may fur
nish not unfriendly comment on the
good doctors exhortations. A good wife
and mother is supposed to be not ma
chine for performing certain established
household duties and preparing certain
number of meals day; she should be a
companion, friend, helper But the
first step in many homes, when "dull
times or financial mistakes make econo-
my imperative, is to discharge tn servant
and to suggest that the wife's hands un.
dertake the ordering Of kitchen and hall
andparlor.
1t is not in support of a theory that we
must contend that this drudgery units
her to be an agreeable companion, makes
her in a very low and degrading sense
helper and leaves her very little courage
or spirit to be an entertaining and useful
| friend.
What sort Of an evening can family
enjoy when she who should be the light
and inspirer Of all brightness and all
gayety is so wearied with bodily toll as to
sink upon the lounge for nap, or bus y
herself in silence with necessarily neglected
sewing. What kind Of training can
woman give her children whose nerves are
so worn by domestic duties and compelled
privation of out-door-exercise that she can
hardly keep her mind clear and her man
ners serene, or her face cheerful?
Better thousand times for woman
to he'll her husband with the money gain
ed by trained eyes and hands than by the
petty and narrowing cares Of patching and
sewing, Of securing, and cooking and
sweeping.
An industrious woman can save many
hours and much strength from household
superintendance, from dressing and dress
making and the rounds of "soeiety duties, -
for pursuits which should employ her
mind and hands in pleasure BILE aud pro-
fitable way.
1t is not the only resource left TO woman
let the publishers rejoice-to assail the
magazine editors with vapid aud pathetic
poems, full of misplaced self-pity and
cowardly complaint.
Wood engraving, etching, lithography,
millinery and the making Of many useful
household articles can easily be carried on
in a womans own home. A successful
florist, a skillful designer for silver, or
for architecture, need not affront any con
seryative husband by unnecessary publici-
ty. On is almost tempted to place the
compiling of cookery books in the list Of
profitable employment, since so many thou
sands arc being sold Of two or three salts
factory ones recently edited. An Ameri-
can housekeeper, however fortunate she
may be in getting or keeping servants,
must necessarily acquire a good deal of
culinary knowledge.
Not all women can write, or teach, or
make dresses or cook. But almost every
woman can learn by steady aud brave en-
deayor to gain money by a useful and
c7editable pursuit. 1t is just as honest,
methinks, to earn money as it is to save
it by turning and piecing old dresses, or
by making soda do the duty of eggs. 1t
is quite us honorable to send your hadiwork
to shop and receive payment for it as it
is to take boarders because you have
more room than you know what to do
with, or to do "your own work" because
''you are so tired of servants you could
endure them no longer"
If the husband were always the strong,
sufficient prop of the household many
women would be content TO make beauti-
inl and inviting the resting.plaee of home.
But when long-continued pressure of busi-
ness, q sudden failure of hopes, or ordinary
misehance Of exposure lays the strong
man aside, eompels idleuess, and this
idleness brings about complications of his
affairs is not help, peeuniary help, necessa-
ryf And how is the bringing of that
help unwOmanly? Happy the woman who
can earn even small income for the days
of trouble.
Many widow is earning her right to
exist who looks back regretfully to the
days when she might have been a real
and practical help to the toiIing man then
at her side.
We may say nothing of the training in
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