Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-17
Tired Women.

If YOU look around on the faces in q
street car. the mum Der of faded and
sad-looking eountenanccs presenting
themselves is startling. Mature wo-
men have especially tired air about
them. showing itself not only in pallid
compeXions. but in the wearied lines
around the mouth and ewes. 1t is i'm
nossible to associate this appearance
with happy lives, and yet from dress
and manner, the majority would seem
TO be comfortably placed in this world.
Usually the climate is supposed to have
n great deal to do with the early fading
of Youthful freshness, and the beauty
of health, instead of reviying with the
spring of the year, usually delays until
the summer holidays, followed by the
crisp autumn breezes, invigorate the
human system Ii the truth was
known. however | suspect that it
would be found that the reason why
women look tired is because they are
perpetually fatigued.
Modern methods have not eased the
cares of wives and mothers, whose du-
ties have developed with the growth of
science and the expansion of art. When
the children were thrashed into ODE
dience to parental commands, when
Young people understood that TO hear
was 10 obey, when husbands only ex-
pected their regular three meals day
and mended and clean clothing, the
duties of women were very much SIM
pier than at the present time. In those
happy days, when to eat, Sleep and
work was the whole duty of man. and
the interests of posterity side issue,
the mistress of the household might,
after her work was done, eat and sleep,
too. At least she had chance to work
when husband and children were en-
gagged in business or in school for long
hours of the day. In those days, rain
or sunshine were the same, life moved
in groove, and there was q probable
ity of things running smoothly. In
those days people ate what was set be-
fore them, because there was not much
variety to be had, and they were not
always developing new ideas in the
way of occupations and diversions that
upset the regular routine of house
hold. Perhaps it was monotonous,
but it was restful for the housekeep-
ers.
In the great upheayal of mind which
has of late years sea each individual
soul on the search for that good living
which the world is supposed to owe it,
whether the quest is continued in the
direction of business, pleasure. science,
art or religion, it is the wife and moth
er who is expected to be the instru-
ment of Providence in providing the
means and forwarding the success of
the seekers, and nobody thinks of all
the extra burden this throws upon her
the strain of her sympathy, the tax
on her bodily strength. From the
child who wants play made for him
to the husband who wants to talk over
his affairs with her, it is one long in
termcdiate chain of little services
which are expected from her. That
she has personal tastes or inclinations
is never taken into account. She has
no time left for her own use, but is ac-
Iually ut me beck and call of all belong
ing TO her from early morning until
late ut night.
II is a curious fact in connection with
the nineteenth century, that few peo-
pie are sclf-reiiant. and still fewer can
occupy themselves agreeably without
aid Like the Turk. they want some
body TO amuso them. With the addi-
tional burden of seeing that the mem
bcrs of Il family are amused, rs well as
their wants provided for, it is 10 won
der that wives and mothers look tired.
No doubt men feel the fatigue OF the
constant drive that is requisite to keep
up with the general stride, but they
have Il peculiar faculty of being able to
take rest even in the midst of tur-
MOL. Women, unfortunately, from
long experience in being oyerdriven,
get into that state where they cannot
reposc, even when The opportunity Of
ters. This is a state of nervous eXpec-
iation, brought about by the knowl-
edge that there viii be something to
dc in minute, even il there is moth
ing calling for attention just now.