The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-19
The Woman Who Works.

Them remarks recent writer The
motive of the writer is most commend
able, for he aspires to defend those
whom he considers need defense. But
against whom does he lift shield? Ger
tainly against most inconsequential
minority. In this minority are not in
cluded the vast host of laboring people,
nor any men or women who have hearts
larger than a millet seed. The woman
who works, strong in her self-respect,
strong in the respect of all who toll that
they may live, strong in the favor of all
who have known what it is to earn their
bread by the sweat of their brows
strong in the spirit of personal indie.
pendence, needs no protection from the
''pitying patronage" of anybody. II
she is at times disposed to regard any
slight put upon her by those who have
no business in lite save to amuse them
selves, she may enjoy revenge every
day, for the ravens of misfortune fly in
ut all windows. And there are, doubt.
less, among women who have found ii
necessary to 90 out into the world and
battle for existence, those who find
stings in the ''pitying patronage" of the
fortune-favored, and who sit in sack
cloth amid the ennobling inspirations of
their work-a-day lives. To them is
commended the words of Carlyle: "All
true work is sacred; in all true work,
were it but true hand-labor, there is
something of divineness. But there is
a distinction to be made between the
woman-laborer and the man-laborer;
the woman deserves the greater consid-
eration-and the fact that, all over the
world, she is winning it, is proof that it
should be so. 1t is certain that, in a
normal condition of society, man should
do the bread-winnng work. But as
the accidents of life develop many abb
normal conditions, it so happens that
many women are forced to shift for them
selves. As there is no possible preventive
for these accidents of fate, it is there
fore incumbent upon all who have
a lever that may be used. to force open
every door that will admit women to
labor-room and opportunity. Society
owes her this. and with it, the special
honor that should be extended one who,
though born with the right to happier
estate, finds that estate unattainable,
ard, with brave heart, bends to the
labor-yoke The world is coming to
this view. Bars against the employ
ment of women are falling away every
where. With each succeeding day
some new opportunity invites her. The
great universities are no longer forbid
&ing, and so great has been the advance
in sentiment that not only have the
spheres for her employment been null
tipled, but she is also accorded greater
facilities for preparing herself to do
work in the best way. This enlarge
ment of woman's labor-privileges does
not mean tharfyie, world Is urging wo-
men to work esiJthat it is willing she
should work to the bast personal advan-
tage when she finds herself called there
TO. The recent action of the United
States Secretary of the Treasury in per-
hitting woman to command a river
steamer is n demonstration of the spirit
of the times. Bonien must be aUoved
to try! This is Civilizations latest
mandate. Thus far she seems to fail in
nothing. save in those things in which
merely muscular force is the essential
factor. Possibly the time will never
come when women will bear muskets in
battle, but who shall say that in the wars
OF the future she will not be epaulettedi
Thus when we contemplate women
in the light of the new era, how
strangely docs the idea of 'pitying pat
ronage' strike the mind. 1t is the wo-
man who works who can afford to be
serene. She enjoys the security that
lies in profitable accomplishments, the
solace that comes from the conscious
ness of earning. the citation that springs
from duties fulfilled. The only patron
age she needs is that which will give
her hands or mind something to do.
The writer quoted at the outset OF
this article also says: "The spirit which
places Il bar in the way of q well-bred,
well-cducated and earnest woman, be-
cause she earns her own bread, must be
eXorcised' True; but let us have all
the bars down, even against those who
may lie under bred, (what is the stand
ard OF breedingp) uneducated, yet earn
est. Let the eXorcism be general. Let
il not fail to better the lives of every
woman who works. But let us hot be
misunderstood; If the writer. referred
to above, has in mind the bars that
guard the avenues to so-called "high
society,"" meaning thereby that social
aggregation which includes only those
who need to labor then IL is not worth
while to undertake the exorcism, for
such bars are of no consequence. Upon
those upper social levels, par excellence,
the most inviting. there is fraternity
OF the worthest to which all may aspire,
and where recognition, when once OBJ
.ained, has in it both compensation
and a consolation, against which NO
''pitying patronage" may prevail.
Therefore, 'Hats off" to the women
who work! 1t would be idle TO urge
them to lift up their heads, for their
heads are already uplifted They are
helping the world onward and upward.
They are, with each new adventure,
contributing to progress. They are
bringing healthful and quickening
presence into commercial, artistic, me
chanical and professional life. They
are acquitting themselves happily il
every vocation into which they enter
Showing, as they do, admirable discrim