The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-29
Health Of Women.


ton than this. How necessary that the
mother should have good health! The
domestic wheels do not track when
mother is sick. How empty and cheer
less the rooms! What discomfort comes
to a family in a hundred ways when
mothers hand is not at the helm to
guide the home.
Only mothers know of the care which
a large, well-ordered household de-
mands. Her eye must take in every
detail, that the supplies do not fail 1t
is she who watches the sugar box, the
tea, coffee, spices, kerosene, matches,
soap and all table necessities. If any
of these things are missing mother
knows it will bring discomfort to her
family. How long would it take man
to discipline mis- mind so that all these
thousand details would receive due at
tention? | am afraid if men were in
charge we should get up more than one
morning with no coffee in the house for
breakfast, and sugar box empty, be-
cause he forgot to order; but mother
never forgets. She keeps things up
from pantry to parlor, but in nothing
does she prove her generalship so much
as in her punctual, well cooked meals.
Cooking is grindstone on which a
housekeeper's life is ground three times
day, yet mother never complains, but
month in and month out the
aromatic coffee, the delicious bread,
meats, gravies, pies, puddin&s
and cakes, pass out of the dear
hands on to her table. Sometimes
think the finer cook the mother is
the more fastidious and critical her
family become. They take the blessing
of well cooked food as matter ofcourse,
forget to praise when it is richly due,
but are sure to tell the cook if mistake
is made. The sons of such 4 mother
when married are apt to tell their wives
how mother cooked" No wonder!
The hearts of husband and children
in such home turn to the mother as
flowers turn to the sun. Her children
rush into the house after school with
gladness aud laughter. "Where's
mother?" and they 60 from room to
room. If she has gone away for a
short time the broWs of the children
grow clouded. Sometimes of an after
uoon she steps into a neighbours. The
father comes in, and like the children
he misses her. "Where has your moth
er gomez he asks. All! her presence
means home.
Having in a general way looked at
the cares which inundate the mother,
we cannot but see how necessary is
good health. 1t is a common sight,
however, to see pallid woman battling
with i'll health and weighed down by
household duties. Poverty bears down,
and at last she dies. The doctors give
some name, but we know she died,
crushed by work, care and worry of
trying ''to make both ends meet"
1t is not only in the homes of the
poor that we find women overworked,
but often in the homes of opulence. A
case comes to mind of friend who
presides over an elegant home. and is
a model wife and mother. For years
the wide hospitality of her home has
been known far and wide. Although
she has good help, she attends herself to
the details of her home. Now, at the
age of forty-two, her health is broken.
The doctors shake their heads, and say,
Rest, rest"
American life is ''itful fever" any
how, and the mode of life among Amer
lean women is especially destructive to
health. So much has to be done under
the name, housework. We are appalled,
at the heavy labor and hardships our
grandmothers endured, and yet we can
stand three hours and iron on white
dress! | believe that the women of to-
day. although not so strong, do as much
work as their grandmOthers, but it is
often work that is not necessary. Take
pillow shams, for example. 0, the
labor and trouble expended on shams!
The women of 1776 had none of the
labor-saving machines which now are a
part of every kitchen. They only pos
sessed willing hands, brave hearts and
strong nerves to meet almost insur-
mountable difficulties. Nervous disor-
ders are very prevalent nowadays
among women.
Modern education is the cause of
sickness, and many a bright girl goes
down under the examining process in
vogue at our high schools. Only those
who have experienced it know what a
SCuOOl gin SuilCIS Nucu she Is OOllOeu
to leave school on account of health. 1t
may be she becomes helpless invalid,
and the future means an agony ''long-
drawn out, for not only must the
physical pain be endured, but the bright
plans and hopes of usefulness are shat
tered. We find cases like this every
where, but believe if girls were prop
erly taught how to take care of their
Northumberland physiology better,
the health of school girls would be i'm
proved.
The time to teach them is at home.
Why, mothers hold in hand the health
destiny of their daughters. Girls should
be taught from infancy to protect the
body from cold and dampness, for
nearly all the ills of mankind spring
from the common cause, colds
Woman's dress is more sensible al
the present time than in years. Long
trains, high heels and false hair are al
a discount, but woman's health will not
be greatly improved until her dress
does not impede full respiration. Yes
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