Omaha daily bee., 1886-08-15
Woman,s Duty to Woman.

When q woman appeals to women IN
behalf of her sex she ought to be assured
of an attentive, interested and heedfnl
audience, The best &nd surest promsc
of woman's amelioration and progress
is in the fact that intelligent and earnest
women are addressing themselves to the
duty of ascertaining and pointing out
the conditions and requirements neces-
sary to the improvement and advance
ment of their sex Intellectually, morally
and materially, and are using all the
means at command to secure the recogni-
ton of these requirements. We recently
referred to the work in this direction Of
the Women's Association of Collegiate
Alumne, the chief purpose of which is 10
reform TIE school and college habits and
methods of girls. Other women are
moving in different directions, employing
voice and pen and personal endeavor in
the great work, and the movement is
having healthy and vigorous growth
that gives assurance of the most crafty
! ing results. One of the most Intelligent
| and earnest among the workers in this
| field is Ella G. Lapham, whose paper in
| the July issue of The Forum, with the
title that heads this article, discusses
most important phase of the many-sided
| subject of woman's amelioration and ad-
vancement with force, logic and ear
| nestness that show the deep conviction,
careful study and profound sympathy of
| the author.
The central idea of Miss Lapham's
| paper is, that cardinal part of every
| girls education should be instruction in
some useful sort of work, and that this
should be the rule not simply with re-
spect to those whose condition in life
renders work a necessity, but as to those
also, more favored of fortune, who may
reasonably expect never to have to earn
their daily bread, yet who will be the
stronger and wiser and better for having
this knowledge and means of selfreli-
ance. Conceding that woman is ever
willing to follow, and conscientious IN
following, the path of duty laid out for
her, the thing to be done is to lead her by
education into true and useful paths,
where she can be of greatest value
to herself and to society. "Has
woman any duty toward woman in
| TeEdTu W WOEh! Ill tIt Wow OI MISE
Lapham she has most commanding and
imperative duty, and it begins with the
mother. So far as the poor mother is
concerned circumstances compel her tc
recognize 1t, but it is the prosperous and
rich mothers who need to be told, "Your
daughter should work" 1.-The love is
short-sighted which sends the daughter
to school where she learns little oi
many things and much of nothing. The
tenderness is unwise which shields the
daughter from all household cares, under
the plea that it will be time enough wheI
she has home of her own" Fortunes
are swept away in day, hundreds o.
women who have been reared in idlenes.
and luxury are every year thrown OF
their own resources. What does thii
means "Too often il means sewing
starvation, or dishonor." The hap
less lot of unfortunate women wht
are not equipped with the knowledg,
and ability for self-support makes mos
| deplorable chapter of the annua
statistics of several of the states
! and there is much moro clsewher,
that is not recorded. 1t all makes pow
erful appeal to the sympathios and erie
= out IN most pathetic language Tor remed,
: and reforin.
DUTY begins in the home. Th'
| mother who neglects to give her daugitel
! a special training, fails in her duty
1 Every consideration affecting the welfar,
of women, in all their relations, enforce
i this view. LET mothers beware HOY
, they rob their daughters of their birth
, right p There is an ample field for use
: full women, for such as understand tin
: work they attempt to perform. Mis-
/ Lapham thinks that training school
, should be a part of the public sehoo
, system, but i'll every center the beginning
, must be made by private effort, ei;he
| thr Iugh contributions OF mouey O