The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-23
THE AMERICAN WOMAN.
How She DIsregards the Simplest
Laws OF Health.


and pale" we ask. She seems to have every
blessing which life can bestow. except health !;
why is this, the browning blessing, deserving
her?
For answer we should not look at present
contingencies and surroundings alone, neil
Their will 1t be necessary TO 90 back TO the by.
giene Of her grandmother. She has lived
long enough TO work the mischief for her
self.
The probability is that she entered upon
her married life creature Of gossamer. and.
as a gossamer gown may be without rent or
break, so she may have been fiawless In her
delicately poised health. But gossamer It's
sues, like gossamer gowns, were never mads
to stand the wear and tear Of earnest. every.
day life. and those who are provided with
nothing stronger must come to grief.
So the pale cheeks and sunken eyes Of the
poor girl-wife tell the sad story Of the failure
Of the limsy fabric upon which the Joy and
hope Of budding household depended.
We know not which Is the more to be pltie4.
the husband or wife.
To me there Is something almost appalling
In the delicacy Of the American girl Of that
typical class whose spirituelle beauty has
been so greatly praised. 1t needs but q see
ond look at one Of these fair faces to show you
that, with alittle falling of Of the delicate
bloom, little sharpening Of the outline here
and there. you have haggard woman before
you. There Is In 1t all lack OF that vigor
which insures permanancy.
But to return let US see what are some OF
the causes which conspire to threaten with
disaster 50 pitiable the central figure In 50
many newly made homes; and here, though
a y ~ NfaI xulI ~
sidered, there will be many essential points
will
Granted that from her earliest youth her
physical training was neglected, her mental
mismanaged from her last school day to
her wedding day, what serious, healthy aim
was given her young life? The undercur-
band.
But the girl who intends to marry, to govern
a household, to keep her husbands esteem
ana affection through all the changing years,
70 give to the world sens and daughters who.
equipped for life's best possibilities, surely
has set herself no mean task.
unfortunately, beyond the initial clause OF
the above. she probably had no plan or inten-
ton whatever.
II rich young lady, her DAYS were con.
sumed In calling, shopping. and attending
upon dressmakers and milliners; OF she read
a little played a little, yawned and moped q
little, until the alluring gas light found her ex-
cited and brilliant In the drawing-room, the
ballroom, or elsewhere, paying an enormous
forfeit In vitality for what she was pleased
to call enjoyment"
The gayeties Of one season were quickly
followed by those Of another, an excess OF
inery marking the interval between each, in
stead OF needed rest.
But at length imam proposes" whether
God disp0ses" Is a far more serious question
when fashion and folly rule the hour. and
ant MIL Lee sxIa lee
fatlgues, Is added to the alreany too long list
OF designations.
And here let me say that a courtship as
ordinarily conducted in America puts q very
s eso1s i1a s SpsR the gHns lion tSs S
nerves have been developed out Of all proper
ton to the rest Of her physique, that her mind
Is not seriously occupied, that she spends
much Of her time In oyerheated rooms. and
tnat, Win her, sentiment Is the dominating
influence, does not help matters.
Many a hopeless breakdown, both before
and after marriage. can be traced to just
these causes.
But there was no one to sound a note Of
warning for our poor girl.
Before the bridal outft-a mountain OF
planning and labor was accomplished, the
engagement bones" were all too plainly Wis
ible, and If, upon her wedding day, she fell
into her husbands arms little short OF ner-
vous wreck, who can wonder?
Love and happiness are great restoratives,
however, and It were still possible for her to
recover her lost strength and bloom, had sho
been SO minded. The pate young creature
who now stands trembling upon the verge OF
physical bankruptcy took no thought Of this.
She had enough to do to adjust herself. how
eyer imperfectly, TO her new conditions.
Mar Marriage had seemed 70 her rather the end
stead Of entering upon 1t fresh and strong,
and prepared for its duties and responsibility
ties; she was as one weary and spent from
more serious race which she had entered
upon, and in which she must sustain herself
upon an altogether new basis.
Whatever the manner may be In which her
new life Is taken up, you may be sure that
The capacities Of women, certainly Amsri-
can women, for worrying are something
frightful to contemplate. Young or old, rich
or poor, for reason or for no reason, ninety
nine one-hundredths Of them expend their
best energies on an endless chain Of small
worries.
And so. with this poor wife II she has no
servant, she worries; IL she has one. she
worries more; II two, still more.
Sometimes 1t Is her husbands relatives
who keep her nerves upon a perpetual ten
sion; sometimes II Is her own. And here let
me urge that at least the first half dozen
years OF the married life Of young couple
be spent quite apart, so FAR as residence Is
concerned, from the relatives Of either. II
two lives are to grow together to make har-
monious whole they must do so independent
Of all Interference.
She has, from the first, remained indoors
much more than was good for her. and her
nerves are rebell1ng more and more against
this treatment. She Is anxious that her
house should be a credit to herself and her
husband. and every jar Of the household
more Of IL than she can spare, at least The
very way in which she takes up her new life
Is enough to wear her TO . shadow, and II DO
nestle discord begins 70 grow out OF soil so
fitted to produce it, there is another reason
for the lamentable change so apparent In her
appearance.
Alas with many of these young wives, in
whom no serious purposes have ever been
cryssaIlited the thought OF that state which
eyer-abiding terror. Or, rather. they are
possessed by some spirit of blind selhshness
which urges them to rebel against what God
intended should constitute their greatest hap
piness. The results Of this are In syery way
disastrous, often so beyond allpower Of heal
ing;
singly or combined, are fatal to the hopes OF
the young couple who began life with hard.
ly fear Of the future; and how needless,
how worse than useless, 1t has beenl
There Is not the shadow OF reason why q
healthy, well-instructed young woman. be-
loved and cared for, should not 20 tri-
SSmPhantly through every ordeal c.,ss which her
demands. The defective vitality, the UNI
duly developed nerves, the culpable igno--
ance, the continual disregard Of the simplest
rules Of health are what work the mischief
Every girl should learn 10 manage house.
Whether she marry or whether she does not,
the knowledge will almost certainly be Of
service, and at some time OF her life will
probably DO a necessity TO her
What can any mother be thinking OF, ask
you, who, after her daughters school days
are over. places her, so TO speak. upon the
matrimonial market. and sits by while she
futters and drifts toward her destiny"
knowing full we'll that she Is absolutely
without knowledge OF the simplest duties
which this destiny will involve, or a sim
gle high and noble purpose In connection
with II? We consider an especial training
necessary TO the undertaking Of positions
hundred times less responsible; why should
this be so sighted? The fault lies In the In
consequent, irresponsible half training and no
training which custom has so long entailed
upon women.
And those who are the most sensitive
about woman's so-called sphere" are the
very ones who so persistently ignore the du-
ties and neglect every sort Of training which
would enable a woman 10 acquit herself
creditably either in that or In any other
"sphere" Of usefulness.
hope sometime to hear Of a mother whe
Is wise enough to say something like this:
"Mv daughter Ia not going out az much rs