Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-13
WOMAN AND HOME.
THE RESULTS OF TOO CLOSE CON-
TACT WITH THE WORLD.

TACT With THE WORLD.
Closets and "CIutter Places "-Rudeness
Of the Fair Sex-Care Of the sick-Home
Couveniences-Table Adornment-yarf-
Gus Hints for the Household.
Leaving out the question Of equal compen-
cation with man for her services, would
ask, Is the feminine organization and nature
as well fitted to work IS man kworks in any
callingi Is it good for a sensitive, refined
girl TO be placed In any position where she
must come in contact and deal with all man
ner of men, the coarse, rude and oyerbearing,
as well IS the gentlemani Do we not see
women who have long filed such positions
covered as to manner, bearing and even sem
ment, with sort OF masculine arnor which
strikes one somewhat unpleasantly3 Such
covering becomes for them q necessity, a
matter Of self protection. Il Is often Uncon-
sciously acquired
Perhaps you say "a lady can be lady
anywhere and possess ell the peculiar charm
of fenininity and womanhness.n Ibeg leave
to differ. Place a refined girl in position
where she must, month in aud month out,
o. Al and come in contact with coarser ma
lures nine-teuths Of the time and one Of
these two results viii follow: She viii either
be unable to endure the position, or she viii
unconsciously acquire and take on some Of
the coarseness by which she is surrounded.
We are all affected and influenced by our
closest surrounding of everyday association.
II you are compelled to live for months in &
coal mine and among miners and see, hear
and speak with only that class, you might
be surprised on eu 'rging and going into a
different social order to find how much of
coal mine thought, idea and phraseology you
had unconsciously acquired
On the other hand, a refined womans pres
ence in store, Office. or any place where men
mostly congregate, has softening and re-
filming influence. 1t checks the coarse word
and vulgar Jest. It puts men on their good
behavior. But is this always gained with
out a certain loss TO the womana Where
coarse thought has long been rampant, it is
only suppressed, not destroyed, and the
woman's more sensitive nature win feel such
thought, and feel it oppressively, and such
feeling either becomes Ii time an injurious
shackle or she VIII TO some extent give way
to it and unconsciously become part Of It
/ do not think that woman is well fitted,
physically or mentally to go into the rough
and tumble Of the worlds business and fight
it out alongside of the man. I mean by
trough and tumble" any occupation she may
engage in, be it teaching. clerking, book
keeping, anything where she labors as long
and as arduously as the man. That does not
seem TO me her place, for she has a place and
a sphere" as man has his place and sphere.
Man did not make this place for her. Ma
ture did As mans ''helpmate" she should
be mans rest Ii the two-man and wife
are both participants in what we call 1.-The
struggle for existence" they both are equally
tired with the struggle Ii both ere weary,
they can only give each other WEAKNESS. II
one is rested, that one can give the other
rest The rested one should be the woman
the wife. II she be wife, q real wife, she
VIII, through such rest, give her companion
strength, cheer, courage and inspiration for
the next days effort Ii she has been IN the
Office working at the desk eli day, she can
not. There is q great factor In social matters
known as the home, and it Is woman only
who can make the home. At present there
ere relatively few homes, though many
houses, where men and women eat and drink
together. a real home, with bright, cheer
full, rested woman in it, is worth far more to
a
thing the woman may earn by any other
effort.
Now, you say, '.But what are you going to
do with all the single women who must earn
their bread" ! don't know. think it is q
very unhealthy and unnatural state Of affairs
that there should be SO many single women
/ find II eli nature where man has not med
died that birds and animals are generally
found in pairs, and they pair off at an early
age, too. With US it is different. Many
never do pair at all l cannot look upon q
woman as whole woman, or q man IS 8
whole man, until they are paired-really
paired, / mean-alke in sentiment, taste,
aims, motive and inspiration Then the men
and women find their Irrespective spheres OF
action as naturally and easily as you find air
TO breathe. Perhaps you say: But this Is
not dealing with the present situation" /
think it is. I think the present is always
dealt with best by indicating the certain pos
sibilittes of the future. When you know q
possibility, when it strikes the chord OF truth
within you and you know II for truth, you
are on the road and are making your path
toward such possibility.
There is '1place" and sphere for the
feminine nature and feminine mind which
have thus far been little recognized She is
the source. ard only source, OF mans inspira-
ton By Inspiration ! mean plan, idee,
device, scheme and invention in any calling.
Man cannot live without the feminine spirit
ual element about him When you put
hordes Of men together, as they are some
hines placed in armies or settlements and
separated from the other sex, they grow not
only coarse, but stupid and dulled in intel
iect. Where you find women best cared for,
best shielded from the worlds roughneSs, and
at the same tine most respected, you find
the most masculine power and the most
rounded out masculine natures. Whyi Be-
cause the feminine nature belonging to that
man, and that Kan only, when so protected
as you would protect any delicate instru-
uent, Is then in the position 10 give him that
strength which be uses as his roughe- plane
of efort-Prentice Milford in New York
Star.
Closets and Clutter Places"
Can we not slightly modify an old and
wise adaye and find that woman is known
by the closet she keepsr for q closet indi-
Gates TO a greater or less extent some traits
In the average worlan's character.