The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-11-09
WOHme-NHnIxHmg.


Not every woman is born TO be q
housekeeper. While the world stands
there will be women to paint, to sing,
to teach, to write, and women 10 make
crazy quilts-idlc women and women
of business, wise women and foolish
women, beauties and drudges, old
maids and mothers, and women good
for nothing under the sun, There
will be AIT galleries aud printing shops,
schools and factories, homes and
hotels, bathrooms and churches,
theatres and libraries, business houses
and clubrooms-houses to suit all
occupations. The house, woman and
the work should all fit. T. -
Home making should bo a co.opera,
tive business. The responsibility of it
does not entirely deVolve upon the
woman. 1t is something no woman
can do alone. 1t is the husband who
glves tone to the dwelling. A good,
fatheFly man who likes potting and
loves to pet others, fills the house with
love. The morose man, who scowla
and growls, or who wraps himself up
in his selfshness and scares his family
away from him, invites into his
dwelling the evil humors which follow
his own i'll nature. The mother may
try to do her part faithfully, but ii
she has to be hypocrte to her chill.
dren in order to shield her husbands
faults, tho home is a mockery and tho
memory of it pain.
In matters of propriety and man,
ners it is hopeless unless the twain be
like minded. The woman may urge
upon her children tie observance OF
good manners, but If their father pre-.
sists IN doing ill.mannered things
every good lesson to the children is a
reproach to him. In material matters
as well, no woman can keep house
unless her husband let's her. II she
has to beg like a paupor for every
dollar she will have only contracted
views of the domestic horizon, and
the need of the movement will absorb
the dollar, If the husband holds the
pocketbook snap under his thumb, it
will be impossible for tho wife to be
a good wife, The woman must be
made Responsible; she must have a
chance.
Solomon gives us a picture Of his
ideal woman, and she has her hus-
bands financial confidence She is a
woman with plans and resources and
means to work with. Her husband
trusts her; she plants a vineyard; she
buys a field when she has considered
it; she works willingly with her
hands, but she does not abuse herself
she makes herself strong and strength,
ems her arms. An honest trader, she
looks to see that which she selIs Is
good; economical, she can afford to be
charitable, and she stretches out her
hand to the poor. She does not wait
for tramps to come begging. She
does not forget her own appearance,
but secs to it that she has the finest
of clothing, Her husband cooper,
ates with her in the maintenance Of
her state, and he Is known in the
gates and is himself one of the dlgni,
taries. Her speech shows wisdom,
and the law of her tongue IS to speak
kindness; she looks to the ways OF her
house; she is not SO busy with her
boarding and sewing, or reading OF
dressing, or buying or selling, that she
has not timO to look after the ways
Of her husband and children, Hel
children bless her in their hearts, and
her husband praises herr he tells hor
for her sake all women are good ia
his eyes, but she excels them all.
And Solomon sums II all up in the
wise counsel: "Give her of the fruits
Of her hands and let her own works
praise her"