The Wilmingtonian., 1888-07-21
Woman and Home.

SatlUn Win man tof her SERVICES, WouIu
ask, Is the feminine organization and nature
as well fitted to work as man works in any
calling? Is it good for a sensitive, refined
girl to be placed in any position where she
mnst come in contact and deal with all man
ner Of men, the coarse, rude and oyerbear-
ing, as well as the gentleman ? Do we not
see women who have long filled such posi-
tions covered as to manner, bearing and even
sentiment, with a sort of masculine armor
which strikes one somewhat unpleasantly?
Such covering becomes for them necessity,
a matter of self protection. 1t is often IN
consciously acquired.
Perhaps you say "a lady can be lady
anywhere and possess all the peculiar charm
of femininity and womanliness." | beg
leave to differ. Place a refined girl in
position where she must month in and
month out deal and come in contact with
eoarser natures nine-tenths of the time and
of these two results will follow: She will
either be unable to endure the position, or
she will unconsciousy acquire and take on
some of the coarseness by which she is sur
rounded. W. are all affected and influenced
by our closest surrounding ofeveryday asso-
citation. If 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 emerging and going
into different social order to find how
much of coal mine thought idea and phrase
ology you had unconscously acquired.
On the other hand, refined woman's
presence in store, Office, or any place where
mon mostly congregate, has softening and
refining influence 1t checks the coarse
word and vulgar jest. 1t puts men on their
, good behavior. But is this always gained
without certain loss to the woman Where
coarse thought has long been rampant, it is
only suppressed, not destroyed, and the
woman's more sensitive nature will feel
such thought, and feel it oppressively, and
such feeling either becomes in time an inju-
rious shackle or she will 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
i and tumble of the worlds business and tight
j., it out alongside of the man. ! mean by
a trough and tumble" any occupation she
may engage in, be it teaching, clerking
book keeping, anything where she laoors at
long and as arduously as the man. That
does not seem to me her place, for she hai
a place and ''sphere," as man has his place
and sphere. Man did not make this place
!. for her. Nature did. As mans "helpmate'
ls she should be mans rest. If the two-mai
:, and wlfe--are both participants in what VI
= call ''the struggle Tor oxlstence," they bot
: are equally tired with the struggle If botl
a are weary, they can only give each othe
ut weariness If one is rested, that one cal
70 give the other rest. The rested one shoul'
be the woman-the wife. If she be wife
a real wife, she will through such rest, Civ
her companion strength, cheer, courage an'
inspiration for the next days effort. If sh
has been in the office working at the des
al all day, she cannot There is great factu
~ in social matters known as the home, and
rd is woman only who can make the home. A
,o present there are relatively few homei
though many houses, where men and womc
eat and drink together. A real home, wit
ID a bright, cheerful, rested woman in it,
cd worth far more 10 man, even in dollar
and cents, than anything the woman ma
earn by any other effort.
Now, you say, ''But what are you goin
~ to do with all the single women who mu
'fy earn their bread q" l don't know. l thin
,ut it is very unhealthy and unnatural sta
of affairs that there should be SO many ri
gle women. l find in all nature where mi
TO- has not meddled that birds and animals a
generally found in pairs, and they pair off
nor an early age, too. With us it is dlfferen
Many never do pair at all. | cannot lo'
upon woman as whole woman, or mi
''e' as a whole man, until they are paired-real
oc- paired, | mean-alike in sentiment, tast
led aims, motive and inspiration. Then Il
, ), men and women find their ''respecti
spheres" of action as naturally and easily
Jus YOU find air to breathe. Perhaps you sa
"But this is not dealing with the present 5
uation.'' think it is. | think the prese
Is is always dealt with best by indicating t
n." certain possibilities of the future. VIII
ece you know possibility, when it strikes
fec. chord of truth within you and you know
for truth, you are on the road and
making your path toward such possibility
''er There is "place" and ''sphere' for t
ted feminine nature and feminine mind whi
have thus far been recognized. She is
source, ,andonlysource, of man 'snspiration.
the "inspiration" l mean plan, idea, devi
9 of scheme and invention in any calling. NJ
cannot live without the feminine spirit
element about hin. When you put hor'
OF Of men together, as they are sometr
ars. placed in armies or settlements and sep
atei from the other sex, they grow not o
en- coarse, but stupid and dulled in intellt
ton Where you find woman best cared for, !
ions shielded from the worlds roughness, and
the same time most respected, you find
most masculine power and the most rount
last out masculine natures. Why? Beca
rate the feminine nature belongir to that m
tvs and that man only, when SO protected
you would protect any delicate instrum'
is then in the position to give him
strength which he uses as his rouEher pl
Of effort
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bath