The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-18
RIPE MIDDLE AGE.
The Liberal Spirit of the Present Are
and One of Its Results.


The Liberal Spirit of the Present Are
and One of Its Results.
A quarter of a century ago married
woman of thirty was extinguished under
cap and remanded to the regions Of
dullness. Her growing daughters mo-
nopolized he thought and time. They
were first n every thing-their wishes,
tastes and inclinations were all in all.
At forty she had quite done with the
active interests of life. All that re-
NAMED to her was the supervision Of
the domestic economy, the missionary
society, and the endless making Of
patchwork. Her time was not some
thing to be economical, too valuable to
be wantonly wasted. 1t involved no
choice of duties, no substitution
OF the more important for those
less pressing, for she had none beyond
those which were classified under the
head of natural responsibilities. The
existence of unmarried women was even
more circumscribed, for they had not
even natural responsibilities-hom
husband and children with which to Oc-
cupy themselves. 1t was this disregard
of the experience and wisdom which
ought to come with years we'll lived that
won for us the pitying contempt of Eu-
ropeans. The American spoiled child
was justly looked upon with horror as
dominating society and arrogating to it.
self the place and distinction which in
Europe were reserved for it's elders.
We have learned at least one whole
some lesson from our neighbors on the
other side of the Atlantic, and the wom-
an of maturer years-married or I'M
married-is slowly claiming and taking
her rightful place. 1t is astonishing
what things are being done by grand
mothers-women past fifty, who have
raised their children and have them
Settled in homes of their own" Once
they would have droned in the chimney
corner over their knitting or the patch
work above mentioned. Now they have
been inspired. by the universal spirit of
enlightenment and must do their part in
the work of the world outside of home.
Nearly all the philanthropic work of
the present has been originated and
is controlled by mothers of grown
children, or by unmarried women
past forty. They constitute the
larger part of the membership of
art and literary clubs, of the societies
connected with the churches. They
hold conventions, influence legislation,
and keep sharp eye on those in au-
thority who need watching
The writer visited friend several
years ago and saw upon her walls sew
eral studies in oil, remarkable for their
strength and originality. When the
hostess was questioned she said: "They
are my mothers work. She never knew
that she had any talent, and never took
a lesson in drawing until she was past
fifty. Now she paints necessarily, and
it is constant pleasure to her and to US
ALL" China painting has been taken up
late in life by women who served an APP
premiership, not in the line of art. but
in cooking, sewing and housekeeping.
In Western city the organist in one
of the large churches is a gray-haired
woman between fifty and sixty. She is
an enthusiastic musician. and could not
read note until she was fifty years old.
Helen Hunt jackson was forty years
old before she found in her writing a
solace for bereavement and sorrow.
In the country the farmers wives are
interesting themselves in temperance
and politics. The general circulation
of the newspaper has been godsend to
them, and they have been quick to act
upon it's suggestions, and so broaden
and brighten their lives.
The days have passed in which women
are to be wives and mothers, and moth
ing more. Their duty in that direction
will always be paramount to every other
consideration, but for the cultivated and
active mind it is not enough. Knowl-
edge and wisdom confer power, and
power in either man or woman will find
fitting scope, as water seeks a level. The
education of women within the last
twenty-five years has revolutionized So
ciety, and the blessings which have
come with it are not only permanent,
but they will be increased.
The ultra conservative who can not
adjust themselves to the new conditions
may we'll say, with the doughty Sir An
thony Absolute: Cali this is the natural
consequence of teaching girls to read"
But what is done can not be undone,
and no feminine human being in possess
sion of her faculties will give up one
inch of the solid ground which has been
gained.
Old age, instead of being full of ter
rors, so far as women nowadays are con-
cerned, ought to. be anticipated with
pleasure. No one stops to ask the age
of an interesting person, and with the
full opportunities which our times and
our country afford no woman of average
intelligence has right to be uninter-
esting, though she may have passed the
allotted three score and ten.-Mary 81.
Krout, in Chicago Inter-Ocean.
A Confusion of Tongues.
The prohibition of the use of the Ger
man language in the courts of the Baltic
H.