Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-10-20
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
MY LADY sPlNsTER.
There is Place in the World for Every
single Woman.

the place Tor which ne was QlVlneiE or
dained, that he and no other can fill
that place with acceptance, is a source
of unbounded content and a constant
Inspiration TO excellence. The reverse
is even more true. The man or woman
who feels out of harmony with life be-
cause of a belief that he or she is unnec-
essary, superfuous, finds the springs
of healthy living Slapped at their very
foundations
The position of the single woman has
been rendered unjustly disagreeable be-
cause of mistaken idea that she is SUI
perfiuous so long as she is not mated
The changes on this theme have been
rung so persistently that woman may
be almost pardoned if she comes to con-
slider her existence a great mistake on
the part of the Creator.
II would be an edifying and eonvinc-
ing proof that the army of single wom-
en- has an important place in the worlds
economy If for the space of one year all
unmarried ladies' over twenty-five years
of age could be suddenly spirited away
to one of NJ. Flammarion's planets.
Think of the older sisters, the daugh-
tiers, the unselhSh aunts who are
sources of supply to innumerable nieces
and nephews and kinsfolk, the noble
hand of workers for charitable and be-
nevolent objects, the hospital nurses,
and those outside of hospitals, the
writers, readers, companions, house
keepers, AID, above all, the faithful
teachers-all on a leave of absence from
this earth for three hundred and sixty
five days! What a void would be felt in
the land, and how glad we would be to
welcome them home again even in Mas
sachusetts, whence first arose the cry
about superfluity of womeni
The single woman herself is, how
ever, quite largely responsible for the
public sentiment concerning her. She
fails to demand the respect due her
worthy position in the community.
Her work is generally performed with
out ostentation, and she accepts with
quite too much meekness the unfair es-
tim ate that is often passed upon her,
and thus adds to the difficulties of her
own and her sisters position.
But let her not think of superfuity in
the case of such very excellent and
necessary commodity. 1t is quite evil
dent that the Creator of our little world
fully understands the conduct of it's
affairs, and that it is not at all neces-
sary to its successful evolution that we
should be indicted into all it's myster-
les. Had it been best that all women
should be provided with husbands, the
wastes of life incident to war, dissipa-
u fD11 l.I
in some providential manner made good
or altogether avoided. Had the worlds
happiness been chiefly dependent on
man, no doubt the masculine half of
humanity would have been in excess.
1t is therefore a matter of congratula-
tion that to woman has been vouch-
safed the honor of strength of num-
bers.
Individually, however. the single
woman often laments her condition,
and regards her life as of comparatively
little value. This is especially true
during that trying period when the
transition from young-womanhood to
the middle-aged years is taking place.
She finds the recreations and employ
ments of youth still attractive, but the
majority of her circle of friends have
gone on to new mode of life, and are
no longer interested in the same OBJ
jects. In more than one sense she is of
uncertain age. She is uncertain where
she belongs in the social world. She
is uncertain how to dress, whether to
wear hats or bonnets. # she be modest,
she shrinks with horror from being
,f INT TT,,l- l.
words of reproach If she manifest the
slightest interest in the society of the
other sex, and the poor woman with her
girls heart often feels that there is no
real place for her, no room in the social
economy for one who has missed what
the world considers the manifest des-
tiny of woman She NAV have had
lovers by the score and refused them
all, while her married friend accepted
her first offer and never expected
another. And she is sometimes driven
to the conclusion that had she married
the most insignificant or unworthy of
her lovers, however little she cared for
him, her position would have been SUI
perior in many ways to the present one.
1t is at this period that woman Oft
en- suffers most but her suffering and
self-torture are unnecessary and unjust
in the last degree. There is room, wide
room, for her still. There is daugh-
ter's place to fill, perhaps. Brothers
and sisters have left the old home for
new ones. Father and mother, one or
both, sorely need the gracious minIstra-
tion which she alone can give. With
out her their lives would indeed be
lonely and desolate. A brother or sis
ter, sick or unfortunate, requires the
attentions which but for her must be
delegated to the hands of a hireling.
If family ties are all sundered, there
are everywhere tired mothers, neglect
ed children, hapless old people, the poor
and destitute, whose needs are placed in
iuxtaposition with the unmarried sis
ter's ability to help. Not without mean
ing was the plan that her life should
90 quietly on alone, The All-seeing
Eye has taken notice of all its move
ments Not day but has its place
with the Eternal Not woman in His
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