Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-05
DISASTROUS FOR THE HOME
Argument Against American Wives and
Mothers Becoming Wage Farmers
WHY A MARRIED WOMAN WANTS TO EARN
She Cannot Live by Bread Alone, and From
Her Domestic Dole She Cannot
Satisfy Her Mental and Artistic
Deslres-Evil Effects.
tCopvri0hted 1921

tCOpUriJtted 1927
Should married woman work for money?
Is vital question of the day to many wife
ana mother In our broad land. Her needs are
so great and her income so small so much is
required for the household comfort, for the
well6eing of the children 30 many places
there are-hopelessly invisible to the mascu-
line eye-here dollar or two is demanded
SO much more than food or garments, warmth
and shelter is imperatlve-the whole realm
Of mental and spiritual wants crying out to
be satisfied.
The woman at tho head-and very often
she alone-feels the Importance Of relieving
these necessities, and it irks her very soul
that she cannot accomplish it. What mon
strosities do we not see, indeed, manufac-
tured with zeal that is pathetic, to satisfy
without money the in born craving for beauty
and grace in our daily lives. What dreadful
decorations, miles of fancy work." and
acres of embroidery, all the offspring of
this natural aud honorable desire for some-
thing beyond the meats which perish.
To earn little money that shall be her
very own, with which she may buy, unQues-
toned, book, print or something to
brighten her matter-of-fact life is the most
intense longing OF thousands OF our sisters.
1t Is this yearning for freedom of action. for
independence shat they may crafty their
tastes thnt drags our daughters with ire
sistible force out Of their guarded homes to
maze their own way IN the world. 1t is this
that fills every art and designing school,
every training institution Of whatever kind
with eager young girls, who should it would
seom, remain tho delight and dependence of
the home that has sheltered them and the
mother who reared them. N
The Unsuitable hunger for things better and
higher Is not less felt by women AZ the head
OF homes, hampered-they may feel-by
household and wifely duties and by children
Thousands OF our sisters chafe and fret and
grow bittor of soul under their restraints,
(Which should be their greatest happiness),
while other thousands burst their bonds
asunder, ana put themselves earnestly to work
for money, or more correctly, for the freedom
that money brings. Which course OF action
is the right and honorable oaei Let US look
ut it little
What a Married Woman Wants with Money.
Putting aside the instances of women who
must earn money to llve where, of courses
there Is no question about the duty, how in
1t In the case of the great body of America,
posed to be supplied! They have comfort
fioiencies in ths furnishings; they
have clothes suited to their standing
III SOClctyj tnoy uuV6 lOOu ana service
such as Is customary among their neighb0rs.
But as to what are called luxuries, many Of
them have absolutely none. "A journey. un-
less an imperative errand as tho death OF a
relative calls them, they never dream Of; a
book or photograph is almost as much beyond
their reach as the crown of England.
Nor Is This an exaggerated statement, "a
could be proved thousand times over.
young woman, giving the reasons for her
unalterable determination 10 leave home
dn I, tar
and much needed said most pathetIcally that
In all her twenty years of life, surrounded
by apparent comfort, she hau never pos
sessed cents OF her own to spend as she
liked. She had to ask her father for every
cent, tell just what she wanted, exactly what
1t would cost, and above all convince hi m
that II was necessary expense.
The trst time she was ever able to buy
anything that was not needed TO eat or wear,
was when, grown woman, she was away
from home on visit, and supplied for the
first time In her life with little pocket
money, for car fares and other running
expenses. From this meager amount she
managed to squeeze out 30 cents 10 bay
bisaue figure four or five inches hign, which,
being broken, was marked down TO the level
OF her means Her admiration, almost
alteration of this poor little thing was pain
fully touching. 1t represented TO her all
the beauty or life; II stooa In place of art
and music aud Literature, and everything
from which she was barred out
40 NOT WISH 10 olamo anyone Men
whose lives and thoughts are absorbed Ia
business arc naturally unable 10 understand
this need OF other natures. While willing to
pay for food and clothes and schooling, they
consider anything beyond as extravaganza
and from their point OF view IL may pe so.
But their point OF view Is a very narrow
one, and one cannot be surprised that wives
sometimes, as we'll as daughters, rebel.
Mental and Spiritual Necsssaries.
A fatal mistake is the common one Of con.
sideripg these things luxurles. So FAR from
being luxuries, they are aS indispensable To
the mental and spiritual life as bread ana
meat aro TO purely natural. Nay they are
more; since the mind works powerfully on
the body, and unhappiness, discomfort, worry
and care cause more invalioism than all the
germs" in Cnristendom, they are as neces-
sary 10 the physical health as they are TO the