Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-28
A wOMAN's DAY.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF THT

MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF THE
vi old man
''Who said he could do more work In day
| Than his wife could do in three"
And will recall how. after having exchanged
work with his wife for one day, he throws up
the sponge at sunset and emphatically swears.
by all the stars in heaven,
! That his wife can do more work in day
Than he can do in sevenr'
! 1t is an old ballad and must have been written
( by a woman, of course. very long time ago.
but it might just as well have been written to-
day, for the incapacity Quitting it mildly of
men to comprehend what their wives find to do
all day long while they are themselves immersed
in masculine affairs down town. is one Of those
curious facts that seem to be true of all ages.
| Twas talking upon this subject with mar
ried woman Of my Acquaintance some time ago,
and found 1 had struck a sensitive chord.
She had been doing good deal of thinking on
| the subject herself and was able to give me
| some interesting points, and am betraying no
confidence in giving my readers the benefit OF
| them.
This lady's husband is a good, just and gener-
Gus man. but he is not precisely an angel. One
evening my friend was excusing herself to her
husband for having forgotten some trifing
matter. 81 have so many small details to think
OF" she said.
Details repeated the husband, and-I am
sorry to say it Of such very nice mana sneer
| disturbed his manly features.
The wife Was stung to the quick, but said
| nothing at the time. The next morning she
| resolved to make note Of her doings for the
day, and here is the result. want every
woman who reads this record to insist that her
husband, il she has one, read it also. II she
has no husband then force il upon the attention
| of her nearest male relative, who may be hus-
/ band to some other woman. 1t should be said
that the family of the lady under considers
ton consists OF six persons, and, though in
moderate circumstances, occupies a very re-
spectacle position.
| "Rose at 7, repaired boys school jacket and
| trousers, went to kitchen and made the coffee
and toast and cooked the eggs, never trusting
any nice details to the alleged cook After
breakfast put up lunches and got the two
youngest children ready for school Workmen
| making repairs in the basement, seamstress on
second floor, one child slightly i'll on third door
| Gave directions to first and second and minis
tered to the wants OF the third. Did the ordi-
nary chamberwork in five bed rooms Ono sec
ond girl being kept, read quite an extensive
| mall answered two letters and ordered lunch
| con. At IL o'clock went out to attend to, vari-
Gus matters, requiring visit to two glaciers,
| cobbler's, druggists, the post Office and the
| market.
"Retu med home. administered consolation
| to the sick, directions 10 workmen and seam
| stress, luncbed and went down town. long
distance-to interview teacher to bows prog
ress and do considerable family shopping, en-
failing much walking, and what man would
consider, if he were buying goods or real estate,
much fatiguing Thought and planning. Went
home, made beef tea and wine Jelly, copied out
| poem of eighty lines for boy to recite, wrote
letter OF twelve pages, assisted in preparing and
| serving dinner. After dinner dressed and
chaperoned daughter to party, not refining
until IL O'Clock"
Now, how does that strike the masculine
mind for q day g work for a woman not in the
prime Of youthful vigor? Can the masculine
mind be made to consider the amount Of nery-
Gus force, OF clever planning, OF executive abil-
| ity required to carry one human being through
! such day, to meet demands so various
And the worst Of it is" pathetically added
| the little woman who made this record, 'there
was absolutely nothing to show for 1t when
| got through
Not even. she might have added, the comprs-
bending sympathy Of those for whom she was
working, who, like most husbands and children,
| seem to think ''mammss" are constructed on
| some peculiar plan and ''warrsnted' for an in.
definite term Of years.
| OF course it may be admitted that this dny
was an exceptionally exacting one; that not
| every day would there be workmen in the huuno.
| a sick child to nurse or chaperoning to do; Bat
every housskseper and mother viii attest tAat
| these exceptional" days occur very 6fpn.
The days when nothing disturbs the peacsful
| routine OF homo life are few and far bsttsen.
In ono way or another the unexpected b siwugy
happening.
Z it any wonder that, with the mothsrs q
the land living under such . strain, nsfvosD
| Diseases are ON the increase?