Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-10-05
GIRL BACHELORS.
They Are widely Discussed and Inde-
pendent class.

They Are widely Discussed and Indo-
pendent Glass.
Perhaps no class of women are more
widely discussed to-day than the un-
married women who can and do earn
their own living. A new name has
even been coined for this product of
modern civililntion-sho is the girl
bachelor To the critics who praise and
blame. She has had at least n tiny
space In almost every paper of note,
and all agree ON some points. That she
il selfish, infinitely scliish-holds sort
Of monopoly, rs IL were, Of that uncom-
mon trait seems To he q fnvuritc theme
of her critics, They also assert that
she must necessarily become unwoman-
ly. and one Of thea went further re-
Gently and said that the old maid Of
other days who was "houshold servant
In general" to any or all Of her reia-
tivcs had brighter future before her
than the single woman OF to-day who
supports herself
The great advancement made by wom-
en- In the last half century Is largely
due 10 the fact that they are, In u meas
urc ut least, free 10 earn their own liv-
ing by doing the work which they can
do best, no matter what that may be-.
Only In Independence can any class
Of human beings reach their highest
development, and II the unsclishness
and true womanliness so much praised
and lnmcnted as II thing almost lost In
this day means ignorance and u weak
yielding TO any fate rather than make
an effort TO help ones self II Is not
such bad loss after all. Looking back
at the life Of the single woman Of the
good old days" ! am deeply impressed
with the privilege Of living in these un-
rcgcnerate times.
Fifty years ago the single women Of
middle age was felt To have no mission
in life save TO be the unpaid and gener-
ally unthunked drudge for such Of her
relations as were willing TO give her
food and shelter. This was often given
grudgingly enough, especially as she
advanced in years and became less able
TO work Passed from one 10 another,
ms her services were needed or her pres
ence became tiresome, she truly had
not where 10 lay her head" She was
regarded and made 10 feel that she
was an object Of charity and must be
content with whatever her more for
tunate relatives were willing TO give
her She might nurse, teach, doctor,
keep house, minister 10 the wants of
any or all of her relatives, but wages
for her faithful services was an un-
heard-of thing,
There were exceptions, Of course, just
as there were slaves who were better
of in slavery than in freedom, but the
tendency was bad. IL gave the idea
that women were incapable Of support
ing themselves. They were not edu-
Gated 10 any special calling, because 10
be "somebody's wife or somebody's
old maid servant did not require any
special training.
A woman who could carry on busi-
ness, edit paper, or run her own farm
10 profit was almost as rare rs "A red
headed Indian. Even literary work
was looked upon as unwomnnly. No
wonder women turned to marriage rs
the last hope, and prayed, Any one,
/ good Lord, will do"
With the war, which desolated so
many homes and forced upon so many
women the necessity Of earning money
| or starving came the awakening TO the
| fact that there was u wide field for
women outside OF domestic service.
Men were 30 scarce thgt women had