The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-08-31
OHAUTAUQUA
THE COMING WOMAN.
(RepOrt for Class + by j. b. I. J

(RepOrt for Class + by j. B. t.
We have ali felt the purifying and corrective
influences that follow us through life as a result
of a mothers love and early lessons learned at
her side. Who can look back to childhood days
and think of that mother who always carried a
pardon ready for each new offense, and was al
ways ready to take our burdens on her already
too heavily laden shoulders without wishing he
was better man? Is not the wish sometimes
father to the deed? Let us hope So Mothers
pervading influences have surrounded home
with Sanctity that acts as a restraining power
throughout our lives. At life's sunset many can
say that they have been little better for moth
er'S sake Home and mother are bound tOgeth-
er by the strongest ties of humanity and are
synonymous in their Influences; constituting a
factor whose power and aid to society can hard
ly be estimated. Can we afford to separate them,
or consent without murmur to the change with
which we are confronted that of home without
mother? For sometime past this opinion has
been growing in my mind and late events tend
to strengthen it. The WomenS Congress lately
held at the Worlds Fair. develOpe the fact that
women are constantly medtating a sweeping
change, sort of domestic revolution. She
threathens, in the near future. to desert the
nursery. the parlOr and the kitchen and to be
found hereafter, side by side, with the opposite
sex in all industrial persutS compatible with her
sex. Can you conceive how far-reaching and
fatal this, on the home circle and on the child
that must perforce be assigned to the tender
mercieS of servants? viii a brief interview,
morning and evening, with mother whose
mind is occupied with public affairs, suffice to
mold the child's character so that it may be-
come noble man or woman and benefit to So
ciety? Will not the Indifferent and Oftimes per-
niciOus influence of servants be fatal to its moral
development? What then. of the husband and
and father; who now looks forward with pleasant
anticipation to the close of the day when he may
hang up business cares with his top coat and en-
ter the house where all breatheS of home and
mother? Sonora Eva Lanel, a brilliant Spanish
authOress and satirst, expresses herself on this
subject as follows:
81 most earnestly believe in equal rights and
the fellowship of men and women, and l have
used voice and pen to advocate the cause; but, if
l could speak your language, l would stand be-
fore this congress, this federation of nations and
plead for some rights for men. The women seem
to have them all! 1t is true the divine definition
was not Man, master Woman, slave; but neither
were the terms tranSpoSed. You seem to have
no home life in America have been in many
beautiful stately houses; Out L nave not neard IN
them the patter of little feet, or the sound of
childrens' voices. The wives are too busy with
affairs of state, for the cares of motherhood
The husbands are at their places of business,
but the wives are also occupied with business
and homes are left to the care of servants"
Another writer of some note says: THE COM
ing woman will not be mOtherly or home wOm-
an, neither will she be a marrying woman. She
will be business woman; Selfdependent and
will live in apartment houses erected by or for
her. She will engage in many lines of business
now almost exclusively conducted by men," A
slight ray of hope CLEANS from those lines grant
ing his theory to be correct. Perhaps there won't
be any little boys and girls to grow up in the
midst of famine of home comforts and mothers
care In conclusion let me call your attention to
that ideal mother, the Empress of Germany.
Among other things we are told that she spends
six hours daily with her children. She would
have to cut that down about five hours and forty
minutes to get into the procession with the COM
ing woman.
The number of state convicts in a
million in the whole United States is