The Van Buren press., 1893-08-26
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
GIRL BACHELORS.
They Are Widely Discussed and Inde-
pendent Glass.

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 civilization-she is the girl
bachelor" to the critics who praise and
blame. She has had at least tiny
space in almost every paper of note,
and all agree on some points. That she
is selfish, infinitely sclfish-holds sort
of monopoly, us it were, of that uncom-
mon trait-seems to be fuvorite theme
of her critics. They also assert that
she must necessarily become unwoman-
ly, and one of them 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 rela-
tives 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 to the fact that they are, in meas
urc at least, free to 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 If the unselfishness
and true womanliness SO much praised
and lamented as thing almost lost in
this day means ignorance and q weak
yielding to any fate rather than make
an effort to help ones self, it is not
such bad loss after all. Looking back
at the life of the single woman of the
good old days" l am deeply impressed
with the privilege Of living in these un-
regenerate 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 unthanked 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 to another,
us her services were needed or her pres
ence became tiresome, she truly "had
not where to lay her head" She was
regarded and made to 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 to 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
off in slavery than in freedom, but the
tendency was bad. 1t gave the idea
that women were incapable of support
ing themselves. They were not edu-
Gated to any special calling, because to
be some body'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
to profit was almost as rare as red
headed Indian. Even literary work
was looked upon as unwomanly. No
wonder women turned to marriage as
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 wide field for
women outside of domestic service.
Men were SO scarce that women had
. chance to show their mettle. 1t
might be said of the civil war that it
resulted in the freeing Of the Negroes
and the old maids.
The single woman-the girl bachelor
of to-day, is often the mainstay and
money-earning member of her family.
For every independent single woman
who lives in ease and gay "bachelor-
hood" there are ten who are the bread
winners for a family. They do not
make fuss over it, either, but go
quietly about their business as a man
would, making no pretense of good
ness, simply doing their duty, and
little proud, perhaps, of their ability to
do it well. When one remembers the
innumerable charities to which women
give SO lavishly of their time and
money, the charge that selfishness is
likely to come with freedom seems un-
founded.
One point more. Circumstances have
made the girl bachelor. All our litera-
ture of to-day, from the highest re-
view to the penny newspaper, breaches
the necessity of independence for single
women. Parents and schools teach it;
it is expected of the average girl that
she shall be able to earn her own liv-
ing in some way. From .babyhood this
idea is instilled into her mind, and
usually she ''rises to the occasion"
nobly and successfully.
Moreover, male relatives are no
longer willing to give homes to the
single women of their families, and few
married women care to admit single
relative permanently to their home
circle. In these days of extravagant
living few men can afford to offer asy-
lums to their unmarried female rela-
tives; their incomes will not justly the
extra expense.
And they are likely to think and to
say: "With the many opportunities
open to women, she can make her own
living as l make mine. Why should
she expect to be burden on my shoul-
ders?"
This may sound hard, and be thought
untrue-perhaps it is untrue of the
richer classes-but 'down among the
rose roots" among the great common
people" from which class the girl bach
elor most often comes, it is sadly true.
But the girl bachelor does not expect
~u-ccrt .vCbe bread of cha aritv is hit
ter" she knows we'll, and that of hon