The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-30
ARE WOMEN DEsERTERse
A Charge that They Neglect and
Evade Domestic Duties.

cctO JOulIdi.
Il should think you would like to keep
house for a while now, Mrs. -" sug-
gested the other lodger from her side of
the restaurant table.
L know. but you see we have boarded
nine years now. and l am afraid to take
up the responsibilities of managing a house
again. l never tried cooking but three
weeks in my life, and l don't know what
John would get to eat If / were the cook"
and she looked from the other ledger to her
husband. who sat beside her.
INC he? He cast the most pathetically
longing little look at her as he said, I'm
willing to try it,"
man was heard to inquire of a friend what
she thought of the wholesale way in which
women are deserving their homes.
His remarks seemed a bit startling to the
friend, who promptly demanded an expla-
nation of this ugly, sweeping > reflection
upon ne. sex. 1t seems he was delighted to
ride a pet hobby, and instantly Falloped
on at full speed, but what was most dis
tressing was to find that when he did call
a halt the friend was utterly unable to re-
Me began by inquiring whether she had
observed the phenomenal growth of the
family hotel in this country. In days gone
by inns and hostelries depended upon trav-
elers for patronage, while in these degener-
ate. times their hanGsomest revenues are
derived from permanent boarders, families
who live there the year round.
He also cited a dozen devices women are
responsibilities Except, he said. for peo-
pie in moderate circumstances, flats ar
ranged for the complete domestic menage
have fallen into d~isfavor. Women who
give up housekeeping exact absolute free
'Herer' exclaimed the irate hobby rider,
'here is the secret and curse of one-third
of the social revolution now agitating the
country. Seei the papers TEEN with adj
vertisements to catch the feminine eye.
Furnished suits. apartments, rooms. ETC..
for light housekeeping / tell you, that
term light housekeeping embodies the
whole story. What would you think OF
men ADVERTISING for light hOOkkAani0O
light drumming, banking or clerking?
Electric bells, telephones, pneumatic tubes
pedited business methods. lust as gas
stoves and patent wringers are calculated
to relieve domestic drudgery. But none of
these inventions profesSed to really lessen
mans or woman's work. And just as the
business interests of the country depend
upon the diligence and fidelity of men. SO
highest development confided TO the honor
able industry of women.
continued, women appear TO think there
must be a royal road to success in their
profession. The bride sets about keeping
her husbands house. struggles for awhile
with difficulties in the way, and, growing
disheartened. snatches at the feeblest ex-
cuse TO evade her recognized lawful labor
in this world. She may hesitate at first 10
make too shabby a compromise with duty.
and eagerly experiment with community
housekeeping and cooperative plans. where
some one else does all the work. Finally.
If the income suffices, she drifts into a fam
ily hotel or one OF the new-fangled apart
ment houses. leaving one more hearthstone
cold"
OF course. he only stated the extreme
case, but he was not SO very far from right
after all.
The average American business man be-
gins life with the expectation of working
uninterruptedly till old age entities him TO
honorable retirement. Marriage implies
greater effort and steadier application. and
invalidism alone warrants any evasion of
duty. Why should it not be SO with wo-
men?