River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-10-17
UNEMPLOYED WIVES.
The Natural Tendency of Women Who
Have Nothing TO Do.

Have Nothing TO Do.
There are some vulgar persons who
look upon a condition OF idleness as
condition of happiness Ease of body
to them necessarily implies ease of
mind. 1t is not strange, since the lot
of so large a portion of humanity has
been for centuries one of ceaseless toll
for the mere necessities of life. that
bodily ease should be so highly esteem
ed. Yet from the days of ancient
Greece the fallacy OF this idea has been
frequently shown. Still the belief is
popular and the idea is general that
the greatest boon the young husband
can promise his wife is that she shall
have nothing 10 do" He proceeds
either on the sentiment of the poet
that love is woman's noble existence,
or the equally absurd fancy of
others, that food and clothes are
sufficient for woman's needs. He
does not for a momen: put himself in
her place and imagine what his life
would be if he had nothing to do or
think about The primary need of
every human life is an object. Among
the working classes there is always
homework, the care of children and
much boiling and baking TO feed
many mouths, and sewing TO take up
the time of the wife at home. These
women are the overemployed wives
whose greatest need is leisure for rest
and recreation. 1t is only the husband
who is somewhat successful in the ac-
emulation of money who can fulfill
the ideal the world has set, and give
his wife nothing to do" He employs
servants &c do homework, governesses
and nurses to care for the children
and thus wipes out as far as possible
every object of employment about the
home, leaving his wife responsible for
nothing. The superhuous task of over
looking servants where expert help is
employed and choosing her own
clothes at the dictates of fashiona ole
milliner and mantua-maker is all the
work left her. Thousands of husbands
live up to the last cent of their incomes
in order 10 allow their wives to lead
such a vapid existence. The sentiment
of the world, of the stage, and some
times the pulpit, seems to demand this
The modern husband Is quite as apt 20
be slave to public opinion as any
woman. However unjust it may
seem to him in his sensible mo-
ments that the last dollar of his in
come should be used up in order
that his wife should lead an idle and
useless life, he is too fond of the APP
probation of the world to make any
change in the way of family living.
When the husband is not able to pro-
vide an establishment of generous pre-
tensions boarding house is the popu-
lar resort of those who like to live
with the greatest show on the smallest
means. Myriads of families who ought
to be IN plain homes of their own,
drudging somewhat while they have
against the EVIL days." are spending
everything that the wife may lead a
perfectly idle existence, which seems
to be the popular American transla-
ton of the obligations of the promise
to love and cherish" Without social
ties or acquaintances in the great city
where their husbands business
may be. such women spend their
time in various petty ways
which do not disprove the old adage
that Satan still some mischief finds
for idle hands. They have nothing to
occupy their time, and gossip is their
certain resort These are the women
who crowd into fashionable weddings
where they have no invitation, who in
suit propriety by their overdressed APP
pearance at funerals in which they
have no interest but morbid curiosity.
These are the women who fall ready
victims to loud-dressed sche mers who
have no reputation to lose. These are
the women whose scandals SO often fill
the divorce courts. These are the IN
employed wives, the ennuied, wretched
class whose time hangs heavily on
their hands, and who have neither chill
dren nor homes to make life worth
living.-N. Y. Tribune.