The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-06-22
HEALTH AND housEwoRk


AEAlTH AND HOUoEWOhN
Woman Doctor Aira Her Views ON . Much
Conteated Point.
II don't know which of them makes
me tiredest," said the woman doctor,
looking up from her desk with .
wrinkled forehead and resigned sigh.
mo, know the word isn't in the die
tionary, but do let me use it."
whats the provocation?' asked.
She stuffed the papers into my lap
.'Here, read them. Ones letter from
the mother of three daughters, who
asks me if think Homework is healthy
for women; the second. oddly enough.
is another letter in the same line
from magazine editor, asking me
to contribute to his symposium,
Homework or Business Life-Which
is Best Suited to the Physical
Womanr One letter asks me to
answer as woman and the other
appeals to me in my capacity as q
physician - I've forgotten which is
which. And the third Is the first OF
the contributions to that precious SYM
postum, which the editor sends me as
an example Tor else warning). and
enthusiastically proposes homework
as a cure for every i'll feminine flesh is
heir to-a muscles-strcngthener, nerve
soother. brain-developer and dear
| knows what all; it makes the sick
we'll" .'And the well Sick" was the
| irreverent interruption. But what
are we going to do with them, and why
do they make You tired?'
"Ill show You what ! am going to
do with them,r and the offending pa
pers were poked into the waste basket
with the point of wicked-looking
pair of shears. "And the reason I'm
sick of being asked my opinion as to
| the healthiness of homework is the
senselessness of such query. Sup.
| pose it isn't, what does anybody pro-
| pose doing about it? We must all
take our share of it. 1t only
| remains for men to begin asking,
is business healthy?' to drive us quite
distracted. If you want my opinion
here it is, and welcome. 1 think house,
work is wearing, grinding treadmill
which fatigucs strong women and
breaks delicate ones. That woman's
talk about exercise and .healthful va
riety of work is all nonsense. Part of
the exercise is the continual lifting OF
heavy weights, from buckets to babies,
and going up and down stairs, the two
worst things a woman can do. and her
muscles are called into play as benefi-
cially and more agrecably in game OF
tennis or brisk walk as in handling
the broom or scrubbing brush. The
variety OF work is only eupheuism
! for saying that she never gets done.
'.Continual standing is not healthy.
Neither is the breathing of dust and
ashes, nor stopping about in water,
nor standing over a hot stove, nor
making a fire in cold room, MOI
half q dozen things included un
der the head of house work
> That's why Pm out of patienc'
with that woman who wrote for thu
magazine symposium. As for the ont
with the three daughters, guess
will answer her letter after all-fish j
up out of the basket. won't you?-an'
saw, Dear Madam: No, housework ]
not healthy. Neither is living healthy
: We go into it, young and fresh, ant
: round and rosy; it leaves us old. an
= worn and wrinkled, and feeble. VIVA
do you expect to do about it?'"
"Give her daughters a business train
ing," l suggested.
=, Ibid l say business was any be-
:. ter?'' demanded the woman doctor
!, "I'vc as many patients who hav
7 wrecked their health over the count
!, ing-desk as the wash-tub or the stove
And it is absured to generalize tina
way and put business including sue
widely different occupations q
y teaching, acting. selling goods
4 writing stories. and tending
= loom, in one scale, and housewor
. in the other, and try to strike ba
ance between them. Houscwork
. healthier than some businesses an
less healthy than others. Taken all
a all, the housekeeper's chances IL
II physical well-being are little better
for she has none of the terrible nervor
- strains over the possibility of losin
!, her position. and no matter how rushe
!. she is, she can, and does if she is Sci
= sible, let everything go for momeI
or an hour while she rests or sleep
l. If the workingwoman be store {
:. factory employee, she suffers steadi'
- strain of standing than the verie
- household drudge. But the odds aren
!. sufficient to warrant enthusiasm. ar
:. /, for one, refuse to say anything
print, that is-about 1t.
Except by proxy" I warned he
- .osI that ~ ~nnrea she hs
US expected that.-Boston Herald.
Mt
Common Errors In Speech.