The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-06-11

GRAND DAUGHTERS WORK.
The Educated Married Woman.
Le:Iie's 8 Jtppkiy.

The Educated Married Woman.
Le:lie's F~ekly.
\ strong prejudice exists IN many
quarters against the direct earning Of
money by married women. In several
cities they are not allowed to teach in
the public schools. Similar discrimi-
nations, often wisely, are made IN many
factories and mercantile establishments
1t is properly considered that married
Woman's place, especially if she have
children, lies IN her home, unless the
search for bread forces her abroad
| But there is also still. even among in
telllgent people, tact reproach to a
| husband if he allows his wife to work
for money in any department, even if
she does her work at homo, though
1t would seem that modern conditions
must soon become obvious enough to
show even the most conservative that
the old theories of the necessary idle
ness Of, and Ivy (poison ivy?) like
clnglng of the wife to her husband, are
no part Of the new woman's doctrine,
and that, even if she must work to help
her husband keep up the common
home, she may prefer her own way of
doing it. The average education of
the woman of to-day is probably fifty
per cent. better than that of her grand
mother. Where the grandmothers
sole means of proving her desire to be
helpmeet to her husband was the
churning of his butter and the weav-
ing of his garments, there are now a
hundred accomplishments at her grand
daughters tinger-ends. The loom, |
spinning-wheel, and churn have al |
most disappeared, and they have left |
a fortunate leisure. Even on our farms
modern conyenlences have wonderfully |
conserved the time and strength of
women.
Painting and drawing, in all the |
ramifcatiOns of those arts writing for
the magazines and newspapers en-
bIoldery end other fancy worl-all
done for pay-Occupy q considerable |
portion of the time Of certain women
in every community. Almost any ed |
ucated woman of small means would |
rather write an article for a magazine |
and use the money, even if she made
nothing on the transaction, to pay
dressmal1er than to do her dressmaking
herself She would rather paint vase
ceeds than to do her own house-clean-
ing. even when she Is amply strong
enough for the work.
In the old days it was considered
honorable enough, indeed lndlspensa
BILE, that woman should help her hus
band by performing hard and menal
work in her kitchen. Now that she
can do, and prefers to do, higher kind
of labor, and to employ some pooer wo
man to do the drudgery, i. she any less
a helpmeet to her husband? In every
household of moderate means the mis-
tress must either do vast deal of rou
tine and mechanical work herself, or
she must earn the money to pay some
one else for doing 1t. Her education
and her training are worth little to her
unless she can do this and do it etfi-
The modern educated woman
does it, and usually does it well-and
instead OF being houted for it, she
should be praised. Her husband Is no
loser bv it, in either estate or happl-
ness. The strength and cheerfulness
IN the woman by performing
a congenial instead OF an uncOngenlal
task make her a Tar more lOvable and
companonable vile, and if this process
is widely practiced the gayety Of ma
tons must be materially increased
thereby.
The educated married woman of to-
day IS usually just a. faithful to her
and her home as her grand
mother was She only demonstrates
her spirit IN different way-one
which i. no less honorable either to her
husband or to herself.
x y. Il.