The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-04

The Lost Idea
Chicago Inter-Ocean.
The shadowy twilight was dropping
Its wavering curtain of gray
Down over the streets of the village
AS far Ger the hills crept the day.
The man with brass buttons stood watch
ing.
Night pin on her mantle with stars.
While faded away in the distance
The clouds with their crimson-tipped
bars.
Then soft at his side low whisper.
please, Mr.. Policeman, Use come
To ask you to lend me your sistance
In bringin' lost sonef' home"
And there with her blue eyes uplifted.
me moonlight a-gleam in her curls,
Her baby face anxious and thoughtful.
She waited-the sweetest of girls.
well, miss" and the gruff old policeman
Spoke low in a kind, gentle tone,
"Did'st drap from the stars up a-yonder
Else why be here all alone?''
please, Mr.. Policeman, my papa
Is dest in a mos drefful plight;
He's tryin' to think out his sermon.
But somehow it doesn't come right
HE sits in the libr'y a-writin',
His forehead ali puckered up-so
l says does he see my dolls bonnet;
He dest shakes his head an says No.
1 wants to know what am the reason
He doesn't say muffin to me,
An then he looks crosser and crosser.
And says cause he's lost an idee
81 'cluded that I would go find it;
Use looked everywhere through the
street,
But I can't find single thing of it,
An now I'm mos tired on my feet.
Please, Mr.. Policeman, I'm sorry
But couldn't you find 1t for me?
Then papa will smile when tells him
We found him his lost idee.''
He tenderly lifted the baby
And kissed the face, fearful and sweet.
And then through the twilight, the star
light
He wendell his way down the street.
As night let her curtains down DER them
They fastened on homeward to see,
If papa was still in the 'lib'ry,"
And if he had found his 'idee."
The Women's Industrial News gives
some particulars as to the position of
women in Sweden From this and other
sources we should conclude that on the
whole the position of a Swedish woman
is one of considerable freedom. There is
but little restriction with regard to choice
is closed to them, as to the women of
most other countries, but with this ex.
ception and that of the clerical profession
they are free to adopt any calling they
please. The universities are open to them
except the faculties of law and theology,
and it will not be forgotten that Sonia
Kovalewski, whose biography has inter-
ested readers in many countries, was pro-
fessor of mathematics al Stockholm uni
versity. A good many women have taken
up medicine and are practicing in differ
ent parts of the country. There are no
obstacles to their entering the medical
schools connected with the universities
Women also take some share in public
work They are members of school
boards, or whatever is the Swedish equiv
alent for those bodies They also help to
administer the laws, acting as superin-
tendents of work-houses and as local al
ministrators of poor-law districts. In the
latter office their numbers exceed those
of men, for there are only thirty-six male
administrators against fifty-two women
One would like to know whether cheap
ness Of labor is a factor in the question.
Swedish women even enjoy a limited par
iamentary suffrage, for If landowners
they may vote for the body which elects
the members of the first chamber. With
regard to property there is still room for
improvement. A married womans earn
ings are her own by law but property be-
longing or bequeathed to the wife goes
to her husband unless there has been a
stipulation before marriage. Again, II a
woman enters into trade she is obliged to
obtain not only the approval of her hus-
band but a declaration that he will be re
sponsible for any debts she may incur.
One of the charitable activities of pub
lic-spirited women in London that is said
to be doing much good is a intending
guild" The probabilities are that there
viii be one in New York soon. Mrs. L.
s. cambridge, superintendent Of the wo-
mans branch of the New York city mis-
sion, thinks well of it, and intends to or
ganize a guild right away.
The intention is to furnish work, In the
way Of mending and plain sewing, for
that class which is always so pitifully
prominent in large clties-that Of persons
VINO have been reduced in circumstances,
and yet have so much pride that they can
rot take employment which would be well
coined by others who always have been
accustomed to laboring for others. These
reduced women are not lazy. Indeed.
they are eager for work. But they do
not know how to procure it, and conse-
quently are IN a state Of restitution that
is worse than any endured by their sis
tiers whose wants are moro often brought
60 the notice of the public.
In hundreds Of families in New YORK
there IS a "mending basket" that is never
less thar full and running over. There are
garments Of all kinds that seem to become
ragged without rhyme or reason, and that
never yield. TO the attacks Of needle and
thread 70 any satisfactory extent. Yet
the housewife IS anxious TO see the heaps
of torn clothing reduced, and Is willing TO
pay reasonably for help. She knows, how
ever. that the average seamstress Is not
Of much use in darning and patching. and
that tho work Is not likely TO be sausfac-
tory II done by her.
This Is the chance for the reduced gem
tewoman. II the guild comes into ex-
istence It will bring the housewife with
the bis basket OF ragged clothes and the
neat-handed woman anxious for work TO-
gethor. The proposition IS that there
shall be an official ia connection with the
guild who shall be herself n practlced
needlewonan, with a proper understand
ing OF the value Of the work TO be done.
and the best kind Of person to do IL. The