Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-23
WOMEN AS EXTREMISTS.
It Seems To he One of the Pecuiiarities of
the Sex to Lack Moderation.

Any close observer of human nature
must have remarked that one of the
greatest weaknesses OF women is their
proneness To run to extremes. They
never seem to be able to do things in
moderation. or to strike the golden
means. Even in their characters this
popularity is noticeable. Like the
heroine of the celebrated nursery bal
lad, when they are good, they are
very good, and when they are bad they
are horrid."
This tendency to take an extreme
view OF every subject makes women the
bltterest partisans in the world in pol
itics, and the greatest fanatics in relig-
ion. They never believe in IA thing
half-heartedly. Their point OF view,
they are absolutely sure, is the only
one that any rational, unprejudiced
of exceptionally broad and liberal mind
to ever admit that there may be IA saw
ing remnant OF virtue and possibly an
argument or two on the other side.
1t is however, in the common affairs
of everyday life that this proneness to
run to extremes works most disastrous
y, and it is to it that women owe many
of the burdens under which they groan.
1t gives us, for instance, the woman
U ho finds houSakaaninU Suph a Ia bop
that she breaks down under it and has
to seek the refuge of a boarding house
or a sanitarium while she recuperates
She Is "a martyr to exaggerated neatness
and order. Forever sweeping and dust
ing and scrubbing, the home that
should be place of peace and rest and
pleasure becomes source of never
ending toll and worry. A pillow awry,
"A book out of place, u cobweb in the
cellar, ere poignant and real sources
OF grief to her. She frets at the SER
wants carelessness, she nags her hus-
band, and her children flee to places
where they can throw things about
unre buked. It's, of course, the bounden
duty of every woman to look well to
the ways of her household, but let her
not make a slave of herself to it. Bet
ter is "a little wholesome dirt and a
little disorder than an overworked, ir-
ritable woman who has broken herself
down cleaning things up with the fool
ish idea Of being model housekeeper.
Then there Is that other woman who
is an extremist i'm the matter of her
children. Mother love is one OF the
things we are accustomed to think can
not be overdone. Yet what is to be
said of the unwisdom Of the woman
who sacrifices herself at every turn un-
necessarily for her children? Does it
not teach them to be inconsiderate and
selfish? All OF us know mothers who
are working themselves TO death to
save idle daughters. Mother sweeps
aud sews and cleans house and scrimps
herself, that Mamie may ride wheel,
and go forth adorned like Solomon in
all his glory. How much better if
mother had taken rational view OF
the subject-a happy middle course
and let Mamie share in the duties and
privations. 1t is pathetic fact that
the reward that the perfectly unseliish
mother gets is always neglect and in
difference 1t is the woman who de-
mands respect and consideration from
her husband and children who gets it,
and love and admiration besides.
The business woman is the victim OF
this same fault OF her sex. She tries to
do too much and breaks down under it.
A man contents himself with the day 5
labor A woman rushes home after
work, to make over dress or remodel
a hat or keep house, in the time that
should be given to rest and recreation.
1t is not the work In their professions
that kills women. 1t is the things they
do on the outside that brings on the
nervous prostration that wrecks many
a brilliant career.
1t is never the extremists who hold
the balance of power 1t is the great
conservative mass who occupy the mid.
die ground, and this is one of the les
sons women have to learn.