The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-30
IHE WORK OF WOMEN
HOUSEHOLD OCCUPATIONS INTER-
MlNABlE AND DiSTRACTING.
Why Many Women "Have No Time--Do
Men Understand Them?-The New wom-
m In Evidence-Junius Henri Browne
Writes Upon IN Interesting Topic.


m In Evidence-Junius Henri Browne
Writes Upon an Interesting Topic.
too sweeping to say women, or women
generally-are apt to complain contin-
ually of lack of time when, as man is
In the habit of putting it, they show no
knowledge of how to deal with it. The
old proverb asserts that thine and tide
wait for no man, which need not be
told. But many woman appears to be-
lieve. judging from her conduct, that
they will wait for her. She is fond of
declaring that her work is never done,
which is true enough. There is perpet-
uai evidence of this in the usual spheres
of her occupation. She is confident,
continues man, that this is because she
Is overburdened; that her tasks are too
many and too onerous 10 be performed
in any allotted time. She is convinced
that she does all that any one could do
under the circumstances; that the fault
of incompleteness rests not with her as
a woman, but with the injustice and in
considerateness visited upon her sex.
Almost any man who has seen much
of women, who has observed them care
fully, thinks that he can perceive why
their tasks are so seldom finished; why
their days employment, whatever it be,
is without end. They won't accept his
opinion as decisive. Why should they,
indeed, when many of them declare that
he does not understand and is not capa- |
BILE of understanding them? Still, he
has right TO express his opinion. 1t is
plausible, and not few women-of the |
exceptional sort perhaps-sustain him |
in 1t. He maintains that women fail TO !
accomplish what they undertake because
they do not adhere TO any one thing till
it is done, but fly off 10 a number of
things which so divide their attention
that nothing is concluded.
When a woman refers TO her work,
she usually means household work-to
what is comprised under the general
name of household duties, not drudgery
in the kitchen, but superintendent of
servants and keeping of the home. These
she combines naturally, inevitably,
with her social obligations, and between
the two she is very apt to be baked of
entire success in either.
On rising she arranges her programme
for the day. She intends to look after a
variety of odds and ends that have ac-
cumulated and worried her. They must
be disposed of to insure peace of mind
She will remain indoors infexibly. She
will not be tempted into making or re-
ceiving visits. She will deny herself to
all or to any one who may come. That
unfulfilled requirement shall torment
her no longer. She begins very we'll and
continues without interruption for an
hour or two.
Then the doorbell rings. The maid
brings in the card of Mrs. Furbel, who
wishes to see her particularly for few
minutes only. Mrs. Furbel is an or.
binary acquaintance. She has no claim
on her or her consideration. She tells
her maid that she is engaged, and the
maid is about to depart with the mes
sage. She recalls it suddenly, remem-
bering that Mrs. Furbel lives at dis
lance and may have made great effort
to come. She won't stay. She has spc.
cially said so. Mrs. Furbel greets her as
she descends to the drawing room with
extraordinary warmth and many com
pIiments, which win her favor. she !
does not learn what Mrs Furbel's par.
ticular errand is. The talk begins with
rambling commonplacos, spiccd with
plentiful supply of gossip, and so con.
tinues without material change. The
sole particularly is concerning the va :
rlous persOns-cOmmon acquaintanccs-- !
under rowing discussion. The few :
minutes only extend beyond an hour .
and halt, when Mrs Furbel withdraws.
asking indulgence for remaining so
much longer than she had intended
Her very dear friend-as she has called ,
ler-returns TO her intorlnitted work !
and, finding lunch nearly ready, post
bones 1t till after that meal Then an
)ther caller is announced, and the dav ,
utter her departure is too far advanced 9
o render resumption Of her task advis
lble.
The next day the odds and ends shall 9
Ne religiously attended to- Nothing
hall be allowed to interfere with them l.
absolutely nothing. The mistress Of the y
louse attacks them promptly and eff
lently as soon as breakfast is over. She Z,
confident her much deferred task will .
PROFESSIONALLY be terminated, when a 7
etter is handed her mo leisure for
now" she determinedly
sserts, laying the missive aside. In
noment she relents 1T is from one of b
ny admirations, she adds. II will at g.
east glance at it. " She reads the first q
ew sentences and her resolution is s.
vercome. She reads and re-reads the j,
Ihole. The letter is so delightful she a
an t refrain from acknowledging it in n
few words Once begun, the fatal q
facility is aroused. She cannot D
iop. She covers page after page She is
ltoxicated with expression Pausing at t,
'st from sheer fatigue, she can 20 back O
} the odds and ends q,
All this is true Of many women. But q
1t true of the sex? What has been
ted evinces not that women are in
lpable of continuous, systematic occu.
alton, but that they are impulsive, p
7eramiable, always sympathetic, not r