The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-06

feel herself degraded. The reproach Of
Kitchen knaye," which Lynette dung
back to Gareth. has chung, since time
began, to the household worker. A
genuinely intelligent woman, who, los
ing her property, was obliged to serve
her household with her own hands,
complained bitterly of the horrible hu-
initiation and ignominy which she suf-
fered. New England is the stronghold
of independent labor. where women
mold bread and read Browning at the
same time, and it is probable that more
real ladies do their homework there
. than in any other quarter Of the globe;
yet even there, in spite Of cooking
schools and domestic associations"
TIE observer detects q growing dislike
to homework. Girls viii go into mills
or shops, or win almost starve, before
they viii enter domestic service It q
the exception to find in any large town
q woman Who, with the means TO en-
ploy a servent. fails to do it. Having
thus saddled their household duties
upon another, these women proceed TO
search outside for the physical exercise
which they acknowledge is necessary
to keep themselves in good condition.
They ride, they play tennis. they spin
Off on bicycles, petronize gymnasiums,
and devise all sorts of artificial substi-
tutes for the healthful activities of
their home. which had also behind them
economy and family comfort 10 recon-
mend them
James Russell Lowell says somewhere
of this natural development. as dis
played in a workingman: How much
more admirable is this tawny vigor. the
fruit of downright toll, than the crop
of early muscle which heads out under
the glass of the gymnasium"
A similar superiority is clearly shown
in the woman who, while not overwork-
ing. has still pursued q round Of house
hold duties in her home. There is
nothing like regular housework for
strengthening the muscles and develop
ing the figure. The variety of posture
and the rapid changes required promote
roundness and plumpness without fab
biness. No amount of tennis nor prac-
tice on the parallel bars viii produce
the vigor and grace which result from
two or three hours of housework each
day. 1t is hard and combining to attempt
to do all the labor for family every day
in the year. Such a life mean that and
nothing more. Women are not to blame
for trying to escape from IL. But there
is no need of giving up all houseworlS
because a part must be relinquished.
The woman who will spend three hours
of each morning In sweeping, bed max
ing. and dish washing. and viii then
rest and read or sew at her leisure for
two or three hours more, will excel eli
others at outdoor sports in the after
noon.
But" It will be objected, mo maid
will do these daily duties II the mistress
or her daughters once assume them. II
one of the family undertakes the care
of the parlors, she is bound to do that,
or else hire an extra maid to under
take it if she attempts to break her
bonds for a single day. And then, the
hands! Washing dishes reddens and
roughens the hands-for one cannot do
it all with a dish mop. and gloves
amount to little IN that sort Of work.
A woman with red, rough hands fnds
II hard to take her place in society"
In households where two or three
servants are kept the problem usually
becomes harder instead of easier. IL
increases, in fact, with the cOmpleUity
of the household arrangements and so
cial responsibilities. The contention
is doubtless a useless one, but IL may
still be truthfully asserted that for
healthfulneSs (which almost always
means clesrness of complexion). for
beauty of figure. and for genuine. whole
some satisfaction with life, there il
nothing like homework. il 1t be done
under proper conditions - Leslie's
Weekly.