The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-30

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M@\ tirely disappearesi-thas is,
TN q the gentle old maid who
h~ had q little income and
N U waS everybody's friend.
To ycu she was Cousin
Mary" TO somebody else
she was Aunt Molly while somebody
else. who had gone TO school with her.
called her Minnie When there was a
long illness she appeared on the scene and
WAS the gefitlest OF nurses. who never
grew weary and who never lost patience
AT the time Of a wedding she was ON hand
10 help make the wedding cake. TO assist
with the trousseau and 10 dress the bride.
When death knocked at the front door,
she met MIN with all respect and reverence
ard allowed no strange hand to touch the
dear dead one. while she was the only one
whose yoice could really console those in
trouble She begged pardon for the
prodigai and was always ready TO excuse
any human weakness. She had more
friends than she could count. more homes
than she could live in. and when she came
TO die everybody missed her. She was
loved and respected. and II some young
fool once IN awhile spoke of her as IAN
old maid it was In an appiogetic tone. rs
IL all mankind needed 10 be excused for
not having discovered her Projections
This gentle creature, the friend OF the en-
tire family. has disappeared, and in her
eior woman. This woman is very much
alone and SO fond Of speaking OF her indie
pendence that one is tempted TO wonder
whether she finds il as agreeable as she
claims ii is. She is not willing to be one in
the large family, not willing TO be. as was
the gentle old maid the friend of many,
but she seeks the much talked OF indie
pendence. and. earning her own living.
she stands quite alone. While she has
hundreds of acquaintances / am tempted
to wonder il she ever gets as much love as
did her less highly educated predecessor,
whom she is inclined to scorn.
The average woman of today, being
abnormal yearns for q business career.
Undoubtedly there are times when IL
is necessary, but nowadays too often that
woman who has a good income thinks TO
be like man and increase Ii. Miss Small
Fortune. who could live in comfort on
what was left her by her father and make
herself an absolute necessity to all those
bound to her by ties of blood, refuses to do
this. She lives m a hotel and adds to her
income in some special way. Now. IL is
all right II a woman has TO darn her liv--
ing. | respect her for il, and l applaud her
ability If she can achieve it in some
special, original and feminine way, but
when 1t is not necessary, when ii is
simply an unwomanly desire to get out
into the busy world, l do not think any one
who knows what a woman ought to be,
what side OF her nature il is best to cult
vate should encourage her. The daughter
OF this rich man has taken up artistic
gardening. The daughter Of that rich man
is furnishing several diaries with fresh
milk and eggs while millionaire's daueh-
ter is managing a dancing class. Several
women. not only OF good, but of assured
position. are ready to manage your society
book for you. and In this way tell you Just
who and just who you should not have on
your list. How is this going to straighten
itself out? Will there be d survival of the
fittest? Will there come time when the
woman who should earn her own living
will do so quietly and honestly, or will the