Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-05

@ll wives and sweet
sY SSSSS hearts left at
Azza1zaz AAainN home had not the
resources and the enterprises to interest
and engage them that the women of to-
day will have if the bugle sounds To
arms p
In the sixties the wives of heroes of
the rebellion kept the hearthstones
alight with few embers. As time went
on. alas, many one grew black and
never was relit, though the fire of pa
triotism burned brightly to the close in
many woman's faithful heart.
But the war was of such long con-
| tinuanoe that in thousands of house,
holds poverty overlook the women and
children left behind, for women then
| did not have many resources to make a
liying-most of them could only depend
on their needles to exc out an irregular
ly sent stipend from the soldier fight
ing for his country, whose pay was
small at best, and if deadly bullet
ended the hearts beat the pay never
came again. The pensioned widow list
had not been made up nor even thought
of yet
The women of the south had been
brought up in such luxury and with the
attendance of SO many slaves that many
of them did not know how to sew
even to hem their own dainty handker-
chiefs.
The men had always as matter of
course attended to their own estates, or
employed oyerseers who saw to it that
the cotton was gathered, and the ships
laded, the orange groves planted and
pruned and the golden fruit gathered
and sold.
When the master and the slaves were
no longer upon the scene, it never en-
tered the head of any of the dainty la
dies of the household to take their
places.
Not SO today. Many a southern wom-.
an could and does see to her own orange
groves, and many sweetheart left be-
hind in the southland and in the north
land will make her trousseau with her
own fair hands that all may be in read
mess for Hthe mating" when Johnny
comes marching home. =
All over America, when the bugle
blows women-the brightest and fairest
and daintiest-will be able to cope with
| the vicissitudes of war that may come
into their lot il they are left behind,
while many others are grandly equipped
to go on the field and nurse the wound
ed or hold cup of cold water to the
lips of the dying if they follow the line
of battle in this or foreign land.
Large enterprises now partially man
| aged by women, with or under the su-
pervision of men, will be managed and
carried on by the women left in the
counting house or store, at the head of
the factory or the mill The American
woman is marvel to all other women
of the age. She has learned to take care
of herself, none the less sweet and wom-
anly, all the more brave and helpful,
power in this fair land. Her bright eyes
may grow dim with tears and watch
ing, but her firm, helpful hands and
ready wit will never be at loss.
The university amazons will study
Helen and Cleopatra and be more beau
tiful and more glorious than either.
They will write long and beautiful let
ters in elegant English and French and
perhaps even deign to use the language
of the foe to their heroes and tell them
not to hurry home-that all goes we'll
to fight the good fight and be sure not
to forget to bring them jewels from
Spain and eorals from Cuba.
The modest little typewriter will 60
to her place at the office and write out
the latest reports from the seat Of war
with a steady hand unless the name of
some dear one who has met with disas-
ter is thrown on the keyboard, and then
the little hand will grow unsteady, and
a tear will fall on the fair page, but the
work must be done, and the feelings
must be- controlled. She has been SO
trained she can wait until she reaches
the little room in the quiet home to
give vent to her feelings, but the next
morning will find her, as usual, III her
place, with her machine before her, for
that's the way she keeps her hearth
stone fire aglow and takes care of the
little dependent brother while the big,
caretaking brother or father lies on the
field of battle.
And SO life will go on the same old
way, the Only and great difference being
that women are not left at home to
starve and beg while the men are meet
ing the foe.
All the professions are filed with
work the men leave in their hands. The
surgeon must go with his regiment, but
his partner-a woman-will minister
to the sick at home. The lawyer will
join the ranks, but the courts will not
be closed indefinitely, for the woman
lawyer has her case and her brief to set
before the judge.
Women in this age will find the con-
ISOLATION SO needed of work for the heart
and brain and body as she anxiously
awaits for news of absent soldier boys,
and if men must 60 forth for country s
sake and honor they can think with
happier hearts that those women most
dear to them have that consolation.
rhe hearts agony of separation and
absence will always and under all cir
cumstances be with women in the time
Of war, but they will be able to find
work to their hands and comfort to
their grieving spirit if the weary days
and hours of absence and waiting be fill
ed with work to keep the wolf from the
door when the hunter is away on the
chase. The daily press is full of what
notable women will do if there is war
in the land to spur the men on to valor,
but American men do not needzssomen
TO encourage them--they are too brave
and too full Of love of country ever to
hold back when their standard is threat
ened by crafty foreign foe.
The spirit of the age is combined of
fort between men and women in the
commercial and working world, and
women have as much to do by influence
and combined labor for the protection
Of themselves and families today as
men, and they will be led ont of the
chimney corner into the world, where