The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-01-21

that masculine companionship Is not
necessity in order to happiness, and
that there is a strong probability that
they will have to fight the battle OF
life alone, they will be getting the
timber ready for their own fortune
and their saw and axe and plane sharp
ened for its construction, since every
wise woman buildeth her house.
AS no boy ought to be brought up
without learning some business at
which he could earn a Livelihood, SO
no girl ought to be brought up WIFI
out learning the science or selt-sup-
port. The difficulty is that many
family goes sailing on the high tldes
of success and the husband and rather
depends on his own health and acu-
men for the welfare of his household,
but one day he gets his feet wet, anu
in three days pneumonia has closed MS
life, and the daughters are turned out
on a cold world to earn bread, ana
there is nothing practical that they
can do. The friends come In ana noiu
consultation. "Give music lessons
says an outsider. Yes, that is useful
calling, and if you have great genius
for it, go on in that direction. But
there are enough music teachers no"
starving to death in all our towns anu
cities, to occupy all the piano stools
and sofas and chairs and front-door
steps of the city. Besides that, the
daughter has been playing only LOT
amusement, and is only at the Ioot
of the ladder, to the top OF Whicn
great multitude of masters on piano
and harp and flute and organ nave
climbed.
Put the bereft daughters as sales
women in stores" says another adVl-
ser. But there they must compete
with statesmen of long experience, OF
with men who have served an appren-
ticeship in commerce and who began
as shop boys at ten years of age. Some
kind-hearted dry goods man, having
known the father, now gone, says, we
are not in need of any more help just
now, but send your daughters to my
store, and l will do as we'll by them
as possible" Very soon the question
comes up, why do not the female en-
ployes of that establishment get as
much wages as the male employees!
For the simple reason, in many cases,
the females were suddenly flung by
misfortune behind that counter, while
the males have from the day they LETT
the public school been learning the
| business.
How is this evil to be cured? Start
clear back in the homestead and teach
your daughters that life is an earnest
thing, and that there is possibility,
if not a strong probability, that they
will have to fight the battle OF life
alone. Let every father and mother
say to their daughters, Now, what
would you do for livelihood if what
l now own were swept away by finan-
clal disaster, or old age, or death
should end my career?"
well, l could paint on pottery and
do such decorative work" Yes, that is
beautiful, and if you have genius for il
go on in that direction. But there are
enough busy at that now to make a
line of hardware as long as yon Penn
sylvania avenue.
"Well, l could make Rotations in
public and earn my living as drama
fist; could render King Lear or Mac
beth till your hair would rise on end
or give you Sheridan's Ride or Dick
ems Pickwick." Yes, that is beauti-
full art, but ever and anon, as now
there is an epidemic of dramatization
that makes hundreds of households
nervous with the cries and shrieks and
groans of young tragediennes dying in
the fifth act, and the trouble is that
while your friends would like to heal
you, and really think that you could
surpass Ristori and Charlotte Cush-
man and Fanny Kemble of the past
to say nothing Of the present, you
could not, in the way of living, in
ten years earn ten cents.
My advice to all girls and all unmar-
ried women, whether in affluent homes
or in homes where most stringent
economies are grinding, is to learn tt
do some kind of work that the WORLD
must have while the world stands.
I'm glad to see a marvellous change fol
the better, and that women have founC
out that there are hundreds of practi-
cal things that a woman can do for &
living if she begins soon enough, and
that men have been compelled to ad.
nit it. You and can remember when
the majority of occupations were
thought inappropriate for women; but
our Civil war came, and the hosts oil
men went forth from North and South
and to conduct the business of our cit
les during the patriotic absence, wo'
men were demanded by the tens Of
thousands to take the vacant places
and multitudes of women, who hat
been hitherto supported by fathers ant
brothers and sons, were compelled
from that time to take care of them
selves. From that time a mighty
change took place favorable to female
employment.