The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-02

what is called social lie, little sympathy
can be felt. These things are not the es-
sentiais of life. Better that there should
not be club in the land; better that or
ganized charity should give place to the
old fashioned unsystematic, but often very
effective, kind, and that the churches
sionary societies. than that the vitality Of
the people should be Slapped by ill-regu-
lated and uncomfortable homes. The wom
ans club is useless unless so arranged as
not to make too heavy demand on the
strength of any of its members. 1t is per-
fectly possible to have social organizations
which are not a tax, but delight, and I'M
less society is established on this basis it
is better to depend simply on home happi-
ness for ones recreation. When women
find that they cannot attend to both home
and society they should face the question
fairly and drop one or the other. 1t is
sometimes possible to simplify the work of
the home so that there will be time for
outside enjoyment, without the family's
suffering any neglect. and in such case
the house-mother is entitled to all the
recreation she can get.
So much for one cause of nervous pros
tration among the women of today-the
complicated demands of social and home
life. But there is another cause. which
affects workingwomen more than any
others. 1t has come during the past gen.
Grafton to be a generally recognized fact
that large percentage of the women of
this country must earn their own living,
at least during some years of their lives
Girls between the ages of sixteen and
twenty, women who are obliged to help
support thsir parents, widows, and de-
serted wives, as well as the small number
of women who work because they choose
a career in preference to the marriage
which happened to be within their reach
these various classes make Up the popu-
lation of women workers. Among them,
nervous prostration is not uncommon, and
it can generally be traced to the attempt
to live both a woman's life and mans.
Though the world admits that these wo-
men must work, it does not yet recognize
the fact that if they are to work success
fully, without breaking down their hea tn,
they must have the same advantages tat
a man does, and no more demands upon
their time, strength, and sympathy than
does he. The families of these women too
often utterly fail to see any such necessi-
ty. The workingman, when he returns
from shop or factory, eats his dinner,
smokes his pipe or cigar, and spends the
evening chatting with neighbor, reading,
or working in the garden. His sister puts
in her spare time assisting in the house
hold work, dressmaking. or taking care of
children. The consequence is that
next day she has only two-thirds as megh
vitality as he has to put into the days
labor and she either makes up for it by
the expenditure of reserve strength, or
fails to accomplish as much. There are
many women who in their chosen lines of
work, do as much as a man could do, but
they too often accomplish this at the ex-
pense of their health.
1t is the custom to speak OF these work !
ingwomen as if they had no one depend |
ent upon them. This is generally not true.
Most of them either contribute to the sup
port of the family, or take care of some
helpless relative, or of a child or two. |
Very seldom do they receive from their de- |
pendents the help which good wife gives |
her husband. Those wnom they support |
are more often a dead weight on their |
hands. These conditions should be recog, |
nized in any estimate Of women's worK, |
and individual women should strive. so |
far as possible, TO get rid of responsible !
ties which do not belong to them. in or |
der to establish a new precedent. They |
should refuse to burden themselves with |
all sorts of social and charitable work in |
addition to their trade or profession; they |
should try, If possible, to secure the help !
OF some one who will take the responsI- i
bility Of their home life. The woman who |
is a bookkeeper, or a stenographer, or a |
lawyer has no business to put in her lois- |
ure time in cooking and sewing, because |
some OF her neighbors think she should |
have all womanly accomplishments in ad- |
dillon to her knowledge of business. 1t is |
about time for the public to understand |
that one person cannot do everything, and |
that girl need not be less attractive or |
womanly because she is an artist and not |
a housekeeper.