The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-24
EnI.e seIf-sncriacr.

Some people are claiming that the szlf-
sacrificing woman is a creature OF the past,
and that the old-fashioned type of wife and
mother. giving all without hcpe of return.
has been superseded by modern woman
who stands on her rights. and demands the
chance to develop her own individually.
This is perhaps no more true of women
than it is true in various other relate rs
of society. While the capacity for self
sacrifice has by no means died out OF hu-
man nature. it is not quite so much mat
ter of course as it used to BE-. aud the
rights OF the individual receive mora con-
sideration. There was a time when No
woman over thirty expected to study. trav-
el. improve herself. or do much but dsyo e
herself to the material welfare of her hes
band and children. Nowadays it Is differ
ent.
But al! things considered. it is prob
able that the new way of thinking is b st.
sane and sensible view of things in
cludes recognition of the truth that Infinite
harm can be done by the wrong kind of
self-saerifce. When a mother is expected
as a matter Of course, 10 walt on her Chil-
dren at every turn, to think for them.
watch over them. give up her hzaith and
strength for them, it may be good thing
fer the children, but the chances are that
they viii be spoiled. Every woman has
opportunities enough to make sacrifices
for others, and so does every man; and
the natural and reasonable sacrifices OF
human life are all that is necessary to de-
velop the altruism in anyone, without an
unconscionable amount of self abnegation.
There are times when self-assertion is
right and necessary. and nobody has a
right to demand absolute self-sacrifice
of another 1t should be given willingly
OF not at all We have come to recognize
the fact that no parent has the shadow
OF a right to demand of daughter that
she marry where she does not love No
considerations Of money position, or fam
lily need can make that anything but a
wrong 10 the woman. her husband, and
her children. Neither has the parent
right to hamper the future Of the child
by arbitrarily requiring that 1t shall fol-
low a certain course in life. Self-sacri-
fee which involves the giving up Of future
usefulness ard service is generally mis-
chievous On the other hand. no young
person has the right to demand of father
or mother the sacrifice of health and
strength The boy may wish TO go to col
lege- if it is necessary and right that he
should go. he can generally get there by
his own exertions There are plerty OF
ways in which an energetic young man or
woman can get through college on small
means, and if 1t takes two or three years
longer than 1t would with more money,
that is not altogether an evil. The self
ishness of modern young people is pro-
verbal and it is fostered by a false idea
of seIf-sacrifiee on the part of parents.
Two thirds of the poor students whose
fathers and mothers are making all kinds
OF desperate efforts TO send them through
college do not need anything more than
high-school education. AS for the
parents who work and slave that their
children may take a high position lin So
ciety," that is stlil more mischlevous
self abnegation. All the social position in
the world is not worth the moral degra-