The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-31
WHAT WOMEN CAN DO
THEY MUST WATCH FOR CONDITIONS
AND LEARN AT FIRST HAND.
i'm Civfcs and Politics They Can Exert
Only Moral Influence, but Other
Fields Are Not So Limited.

Most readers can go back forty years to
the time when the lines of work for wom-
en- included household service, home nurs-
ing and neighborly nursing from house 10
house. sewing and comparatively minor
lines OF teaching. Following down a. few
decades. between five and six hundred
wage-earning occupations are found open
10 women. and the problem becomes not
so much What women can do" as How
shall women choose that work which they
are best fitted TO PERFORM" This choice
must depend, necessarily. upon such fac
tors as her degree OF wealth. of education.
her social position. her health. her breadth
of mind. her practical knowledge and her
sense of moral responsibility. Therefore, 1t
IS idle TO ask what can women do. because
the answer must necessarily apply TO only
a very small class Of women. There will be
as much variety in the possibilities as in
capabilities. I can only outline some of the
possibilities. and leave the question of her
capability to be settled by the woman
herself.
Starting at the very highest power in a
woman's nature-her moral influence in her
own home. in the church and in society
the faintest him will suffice. Women know
AANoA- that my 1aAAAADAB IA QDbAAN 0AAaAA >
accomplish great reforms or develop great
schemes except as they are able to infiu-
ence those who have the rights of citizen
ship and the control of wealth. Happily.
the mind of intelligent and truly noble
manhood. that cares for general welfare. is
always open to the views and influence of
truly noble and intelligent w~omanhood.
What women can do in this line, therefore,
d 20 MT horro1p a., t0,,oL, .-stL o;w;o 81
philanthropic and educational needs. She
cannot clean the streets, nor can she vote
that the STRENGTHENING shall be in the
hands OF the right man; but she can under
stand all those things that pertain to street
sanitation and house sanitation. Two
thirds OF the women Of the world battle
with dirt with their hands upon a broom
handle. The knowledge OF what ought to
be done. which every intelligent woman
can acquire. can be welded much more
effectively than can the There
are abundant instances in different cities
of women's stirring such currents of public
opinion as might be called raising the
wind" Raising the wind means raising the
dust, and when the discomfort Of the dirt
and filth are fairly in the air men will
hurry up the scavenger and work for it's
removal For women. therefore, the one
word is, keep your eyes open for actual
conditions. study. work, learn. find out for
yourselves. Then talk it or write it to the
men who are too busy to find out other
wise.
PHILANTHROPIC WORK.
And the same suggestion that applies to
sanitary and civic conditions applies also
10 philanthropic work. If women know
vha actually goes on in hospitals and in
frmaries. in institutions for the aged, for
the paupers, for the little children and
even for the criminals they have the basis
OF a genuine work. In civic or political
things they can only influence morally.
in philanthropic things they will be al
lowed sometimes a share in the manage
ment of institutions, always a share in the
raising OF the money therefor and occa-
sionally a voice in saying how that money
can be wisely expended. If her heart is
really set on the betterment of human
conditions and her head is not so obstinate
that she believes that the sinners can be
converted by the scolding of the saints, and
she unites her womanly discrimination to
her genuine desire to have things made the
best possible for a weak and wretched
world her field of influence along all the
philanthropic lines is very broad. 1t would
take a book to write what she might do
in these directions. Like Zenobia, her king
dom here is "as broad as the genius that
can devise or the power that can win," but,
like Zenobia, her kingdom must be based.
not upon her power, but her love. Es-
pecially in the whole region of work for
childhood Is this true. She can find out
what sick children, poor children, suffering
children need. She can to a very great ex-
tent control the supply because mems
hearts Will be with her from the outset in
work for the little ones.
a STRIKING EXAMPLE.
Take, for example, one work just begin-
ming to make its way in the city of New
York and soon to spread, it is hoped, to
other cities. / refer TO the care Of crippled
children, beginning with one woman. whose
heart went out in sympathy to these little
u~nfortunates. arousing the interest Of a
few men, until a little home by the seaside
received a few of them in the summer. 1t
has now developed-as readers can ascer-
tain for themselves if they will go to the
School for Crippled Children, 434 West Fiji
ty-seventh street.-The a system that
should ultimately include an auxiliary in
every part of the city. The very sort Of
investigation that is recommended showed
that Greater New York alone has about
1,eS0 crippled children. Manhattan about 81
90. the great majority of these living in
tenement houses with insufficient medical
care. To send the wagonette and gather up
groups OF these children, 10 take ,nem to
the school where the kindergarten and the
manual training and the comfortable lunch
con in the middle Of the day are supplied.
and the heart life and brain life of the
child are developed, 10 put them in charge
OF nurses. to give them proper medical
care, to become a renovating and regen-
Grating Influence in the homes OF these chill
dren-this is only one OF the little things
being done In the great city Of New York.
: mention il because in many other ways
similar needs may be studied. plans devised
for the moderation OF conditions, and di-
Tect an appea, TO those who can control IL
for the use Of wealth and 10 the proper
civic authorities 10 aid in benefcent work.
In this way women can help. And, also.
f. the question OF amusements, play
grounds. provision for country outings. for
nature studies and a thousand ways that
the limits OF this space Go not permit even
the faintest outline.
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