Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
COLLEGE WOMEN.
Form Literary and PhiIanthropfc
Clubs While Husbands Work.

From Leslie's Weekly.
For the sake of convenience let us divide
college women in America into two classes
those who intend to do some definite,
serious work. and those who do not. The
profession in which women have done the
best is medicine. Medical women seem 10
understand what profession demands;
that 1t is not play; but work, and is not
the pastime of a few years. but something
for life. In the medical profession the line
of separation between the results OF work
of the two sexes is really disappearing,
and a woman doctor who does the same
work as a man receives the same pay.
The reason may be partly that the sue
cess depends entirely on the individual. A
woman doctor goes out into the world
alone, and proves that she can do well
as a man by doing it. while If her position
depended on the decision of an executive
body, as ii does, for instance, I'm the case
of teachers, she would not have the same
opportunity as a man.
Very few college women in America
have gone into business and that is to be
regretted, there would be another field
where the success would depend on indt-
vidual effort In general, thus far. women
who work select something requiring small
outlay. They will not risk large money
investment, or an investment OF many
years preparation, but usually crowd into
the teachers profession. where there is so
exceeds the demand. Some college wo-
men are doing well in journalism, a field
that is always open to individual effort.
and the woman of real genius can make
her way a writer in any land.
Let us consider, however, especially the
large number of married college women.
and the part they take in society. In the
first place, wherever they may be found,
their superiority to other women is usually
recognized. Very few of them earn money.
for their husbands do that for them. IL
they are in comfortable circumstances, the
care of the household and children docs
not absorb all their energies. Their col
lege education has given them a love OF
study and a desire to do something. The
result is multitude of women's clubs and
societies for all kinds of philanthropic
work. One advantage of these clubs is the
training they give in public speaking, q s
all the political and social questions OF
the day are freely discussed in them. and
| there is opportunity for public discus
sion, as the work of the club is presented
| in the form of program, I'm some hall be-
| longing to the club or engaged for that
purpose.
In consequence of these numerous clubs
and societies, the amount of intelligence
| and philanthropy is increasing very rapid
| Iy, especially among women. There are,
however. certain phases of this state OF
| affairs that are abnormal The husband
| has to work hard all day for his family
and for himself, and has no time for liter
| airy or philanthropic societies, however
much he might enjoy them. but after leay-
ing his place of business he needs to rest
| or to be amused. The wife works just as
hard as the husband, but altogether for
| culture or for other people, and her work
| brings in no financial return. The divis-
| ion is rather an unfair one, and its ten
| dency would be in time to make men more
| practical than women. and women more
| intelligent than men. 1t gives one sex all
| the work of supporting society, and tho
| other that of educating society.