The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-23
A GRANDMOTHER OPINION
Other Times, Others Customs Even
a. in Reautv Culture.

I was struck with an article in Fridays |
o u r II a on Beauty Culture which I
think will bear reading twice-once to see
what there is in it, and once again to see
what there is not. Most questions that
come up for discussion, have two sides
and occasionally we find one that seems to
have three or four. This has at least two. !
Beauty we all admit is thing to be
desired not indeed selfishly but because it
is the natural wish of all to be agreeable
and pleasing to others. 1t is not a n UNI
worthy wish-why then should reasonable
attention to its culture be condemned?
The drift of the article in question
seems to be comparison. none too favor
able to modern methods, of the means by
which the same end. namely, the culture
of beauty, was attained by our grand
mothers and by the women of the present
day.: .-~.... .. 49, -
Now, our grandma others We're no doubt
very excellent and lovable women. Some
of them, like the women of our own day,
were lowered with beauty and some dis
tinctly dependent on other qualities for
winning their way. Then, as noH were
seen women whose compilations all the
lotions and creams of the department
stores would fail to clear, and some that
no sun seemed to tan or winds to roughen
Your comparison of the "cluhs" and the
broom it seems to me is incomplete. To
give it its full significance, should it mot
have all aurcole of dust identifying the
features and filing the lungs? Also you
fail to give the broom it's well earned
credit as woman's weapon Of defense.
Now how much of the suppleness and
grace Of our grandmothers was due to
that? A really irate woman can get a lot
of exercise out of the strenuous use<of the
broom reversed. and incidentally can exer-
else the luckless subject on whom she is
bestoWing her attentions at the same
time. The truth is that with better floors
than our grandmothers ever dreamed of
having, so large a part of the dust has
been eliminated, that the necessity OF the
constant use of the broom is COINCIDENCE
the clubs! The beauty remains 'in statu
quo" ... E.: - I.
Your picture of:the grandmother pick
| ing up the chips touches my heart! Where
| on earth were the grandchildren? 2 And
come tc think of it,. where are the chips?
! Speak softly please or I'm afraid there
will be a humping of heads when the pile
| is located and I'd like a chance at them
| myself -" 80. -. ,F5. ( :.
| Your next Illustration is too touching
I was tempted to- run out and borrow a
| baby instanter to see which was the better
| exercise. :. &. 80. =
| The next one is fine. When think of
the pleasure of bending over the washtub
| inhaling the fumes Of soft soap-for. that
| was wi hat "our grandmothers"z used-hoil-
! ing water and soiled linen. Of the lifting of
| heavy tubs, buckets of water, the strain
| of wrist and back in the universal hand
| wringing, I wonder if the pleasure of
| hanging up the linen-with the Their
| mometer at 20 below perhaps-brought
| with it enough of beauty to really recon-
mend it as a beautifier? Now. my wash
| erwon1an hangs up linen six days out of
seven and breathes all the air she wants
to-, and she isn't, well, not to put too fine
a point on it, exactly what you would call
graceful-no she isn't, with all these ad-
vantages. But then, she is not one, Of
I "our grandmothers,: thanks be.
| The truth is as it seems to me. that the
/ times have changed and we have changed
with them. When -'our grandmother"
were young this country was young. help
was scarce, and every woman as a rule
had to do most of her own work Houses
were small and not q 1.-THE Of the work
| was required to keep them and keep them
! WE'LL that there is now. In spite Of all
that, a woman of forty was. considered far
too old for any social gathering and was
1 expected to retire, whether gracefully or
otherwise, to that dead level, old age.
! For one, I am thankful that I am not
my own Grandmother.
Dec. 20. ii4