The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-29
ALL TO A GOOD END

NJ. HugueS le hOuA, INC 7 IeASA oSnoAs"A
who is lecturing in the United States, has
rediscovered what w. d. Howells and
others discovered before him-or thought
they discovered-that the sexes IN typl-
cal American society are drifting apart,
losing community of interests, aspira-
lions and ideals. More and more, says
M. lie Roux, the women require OF the
men the ideal Of culture, while American
men are yielding more and more to the
ideal of business. Consequently women
have less and less tendency to marry.
They can't find men that satisfy their
culture ideal. On the other hand, the
successful business man with his breath
less life of great material achievements
may feel something Of contempt for
all the talk of the cultured" women
about art and literal ure and other intan-
gible things that have nothing to do
with the market.
There is no doubt that in the average
American home, the person Of reading,
appreciation of art, and broad, human
sympathies and information is the wife or
the daughter. And our superior women
"feel their oats" They know that they
are our superiors in culture and Outlines
they do not hesitate to remind us Of our
shortcomings. But our men do not hum
Bile themselves in the dust, after all, be-
fore the intellectual attainments of their
women. In the first place they think,
that the mind and energy and firmness
hoy SiSy 70 fhoiN h,IHi inc
return them a strength born of exercise
that is quite as good in it's way as abil-
ity to appreciate Murillo and go into
ecstacies over Corot. In the second place,
they reflect that If their money had not
provided leisure their women would not
always appreciate the Int ellectual devel-
opment that is to be gained by looping
stocks off an eighth or pasting them up
quarter, but they do appreciate how the
engrossment Of the husbands, fathers and
brothers in material affairs has enabled
them to rise above the performance Of
duties that are incompatible with the de-
votion culture requires of those who seek
her. Quite often superior women testify
to the sacrifice that has been made for
them-that has given them leisure, while
the men struggle desperately for the
wherewithal. 49,.
One of the most unpleasant outward evil;
dences Of this growing apart Is the lack
of subjects of common int crest for daily
small talk. The husband comes home,
| longing to tell his wife of some good
stroke of business longing for approving,
apprecfatory words of his cleverness. But
he is soon chilled by his wife's absent
mindedness and manifest desire to talk
about the latest book or the latest pic
ture And he has no interest in them In
the old days when the wife had no per-
sonal interests outside the home, the
husband found in her an admiring lis
tener and in turn heard with pleasure the
days tale of domestic joys and SORROWS.
| Conversation is declining everywhere; In
the home it is dead.
| But this is the intimate view of the
subject, the perception Of the paint in
stead of the picture. Both men and women
are working together for national good
and greatness. The strenuous ten
hour day of the husband in the crowded
, arena of business, day full of the de-
lights of battle to him, is insuring that
pre- eminence in trade which is required
of the pre-eminent nation in this com
merc1al age. On the OF her hand the wife
keeps bright the altar fires of culture
and keeps the nation from straying too
Tar into mater1alism. And when the
day comes, If ever it will come, when
the sons OF race of eager toll
shall sit down to take their leisure and
enjoy their gains they will find at home
Inspiration and direction to culture.