The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-01
HAS NOTHING TO Do
ONE WOMAN WITH NO OCCUPA-
TON BUT TO PLAY CARDS
In an Age Where There Is Everything
to Do PhIanthropicaIIy and Intel
lectuaIH, the Woman With Nothing
to Do Is to Be Pitied.

One wonders if women ever stop to
think how thankful they should be that
they live in this age. Take all time
, from the beginning, every age that we
, know anything about, and surely there
never was one in which women had so
many advantages, or could make of
themselves and their lives what they
wished, as at the present day..
Some time ago, an elderly conserv-
ative woman spoke in a reproving way
to younger woman, married but with
out children, who spends good deal
OF time playing cards (never mind what
game). She reminded her that it was
not a very good way in which to oc-
cUpy her time. and the younger woman
said that she was not as strong as
some women who could go about in
society a good deal, and she had to
have something to do, and the only
thing she could do was to play cards!
Well, we'll; fancy woman in the
twentieth century with nothing to do
+, but to play cards! This would make
very good text for a sermon, for surely
in this busy age. when women can do
or be anything in the world that is
most useful and busy, it is a pitiful
thing for a woman to make this plant.
Nothing to do! If she hasn't she is the
only woman in the universe in that
condition. When the majority of us
never have a day or an hour not filled
with work or engagements; when we
wonder If we shall ever have a. chance
to rest, the remark of this woman is
like a dash of cold water. She has
nothing to do! If she has no children,
there are orphanages full of motherless
children who would be all the happier
at her coming; if she does not desire
to adopt one of these poor little ones
she could work for them and visit
4, x,,sII lit IN,
do. Then there are hospitals full of
sick people; children's wards filled to
overlooking with deformed and help
less little ones for whom life has Moth
ing but city charity. Here is a great
work this woman can do. Then there
is the poor of the city; that work is
never done, hardly even begun; yet
this woman has nothing to do but play
cards! Does she know anything about
the conferences of friendly visitors who
give Of themselves to the unfortunates
who go to their houses and offer them
human sympathy-not money-exactly
as one friend goes, to another? 1t would
be quite impossible within the limits
of this article to give a list of the
worthy charities of this city which are
always crying out for workers. for
women placed just as this woman is
placed with plenty of time and money
at her disposal. And yet she has moth
ing to do but play cards!
If she is intellectual and desires an
outlet for her ideas, she might join a
womans club and there she will find
many opportunities. not alone for self
culture, but to help others to educa-
ton and culture. If she Is interested
i'll civics, she might join some of the
civic organizations and do what she
can to assist in identifying st. Paul
and making it a show town. This wom-
an has nothing to do but play cards!
How about her husband? She might
devote herself to him. That would give
her something to do. There is some
thing the matter with a woman who
has nothing to do in this age. There's
everything to do; so much that there
are not hands enough to do it nor heads
enough to plan It, Playing cards Is not
sin; done at proper times as a recre-
alton 1T is exceedingly harmless; but
when woman plays cards morning,
noon and night and says she has moth
Ing else to do. well-there's something
wrong.
All of us who are very busy and In
cltned to think at times that life is al
most too strenuous, should stop repin-
ing and reserve all our pity for the
woman who has nothing to do but play
cardsi