New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-18
ARE HER STANDARDS LOWERS
Men Discuss Woman in Her Relation to the
Business World.

They occupied a compartment Of the parlor car
Three OF them were business men, men OF aTiaiIs'
and their companion gentle. motherly soul whose
sraying hair. soft voice and kincing eye spoke OF
a long and close symDathy with her fellow travel
lers the uphill road
1t to me-" said the oldest Of the four
~(and OURS one Of the first firms in our city to
employ women as Office ass!stants) that generations
Of business life would be able 10 rub ont that
!ngrained love Of home that God must have given
I've with her first breath. Women so into Il Win
more or less enthusiasm. the first few months
earnings give novel sense Of eation and freedom
and they apt get of few declarations OF IN
dependence on the strength Of it But aIter
year the interest pals and say Il regret
fully-the exception is the woman who does not let
her ideals down d notch two TO compass a
home
I don't azree with you" BEGAN another OF the
quartet d muLh younger man; at least in my eH--
perence the results 20 be pretty evenly ulFla-
ed. From what ] haze seen women get the ousl-
habit. and go money mad even when the
money is Of their own making, coined odt OF their
own flesh and blood you might say, just a. inuch
men do They are Just as mercenary ~hen
they get the taste deed l think more So
for a woman always goes farther than man Wheh
she's started. and corrooins tendencies cut deeper
fUrrows in the feminine character than IN our
rougher brand. Don't you think so? AT least
that has been my experience have known d
number Of business women who have uhIhis'ah-
ably cared and cared much. for men who were at
tentive 10 them. they simply woUldnt lei them
selves reach ne stage where they would be willing
20 give I'D their incomes and settle down 10 living
on the money some ore else earned Two OF three
married on condition that il should interfere IN
no smallest way with their business interests They
were willing enough TO enjoy the doubled income
II was not question Of loss OF freedom: the aver
age American woman is pretty sure OF her freedom
under any circumstance 1t was a matter soieiy
Of creature comfort and. to my mind. 1t Is as cTimi-
nal 20 Kill to sell ones womanliness Tor ndterlai
gain. Then. too. I think the more or less free and
easy manners the constant and unconventional
mingling Of women with comparatively
strangers to them. IS distinctly harmful 10 WON
an. She loses much of her sensiuveness dlscFinl-
nation and Of the courtesy due her simply
because Of her wOmanlness- 1t Is impossible Tor
her to have two standards-one for her own home
and personal friends and one for her business lie
and acquaintance.
so many things are done and allowed which are
accounted (and really areD no harm under the
circumstances, but which. however, insensiby lower
woman's whole standard and with it those OF the
men with whom she associates. I know for fact
that few Of US would keep eternany uD Ia the
mark II that diGn- mean Up TO the eXpecta-
tons Of the women We know and respect TO my
mind. the increase Of women in the business world
is to be depored a misfortune. from both points
OF view. and no woman for whose welfare 1 am re-
sponsble shall be subjected to such infu-
ences."
You don't think" began the motherly old soul
hitherto silent that. while few women may los
by the ordeal, the great mass may serve as ieVen
and ingrained womanlness sooner or later
make ltseI Ielt- even u the business ~oIt-- :
seems to me you cheaper and lessen The value OF
Don't you think even granting We must sooner or
later show the true fibre below the veneer, under
enough Of Of good grain to stand the revelation?
Wouldn't mercenary woman be Just as mer-
Yes" chined in the man who had not spoken be
fore. when there nothing open TO woman
excepting dressrnaking and school teachlng' anu
little Of these. il small credit to her or com
phment 70 a man when she married y vas tI
taxed individual choice or tested individual nclll-
can earn a fairly comfortable living in some mod
erately easy way. and the TACT that the large ma
iority OF business women 90 still marry proves,
I go r-,v,a71i,eSe oar weather
the gale OF even business storm and stress al
nit that for a generation two We are likely TO
have some feminine freaks in the business world
Every change is marked by extremes. and pioneers
pendulum swings back again in time. the balance
is struck and another point OF progress IS uched
or two herce every home Will be the happier and
more wholesome because women are learning now
how u feels 10 come nome AZ hsnl La5Etu ~ JOY
and brain and be talked TO fO- an hour or more
about the servants ana the butcher Dill Ihe Eessl
next door or ule persona. acres az pai.S -
by various members OF the household dL-lng her
/ men viii know by experience that women can III
the place OF any OF the worlds workers and that
I Homes Will be happier because women know the
1 value OF hundred cents, and, by experience. the
/ 81 them We will all be the better. think, for
the broader outlook and scope OF personal interests
/ that shoulder TO shoulder work In the business
s-.b s-S 5-Ses ~ The new drsugrt with both have
/ disappeared. and we viii have the strong current
/ Of womanliness at its best"
The bright eyes OF the motherly woman beamed
1 Whitening hair. The conductor called some poly
5st ro ae BessisTn. hope and all disap-
peared in the darkness OF the outer world