The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06

+. Marion Crawford, sympathetic and
intelligent observer of women, in trying to
account for the puzzling fact that when
woman sees thing that needs doing and
goes ahead and does it, although the man
at her side has declared it impossible. she
generally succeeds, concludes that it Is be-
cause man is theoretical. woman is prac-
teal. Which suggests two reflections:
First. that things are usually much easier
to do in theory than in practice, not harder,
as he seems TO imply. AS Lowell says:
''The'ry thinks fact a pooty thing,
An wants the bans read. right ensuin.
But fact won't noways wear the ring.
'Thout years of settin' UP an wooin.
Second, that since this is, after all,
reasonable world. founded on fixed law, if
the womans undertakings usually succeed.
it is probable she was acting reasonably,
and the fact that the man could not follow
her reasoning does not alter the presump-
ton.
If Mr.. Crawford had said the woman is
more practiced instead of more practical he
would have hit the mark Women do have
more constant practice in meeting emer-
gencies without suitable tools or expert
knowledge than most men have. II the
machinery of farm or factory breaks down
work is stopped until proper repairs are
made. If the shades or The radiators of
mans office are ont of repair he sends for
an expert to put them in order. But wom-
ans domain has to do with those intimate,
personal services that cannot be omitted or
delayed. The washing must be got out,
though the boiler has sprung a leak; the
midday meal must be ready OH time for
the men coming from work and the children
coming from school, though the kitchen
stoveppe has fallen down. And In the care
of children there are many instant emer-
gencies to be met perhaps with life or limb
hanging on a moments action.
For instances: A girl of sixteen in charge
Of her baby sister during her mothers
absence misses her thimble. The next mo-
ment she perceives that the baby is chok-
ing on IT. There is no time even to call the
neighbors next door-already the little face
is black. the little form stiffening out across
her knees. With desperate courage she
runs her finger down the baby's throat and
somehow brings the thimble out on it and
the baby is saved. Another instance: The
four-year-od is riding his rocking-horse-
fractions steed. that plunges and rears
and finally throws the brave young rider
with unexpected violence. The mother
snatches him up-the little head drops
sickeningly to one side in an unnatural posi-
ton that shows the neck is either dislo
Gated or broken. While the eldest sister
seizes one of the boys by the shoulders and
thrusts him out bareheaded into the icy
cold, with orders never TO stop running till
he finds a doctor, while the invalid sister
drops in a dead faint on the floor, where
nOhOdy n
mother seizes the child's head firmly, gives
ii resolute wrench back into position, the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. snaps into place with
a sharp click, and the child is saved,
laughing in his mothers arms when the
doctor arrives.
And this is how women learn to take
chances, to act quickly and to do the rea-
soning, if any is to be done, later.