Evening journal., 1905-03-24
.CHILDLESs WIFE
MAKES ANSWER
Literary Wage Garner Re
plies to the Presidents
Recent Lecture
MIGHT LOSE HER USEFULNESS

New York March 24.-"We believe that
to have children would be detrimental
to our usefulness as members Of Society,
detract from the happiness Of our mar
riage and make us lower, not nobler peo-
pie"
Thus does "A Childless Wife sum up
in Ibis weeks Independent" the reasons
why Have No Family" In foreword
the editor of that magazine says that the
author and her husband are not infre-
quent contributors to the Independent"
under their own signatures. The publi-
cation OF the article was brought about
by President Roosevelt's lecture last
week to the women of America on the
duties and rewards Of motherhood AS
to the justification of the writer in fol-
lowing out her theories the editor of the
magazine says Of the younger women Of
America in her field of social service, and
her husband in equally useful in his field.
This young wife begins her statement
Of he situation by saying:
My husband and 4 are young, well in
mind and body, comfortably situated
financially, love each other devotedly and
are fond of children. Yet, after five years
Of married life, we have no family. The
principal aim of our lives, as well as our
standard Of human value Is social use
fulness. My husband is even more op-
posed to our having children than [ am
and is more firmly convinced that it
would be- in every way, the wrong thing
for us to do"
with no lack OF admirers" she says.
/ made one mistake in becoming engag-
ed at eighteen to a man to whom 1 was
attracted by his strong emphasis on hui
man development ana the Importance of
constant growth. lie was enthusiastic
high-minded five years my senior, with a
poetic temperament and boundless faith
in his future. He undertook to direct nv
reading and TO develop my mind. After
time, however, it became clear to me
that his idea Of my development was that
should become, as nearly as possible, a
copy Of himself.
Meanwhile I had left teaching for
newspaper work, which carried me from
the small town where 1 had been raised
to Chicago. There 1 climbed from a re-
porter to an editor and finally to a mag
azine position with congenial work and a
good salary Living in a great citv I
soon became conscious Of the many social
problems that distress our present civil
lization
Then came the man. He appeared on
my horizon as special writer, on a SUBJ
lect Of which he was master. for the
magazine Of which was one Of the edl-
tors His work 1 had followed for some
time but the man was a revelation. He
was gentle and strong, free and pure in
mind ana life. His was genuine free
nature; he wanted liberty for others as
we'll as for himself. He delighted in un-
conventional ideas and habits Of life and
was as fearless an analyst Of existing
conditions and customs as myself.
We were friends at once-comrades. ]
was utterly happy as our friendship RI
pened into love. My love was conditioned
upon my respect not only for him but fol
myself. Our relations must always be
such that neither would suffer any dinf
mutton Of freedom or opportunity for de.
velopment"
When after marriage this couple be-
gan definitely to consider parenthooe
they found that with such Responsible.
ties the wife would have to give up hel
employment, which would cut in half tn,
Joint income, as well as destroy her so.
cial usefulness. The husband would hav,
TO more than double his income. puttinl
all his energies into money making tc
the exclusion of social WORK.
Then, besides, there was no tellin,
what kind of children they might have
We might" she says, raise a son Iils
rolstoi. who would go into the army, ol
daughter who would delight in givinl
pink teas"
The personal reason, too. was an i'm
portant one to the wife. who loved lif
and health and feared ito risk such prec
ious possessions"
Besides, the wife says. being thus Gu
on from her independent income sh
would have as a favor a liberty she nov
enjoys as a right.