Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-05
A-.auIting women. ideals.


Prof. William ]. Armbruster of st. Louis,
chemist and mining engineer, has risen to
make few remarks, comments the Phila-
delphia Ledger. They were made at a ses-
sion Of the Women's MONDAY club and
stirred the audience. The speaker did not
exactly plead for a new set of feminine
ideals. but demanded it. The prevailing
set he regarded as at a stage far below
that held by men. His language was rudely
forceful. For instance. he said:
Give woman nothing to do and all the
money she wants to spend and she will 20
to- 70 'desisnstion here omitted as fast as
that wealthy women who can do not do
noble work they are in a position to do
for the good Of the world.
The professor proceeded to classify
women, beginning with the wife and
mother in the family OF poverty and end
ing with the wife and daughter Of the
very wealthy. From all of them he thinks
something making for advancement should
be expected, and it is not forthcoming In
contrast with costly frivolity and idle pas
time, he drew the picture of want unre-
leved and subjects for research neglected
do We" he asked, 'hear a woman saying
Thank heaven, l now have the time and
means to take up the study of sciences? "
We do not, but nevertheless women have
taken up such study, and with exclama-
tory ado, and have achieved much. Where
the professor seems to err is that although
he admits exceptions, he has based his
findings upon these exceptions. Woman is
not inclined toward the field wherein the
professor delves. She does not feel indie
pendent nor desire independence She
takes her station cheerfully, performs its
duties well and her place In the household
is as important as the place of the man
who provides, AS a rule the wife aids in
the practice of economy and gladly car
ries her share Of the burden. The ex-
tremely rich who have nothing to do but
seek pleasure constitute small class, and
while through freaks and follies they OBJ
tain publicity, they remain a class apart,
and the real womanhood of the country
cannot in any fairness be judged by them.
Women are keen as to every line of en-
deavor open TO them. More and more they
crowd into the higher schools seeking the
basic knowledge to fit them for active ca
reers. Yet even the woman who succeeds
in such an ambition, a woman still, is ready
at proper opportunity to assume the re-
sponsibilities of wifehood with all that may
entail. In the new relationship she de-
votes her mind to forwarding the interests
OF her husband in his calling, acting as ad-
wiser, intellectual partner and co-laborer
1t may be that she has time only for
household concerns, but IL so she gives
herself as unselfshly and fully to these.
finding in them her mission of helpfulness.
The female who conceives the notion that
she must reform the world and trumpets
her intent and discomfort is a distressing
spectacle, but respected or influential she
is not. She is not type Of the genuine,
but of the rare, exceptional and bogus.
The present is rather poor season for
the male to pose as officially superior He
is on exhibition variously and, truth to
tell, he makes a sorry showing. However,
when rascal is exposed men In general
would object to being grouped with him,
just as women would decline to be regarded
as embryo Chadwicks. The average woman
no more is sucn a creature as Prof. Arm
bruster portrays than the average man is
loafer or a knave.