Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-05-12
HOLES IN STOCKINGS.
Woman's Struggle in the Handicap for Exist
ence-ter Mission So Uncertain.
by LIE i. NERNO

{
ence-fier Mission So Uncertain.
! BY LIE /. VERNON.
More American women wear holes
in their stockings than one would sus
pect," writes Nine. Charlotte Riedel
in the Mercury, OF France, very ole
aud very serious review. And mo-
content with accusing her A mericsr
sisters with so secretly SHINING, the
French woman arraigns them thus:
American men are weary OF the
reign OF women. The men have ma de
| the American woman so sure of her
power that she does not take the
trouble to make herself loved. She is
an infallible idol and sovereign, and
exercises her sovereign rights. She
finds it just that the man should work
for her, she acquires all sorts OF ex'
pensiye habits, expecting the man
always to redouble his efforts to satisfy
them.
"The picture is very common in
America" Rieder declares, and
one can see her toss her head and
compress her lips as she grasps her
pen more deierminedly-" the picture
is very common OF a woman in a
twenty-five dollar hat, robed like a
theater queen, trailing her splendid
skirts in the streets. Yet she would
be indignant if her husband took
twenty.four hours vacation. She has
no duties, she lives in boarding house,
and she does not even mend her gar
ments. Her children she keeps in
kindergarten as long as she can. In.
deed, the American woman of the
future will have no children. Even
the young girl who is about to marry,
scorns to think Of having to help her
future husband in his work.
America is a grand, rich country,
with fire resources and brilliant fu-
ture," Mrs. Rieder concludes, sadly
but firmly, "but her men have 20
spoiled her women that moral reac-
ton is certain to set in soon. To spoil
her, ruins a woman just as it does a
child. The human couple are made
for just exchange OF love and help.
fulness, and when this does not exist,
Nature, sooner or later, adjusts mat.
tiers in a violent fashion,"
Nero man does not know whether
more Frenchwomen "wear holes in
their stocking than one could suspect"
but two occurrences seem to direct
Mrs. Rieder's attention closer home !;
seem to prove that the daughters Of
Eve, whether in Paris or Olympia, are
very, very much alike in pursuing the
Adams of their choice; in marrying
them, and in graciously permitting
them to delve while they themselves
spin not.
The Conservatory has just an
nounced that in future it will limit
the number OF women it receives as
students of the violin. The bes: or.
chestras in Paris are recruited from
the Conservatory. The leaders OF
these orchestras have come to object
to a woman violinist, not because she
is not an artist, but because she de.
serts her art-for husband.
"a woman's sole aim in life is to
marry" says the Conservatory and
the distinguished musicians who lead
the orchestras. "To her, every other
aim is only a subsidiary accessory.
We do not distinguish between her
talent and mans. We simply con-
slider that her career as a musician
may end at any time in matrimony.
So we cannot depend upon her."
In other words, chere Mrs. Rieder,
French women, even those who have
chosen a life vocation, are content to
dance while their husbands play the
fiddle.
Again, Ferdinand Humbert, the
celebrated portrait painter, who teaches
the advanced contingent, and whom
his pupils adore, has been very gallant
enough to say:
"Women have more patience and
courage in their work than men.
They give themselves to studies that
have few agreeable sides. Last year
one OF my scholars bore off the
anatomy prize. But my sincere be-
lief is that women have less future
than men. Women desire to marry,
and once married, they desert the fine
arts"
There would seem to be holes also
in the stockings OF the French female
character.