New-York tribune., 1905-01-03
A TIME FOR PLAY.
The Business Woman's Need of Recreation
and Social Intercourse


and Social intercourse.
'If the business woman could only remember
that a little genuine recreation Is to the week
what the summer vacation is to the year. Il she
could learn to play enthusiastically as she
works. to laugh well as she talks, she would
soon be quite different person" says woman
worker of long experience Usually the woman
Of business cannot have the pleasure OF entertain
ing her friends as she would like entertain them.
because she has neither ths house space, the time
the strength. Any yet none OF these obstacles
can alter the fact that the business woman OF ali
women in the world. needs the mental revival to
be found IN atmosphere, IN the interchange
Of Ideas with people whose daily routine is diff
ferent from hers. and in the escape. for the time
being. from the consciousness Of competition 70 the
secIuson and rest OF a home roof But she often
hesitates. and sometimes refuses. to accept re-
peated invitations from the friends who have more
leisure than she has because she dislikes to be
under obligations which she cannot repay In kind.
On the other hand the friends who nave the
means and leisure to entertain too often fail TO
see the social value OF the business woman and
do not give her the opportunity to refuse Neither
one realizes that IL the woman Of leisure has
something to give which the woman of business
does not possess 1t Is also true that the business
woman can bring into evening company some
thing that does not come Win @ mere & honTs o s
this fact the foolish notion Of obligation ana
OF business and the woman of leisure are inter-
dependent. but unfortunately, they 90 not YET
know 1t. Necessarily the Housekeeping woman
has. in some ways, restricted life She is shut
out from the world of men and women who briRg
come oftener into contact with the stern disci-
dium through which the business woman's mind
is constantly storing up impressions ana memories
OF and things which she rarely has the
chance to express.
If only as physical safeguard the business 9 as
not consider life hard work, nor such serious
man sponge. She has great deal to give TO these
yerv people, provided she allows hersen % Sos -
S.@sderations. she frequently TeneuneeS soelaI
ment during the wnter months Usually she lives
in a boarding house chosen without regard 70 me
at q brief breakfast. before going directly 70 her
work she Is apt TO caAe nsr iunGneGhb 1 b ~ a. 55s
time limit striving to get served and back
70 wors asan m q, men Ear ne for GSy nSr n ef a Of ne
way home, packed in win more Of the same peo-
and She at last gets to her room, it is no wonder
she exclamS that sne Is ured OF the %holS hSai, S
week. In moments like these she fails to make the
crowding of the mass Of people downtown, and the
Intercourse with friends IN serene, leisuIsy; ; y
go to that little reception at Mrs so-and.se's.
the only alternative that suggests Itself and buys
a ticket to the theatre.
ise t9es eg m sns entTe Ss eTsnn w S sgR hsd
and cries hard and her relaxed mind responds 70 az
fatigue because the responsibility for their Joys
and sorrows does not lie upon her shoulders. she
effectuaiy herself and her troubles. The theatre
has many good points. but as th3 recreation
taken instead of social intercourse u Is defective
substitute-def fective. because, during the whole
evening the spectator has neither had any outlet
for her thoughts and observations, nor has
she established any mutual interests with tha
others who make up ths audience. She has given
nothing for that which she has received, except
coin at the box-Office.
''The business woman needs the woman Or h9ms
fgs bs Woman 1o re5 Of hoe es nsss tie ne ansd Clear
mind and the experience Of the woman OF affairs
to round out her social gatherings and make them
solid and sane"