The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-02
SOCIAL NEEDS OF
BUSINESS WOMAN.
SHOULD ESCAPE ATMOSPHERE oF
COMPETITION IN HOME.
Mental Revival Found in Interchange
of Ideas With People Whose Daily
Routine Is Different from Hers-Feel-
ing of Social Obligation Barrier Be
tween Congenial Women.

eff the business woman could only
remember that a little genuine recrea-
ton is to the week what the summer va
cation is to the year, if she could learn
to play as enthusiastically as she works,
to laugh as we'll as she talks, she would |
soon be quite different person, says |
a woman worker of long experience.
'sUsually the woman OF business
cannot have the pleasure of entertain |
ing her friends as she would like to en-
tertain them, because she has neither
the house space, the time nor the
strength. And yet none Of these obsta-
cles can alter the fact that the business
woman, of all women in the world, needs
new atmosphere, in the interchange OF
ideas with people whose daily routine is
different from hers, and in the escape,
for the time being, from the conscious
ness of competition to the seclusiOn and
rest of home roof. But she often hest
tatese, and sometimes refuses, to accept
repeated invitations from the friends
cause she dislikese to be under obllga-
tions which she cannot repay in kind.
On the other hand, the friends who
have the means and leisure to enter
tain 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 if the woman
the woman Of business does not possess
it is also true that the business woman
can bring into an evening company some
| thing tina doesnot come with mere house
space and money and leisure. If both
could only grasp this fact the foolish no,
ton of 'obligation' and social debts .
would soon fade away. The woman OF
business and the woman OF leisure are
interdependent, but, unfortunately, they
do not yet know it.
| Necessarily the housekeeping woman
has, in some ways, a restricted life. She
is shut out from the world Of men and
women who bring definite things to pass.
It would do her good to come oftener
into contact with the stern discipline OF
dium, thru which the business woman S
mind is constantly storing up. impress
sions and memories of men and things
which she rarely has the chance to ex-
press.
eff only as physical safeguard the
business woman needs to know tnaC
there are people who do not consider
zle after all and that so far from being
a human sponge she has a great deal to
give to these very people provided she
allows herself to be drawn out. Still
not stopping to think of these consid-
erations she frequently renounces So
cial life and turns to the theater as her
months. Usually she lives in board
ING house chosen without regard to the
congeniality Of the other boarders
whom she sees at a brief breakfast be-
fore going directly to her work. She
is apt to take her luncheon at restau-
rant ewhere dozens of others all with
! served and back to work again. Then
the days duties over she has to stand
up in a car for part, if not all, of the
way home packed in with more of the
same people as tired as she herself
When dinner is over. and she at last
exclaims that she is tired of the whole
human race, and doesn It want to speak
to a soul for week.
In moments like these she fails tc
make the distinction between the noise
rush, hustle. and crowding Of the mass
course with friends in a serene, leisure
ly, home atmosphere. She decides sht
is too tired to go to that little recep
! ton at Mrs. So-and-So's, or to run il
to see her friends uptown, so she take
the only. alternative that suggests it
sell ana DuyS ClckeL TO the JneaJer.
cat the theater she sits in com
| Portable seat and is amused for an en-
tire evening. She laughs hard and crie
I hard, and her relaxed mind respond
4 to all the vicissitudes of the people OF
! the stage without fatigue, because tn
/ responsibility for their joys and sol
rows does not lie upon her shoulder. Sh
forgets the technicalities Of her life
B and blots out effectually herself an,
her troubles. The theater has man
4 good points, but as the one recreation
3 taken instead Of social intercourse, i
! is defective Observation-Disclosures
4 because during the whole evening, tn
spectator has neither had any Quite
5 for her own thoughts and observation.
/ | nor has she established any mutual il
/ terests with the others who make u
B the audience. She has given nothin
y for that which she has received, e.
cept a coin at the box office.
The business woman needs the We
5 man Of home duties to rest and refres
= her, but no more than the woman Q
home duties needs the trained, clea
mind, and the experience of the woma
AL Of affairs to round out her social gat]
Hs% erings and make them solid and sane