The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-23

ligent manner, as no other occupation
is sought after. These words "life'
and Occupation" are used intention
ally, as home life is the only life, the
others are occupations or diversions
only) Home life and home duties are
most important of all - the natural
sphere for women. 1t is true other
kinds of work are necessary, and to a
certain extent compulsory. Art work,
professional duties, nursing, teaching,
clerking, bookkeeping, factory work
and dozens Of other kinds of employment
are desirable and profitable, but with
any or all Of these knowledge Of do
nestle life is absolutely essential. There
are between 100000 and 100000 female
school teachers in the United States,
earning an average of about 1877 per
month for less than seven months per
year or about $50 per month for years
work. OF the employees of the manu-
facturers of textile fabrics in 1890
24S,587 were women and earned an av-
erage of s22.S0 per month. OF the
nearly 100000 Of American women,
probably 100000 are and of necessity
must remain engaged in domestic pur-
suits. In this class are to be found
housekeeping, cooking, nursing, sew
ing, etc.
The greatest danger to the daughters
of this country lies not in the more do
nestle duties but out of them. Factory
life, with it's hard toll, poor ventilation,
and long hours, is not conducive to long
life; or to intellectual or moral develop
ment. Professional callings and Office
work are more liberal in the way Of
sharpening the intellectual faculties,
but pious mothers dread to risk the
honor of their daughters in certain kinds
of Office work. Teaching and nursing
are normal and proper avocations for
women, but they are to certain extent
domestic in their nature
The mother that would have her
daughter happy and useful, first of all
must teach the daughter correctly the
principles of integrity and industry be-
tween the ages Of five and fifteen. Re-
ligious training must not be neglected,
and morality and purity, above all, must
be taught before the girl is twenty, if
the mother expects to be held blame
less for the daughters actions and con
duct through life. Let the mother alone
that reads this, and not another, decide
within her own inner self if she is doing
these things for her daughter.
We have much to say about the ter
rible horrors of the mothers Of India
throwing their infant daughters into
the mouths of crocodiles, but Hindoo
mothers are often more kind than
American mothers, and the fate of those
innocent babes, terrible as it is, is pre-
| ferable to the lives of shame of many
American girls who were just as pure
dS OuC OduSuG0i5 VI luultt luOUucfS, SdC-
rificed to religious fanaticism.
No one line ,of home life is more es-
sential than the preparing of the wear
ing apparel for the family or the indi-
vidual, and no mother ever fully dis
charges her duty to her daughter if she
does not teach her; or have her taught
cooking and sewing, as well as reading
and writing, and it is not enough that
one daughter of the family learns to
sew, any more than it is enough for one
daughter alone to learn to read, if there
are two or more daughters.
1t is often impracticable for the
mother to teach the daughters literary
studies, SO there are schools organized
for such purposes. 1t is also in many
cases impossible for the mother to teach
the daughter the more difficult parts OF
making her own clothing, especially the
cutting and fitting, SO there are schools
for this purpose, and none equal the
schools in which the Diamond Garment