New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-26
Il CHILDLESS WIFE.
Her Reasons for Race Suicide as
Far as She Is Concerned.

We believe that to have children would be detri.
mental to our usefulness as members of society. de-
| US lower. not nobler, people
Since President Roosevelt first began to commend
the bearing and rearing Of children to the atten-
ton Of the American woman many articles have
appeared pro and con the large family, but no
statement so startngly frank has been printed on
the subject as that in which "a Chiidless WIFE
tells why Have No Family" in 1.-THE Indepen-
ent' Of March %
While not denying that for the more intelligent
part Of the nation to remain chdless would be a
great misfortune, the author Of this remarkable
article gives in cold blood the reasons why she and
her husband have no children and desire none The
statement Of the editor of the magazine that "a
Childless Wife is zone of the most useful and able
OF the younger women of America in her field of
social service and her husband is equally useful in
his field. only adds 20 the uniqueness OF this mar
ratve.
MY husband and L young. we'll in mind and
body. comfortably situated financially, love each
other devotedly and are fond Of children" "A Child
less Wife" begins her story. yet after five years
Of married life. we have no family and have mo
present intention of ever having any.
I'VE are not selfish and pleasure loving: on IN.
contrary the principal aim Of lives as well as
our standard of human value. is social usefulness
Nor are we lonely and full of heart longings as
childless people are supposed TO be- We are happv-
actively happy-and fun of the 10y of living M,
passively content.
Moreover we believe that to have children would
be detrimental to usefulness as members of So
cety, detract from the happiness of our marriage
and make us lower, not nobler, people saw we.
because this story my husband almost as
much as myself. He is even more opposed to our
having children than am, and is more firmly con
WINGED that it would be. in every way the wrong
thing for to do.'
He appeared on my horizon as a special ,,r,tsr
on subject of which he master for the mag
azine of which 1 of the editors His Wort,
had followed for some time. but the man was a
nm N. ma II
and pure In mind and life. His was genuine free
nature; he wanted liberty for others as we'll a for
himself He delighted in unconventional ideas and
habits or hfe and was as fearless analyst Of
existing conditions and customs as myself
we were friends at once-comrades was utter
ly happy friendship ripened into love Nv
love was conditioned upon my respect not only for
him. but for myself. Our relations must always be
such that neither would suffer any diminution Of
freedom or opportunity for development
We planned our life together. We would con-
| tinue to be what we were-two active useful MEM
| bers OF human society both self-supporting We
would unite financial interests which ts q
different thing from becoming benefactor and bene
| hciary. There would be dependence in our mar
| riage, but it would be mutual
"Of children we spoke. but decided to wait until
finding one another was SO complete that we wished
no more at FIRST had never had any objection
| " fond OF children, and fully expected to have a
but when after marriage. we definitely consid-
cred the problem OF parenthood, ii presented com
plcations: We were both deeply interested In So
fellow and but Which we qsef not 70 o 9Y
unucratiye. but source OF expense. Our double
spending only part of our energies IN money maxi z.
eons h "a cs esFs f %os ea M
They would take most. IL not ALL of my time and
Ny wSa haTe o sSs Bsn
double d his income to make up for my lost salary
penses He would then have TO put ell his energies