The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-04-24
very cheerful companion.

1t is a truism to say that women
love power. Speaking generally, the
woman without children feels the lack
of it. But for power there exists a
working substitute, very eficacious
so far as happiness is concerned, and
that is independence. The majority
of women are burdened all their lives
by sense Of trusteeship. It is
burden we'll worth bearing for the
sake Of it's compensations; but the
professional woman as rule has not
those compensations, and certainly
she takes a great delight in walking
without that burden. The pleasures
of riches lies almost entirely in the
sense of having a margin-in the
sense that there is a sum Of money
in the pocket Of the Garner the desti-
nation Of which is uncertain and
without trenching on which all the
bills must be paid. However small,
it is a sum to dream about; it is, as
it were, a deed Of enfranchisement.
Again, the sense that she depends
for her livelihood upon her own ef-
forts, that she is beholden to no one
gives to the professional woman a
wholly illogical opinion. This right
she imagines to be specially hers. She
is apt to misuse it, and to lay hold
and hold forth-upon unusual opin
ions merely in order to have the pleas
ure Of realizing that they are her own,
new stock, as different as possible
from those with which her parents
fitted her out when she set out to be
her own mistress.
But it may be said: "You are
speaking as though professional wo-
men never get married." Of course,
they sometimes do, but not very often.
Preoccupation lessons the power to
please, together with the abstract de-
sire for. matrimony, though no preoc-
cupation will prevent either man or
woman from falling in love. But the
feeling must be strong on both sides
to overcome the obstacle. Anyhow,
the fact remains that most profession
al women remain single; and when
they do not, they give up their pro-
fessions. To this, as to almost every
generalization, we find notable excep-
tions, and in the present instance the
exceptions are conspicuous ones. A
few, a very few, married women with
children have succeeded in remark
able degree, especially IN medicine
But such cases can never be common,
as they necessitate quite abnormal
health and strength.
Women's work, even intellectual
work, is not we'll paid, but IN many
professions there are prizes. More
than one woman doctor counts her in
come by thousands, and very many
make several hundreds year. The
civil service offers some fair salaries
and pension. High school mistress
es may rise to $500 or $500 year,
counting head money. The heads OF
women's colleges in the university
towns enjoy, if not very lucrative, at
least exceedingly pleasant, position.
Successes in music and painting may
be had without much expenditure on
training, and are just numerous
enough to encourage the talented to
try; and in the side walks of art, such
as decoration, good ivings are not in
frequently made by women. Philan-
thropy offers, certainly not fortune,
but a maintenance. Charity organi-
zation secretaries, hospital almoners
and factory superintendent swell the
ranks Of professional women. 1--WE
have purposely left hospital nurses
out Of, our list. They are the most
important body Of women who work,
but their work is almost entirely
practical, and not intellectual. They
are not what we mean by professional
women). That woman should wish
to work is no longer regarded as an
eccentricity, nor that she should have
to work as misfortune, except among
very old-fashioned people.
Nevertheless, it remains true that
she cannot hope to secceed in any pro-
fession without having every sense
Of the phrase a great deal taken out
of her. An appearance of strain is
common to all alike, successful and