Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-25
From the Point of View

From the Point Of View
OF home making, the type which we call
the little domestic woman" often looks
across the hail and wonders what are the
Advances Of her college-bred neighbor
Size has a good chance to know that the
college woman's baby, when it lifts up its
voice is just as noisy as her own that IL
takes a notion just as often to cry all
night and that the college woman comes
out looking just as dragged down as she
does herself the morning after.
And set there are compensations in the
attitude OF mind Of the college woman. 1t
is one in which worry Is replaced by the
straight methods of procedure in acting ac-
cording to her own best Judgment know
trg when she knows" and calling in help
when she does not. This is just as possible
to the woman who never dreamed OF higher
education and frequently is seen in those
exceptional women of whom we speak as
being seif-reliant.
II is only commouer with the college
woman because she has learned to look on II
as a principle to be followed
As they appear to her little reighbor
across the hall. the chief of her advantages
is that she does not turn to everybody fof
advice as to the baby's ailments, ana pc
come a FRAGILE of distress in trying 10 tcl-
low all the ways that are told her at once
Instead she pays no attention or caIIs III
the doctor
Her expenditures and economies are not
run IN any way according to those or her
friends or her neighbcrs. Her pleasures are
not matters of emulation and trying to
keep up." but are valued highly in them
selves and put up toward the top IN Inc
essentials of her living scheme
The number of her servants taVors ana
flfvrff md q ms "
is allowed to play In the household e%-
uenditure are seen to proceed from some
inner scheme Of her own, instead of being
patterned on those already appearing TO be
In existence.
The fact that there IS a new force at work
In the ordering Of things in which what
somebody else does does not cut the
slightest figure enters into the mind or
even her own maid. who is the frst TO take
JOY in a situation in which some of the
first things she receives are greater r"coS-
n is the doing what somebody else
does" the being Influenced by what some
body else thinks the envy OF what some
body else has with children and maid as
well with mistress. which is the cause OF
half the domestic problems It is the fact
that the college woman as a rule eliminates
this factor to the greatest possible extent
In which lies the measure of emancipation
that she has from the problems which con-
front other hOusekecpeTs.
w oman
Follows fashion most sensibly when she
hits the happy medium between her sisters
Of leisure who will always consider dress
as a frivolty and the other extreme who
give to it as little attention as possible.
Instead 1t Is. to consider it seriously,
matter of supreme Importance. knowledge
of the theory and practice of all that makes
for beauty in dress IS as fundamental to wo-
aS VIII ia known 'hIISi-
ness training" to q man. If she doesn't
have It the need is always coming up to
confront her. Just as man would be handi-
capped If he didn't know something OF
finance and mechanics and business rou-
tine.
on woman's knowledge of dress not only
depends her appearance and entres to ave-
nues both business and social, but in every
thing in which she is most successful 1t is
lnextriably mixed up. Nobody ever fails
to make a good living who knows how to
make pretty clothes. No woman Is ever en-
tiTely successful on the stage or in public
life who does not know something OF dress
art. The well-paid illustrator clothes her
people with taste as to what they wear and
how and when they wear 1t. She also
understands the construction of clothes as
she does anatomy.
The fashion artist who Is most successful
goes to Paris regularly in order TO know
not only the shape of the newest hat, but
the exact angle at which II is worn on the
head. She also makes a study Of texture
and rhe knowledge of materials. Even the
dinner card artist Is most popular who
takes her French fashion plates and ideal
lies and naturalZes the faces which are
topped off with beautiful colored French
hats
It is seen especially by the artist that she
must know dress according to late and pop
Uldr fancy. Medieval art ideals will not do.
as the failure of all dress reform move
meuts based on esthetic ideas points OUT.
This dress instinct and intuition Is womans
best tool. her force and her great lever on
tie world II she only learns to make 1t sup
Elementary. She gets II best and most use
fully when il Is absorbed as a family at
fnosphere and Inheritance.
One
or Inc things no more easily settled than
the bringing up OF other peoples children
Is The spending Of other peoples money.
TIE absurdity Of the first situation is so
fully disseminated that It is brave person
-h7 viii offer q suggestion on the subject
unless with an apology-or when he has
been suddenly aroused into Indignation 1T
some UisdeTeanor which opens the food
gate
There ought TO be the same social I'M
Wuu.'y from tie person who attempts to
regulate other peoples expenditures. 1t
does not require extraordinary development
20 realize that each mans necessities are
NOT only as complex his circumstances,
bat as his individuality.
ono person is OF the temperament to spend
ass he goes, taking and giving small pleas
ures by the way, while another is stlngy
with little things IN order TO confer greater
fayors later on. one dresses Mechanically
and evenly well without Injuries, another
whose soul reVels in beautiful things will
spend whole seasons income In what an
getis 10 her simply because It is beautiful.
!. is the old story OF the woman vvbo