New-York tribune., 1907-03-31

her sisters. and because OF her sisters need and
loneliness and her OWN unUJterabls WEAKNESS
has not for years had an evening or holiday OF
recreation How can She And what Is TO De-
come OF one or both of these pitiful figures
geEtlewOmen TO their fngertips-when the
brave little wage Garner cannot longer SOad her.
self to her tasks?
I know of another family where two sisters
neither strong. share the support OF widowed
mother. a queru!Ous invalid They were brought
up in luxury. but now have not penny beyond
their very small earnings; they have never
equipped themselves for the struggle; now thNJ
are too old To learn, and frequent doctors DIS
eat up what should go for increased comfort of
living or an occasional hour of pleasure. can
any one wonder that the faces OF all three wear
hopeless, hunted look?
DOMESTIC SERVICE NO SOLUTION
Il know scores Of women. conscientious. faith-
full toiIers. who are seeing youth and youths
pleasures and enthusiasms slip away, while
they try unsuccessfulIy to lay something UP
against the inevitable day % doom. which. sadly
enough. their very deDrivations are fastening
Recently in The Tribune. Mrs. NUlineF
spoke OF this problem as a new one. and made
a plea for the old order of things which kept
the women from going out to earn wages or fees
or salaries Does she forget the unmarried sis
ter who went into hec brothers family thirty
seven years ago and has given her hie 70 hlu
and his. with never a cent O1 payment Duylls
out of her meagTe hoard occasional little liN-
urles Of dress her nieces wanted and could not
coax from the father? j know heF. sic -
seventy to-day. not very strong Her nrOtheI ,
DAYS arc numbered. His sons and daughters ar5
already quarre!iing over his bankrupt business
She is as sadly Off to-day as any pushed aSIua
business woman i know. And there Is ahothel
aged woman who has stayed always IN hel
brother's home lOaning him in time or nee1
her little all Her brothers farm Is gong IOt
debt He is dying. The only surviving reiatlVesss
an invalid niece and an unhopply haIIls- h
nephew have neither the will nor the means ~
shelter her Is her future any safer, her prsselIs
any happier, than il she had tried indepenusISe
years ago? And these are not rare OF sNe9F-
tiOnal cases. s.,bls
"It is not a new problem. this Of a comfoT@tao.s. @
embarrassed old age-the poor We have aIW1yys
with YOU It is not problem peculiar 70 - -
women Of our nation-there are plenty or me.
10 whom increasing years mean dependence =.
charity for the necessities OF Hte-nor ms - e..
riaye proved a panaCea. The same conuluu-SS
which lead TO suicide because the SINGS 80 -
arrows OF outrageous fortune seem too SrleNUsSS
TO DO borne which turn homes INTO hel hel,s 49,
keep the divorce courts busy, which mitho ho-r ~
sluInS OF New York and all big cities a repsUet- -
to our civilization and tOrturinS thOus.s
every thinking man and WOnnan-theso --I
conditions are responsible FOR the mo-.
mental and physical drearinesS ana POsso-.-
to which so many WOmen-and men a.
come and are coming. The remedy IS - no :.
homes for INDECENT females. nor IN ola asS -
siOns nor even In higher wage rate ale-.- aa
these things. even at the best, are ike tnS so-f -
pOraFy alienation Of heat against q cespS ~
cerated tooth