The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-06-01

lhVlC "iO OANVl''iVhsf VI VV"NS'
but exactly as the first duty of
the normal man is the duty Of be-
ing the home maker, so the first
duty of the normal woman is to be
the home keeper; and exactly as no
ether learning is as important Tor
the average man as the learning
which will teach him how to make
his livelih 1od. so no other earning
is as important for the average
woman as the learning which VIII
make her good housewife and
mother. But this does not mean
that she should be an overworked
drudge. have sympathy with the
movement to better the condition
of the average tiiler of the soil,
of the average wageworker, and |
have an even heartier sympathy
and applause for the movement
which l., to better the condition of
their respective wives. There IS
plenty that is hard and rough and
disagreeable in the necessary work
of actual fife; and under the best
circumstances. and no matter how
tender and cons:derate the husband
the wife will have at least her full
share of work and worry and an
xiety; but if the man Is worth his
salt he will try to take as much
as possible of the burden off the
shoulders of his helpmate There
is nothing Utopian in the movement
all that is necessary is TO strive
toward raisi'g the average. both OF
men aud women. to the level on
which the highest type of family
now stands, among American farm
era among American skilled me-
chanics among American citizens
generally; for in all the world
there is no better and healthier
home life. no finer factory of in
div:ilual character nothing more
representative of what is best and
most characteristic in American life
than that which exists in the high
er type of American family; and
this higher type of family is to be
found everywhere among us, and
is the properly of no special group
of citizens.
The best crop is the crop of child
rem; the best products of the farm
are the men and women raised
and the most instructive
and practical treatises on farming
though they be are no more
than the books which teach
us our duty to our neighbor, and
above all to the neighbor woh Is of
our own household. You young men
and women of the agricultural and in
dustrial colleges and scnools-and,
for that matter to any college or any
have some time for
light reading, and there is some light
reading quite as useful as heavy read
ing. provided of course that you do
not read in a spirit of mere vacuity.
Aside from the great classics and
thinking only of the many and healthy
and stimulating books of the day, It
Is easy to pick out many which can
really serve as tracts because they
1nly possess what many avowed tract
and treatises do not, the prime quail
ty of being interesting. You will also
earn the root principles of self help
md helpfulness toward others from
Mrs. Wigs of the Cabbage Patch"
lust as much as from any formal
realise on charity; you must learn
Is much sound social and Industrial
doctrine from Octive Thanet's stories
If farmers and wageworkers as from
ivowed sociological and economic
studies; and | cordially recommend
he first chapter of aunt Jane OF
kentucky for use as a tract In all
antilles where the men folks tend t.,
selfish or thoughtless or overbearir.g
disregard of the rights of their women
Kind.
DO not misunderstood me. have
rot the slightest sympathy with those
,ysterical and foolish creatures who
Wish women to attain easy lives by
their duties. have as hear
y a contempt for woman who
hirks her duty of bearing and rear
ng children, of doing her full house
yife's work, as | have for the man |
Who Is an idler, who shirks his duty |
u earning living for himself and
or his household, or who Is selfish Jr |
'rutal toward his wife and children: |
believe In the happiness that comes
rom the happiness of duty. not from
he avoidance of duty. But | believe
$50 in trying, each of us, as strength |
given us, to bear one another's
and this especially in our
iwn homes. No outside training. 20
cooperation, no Government aid or /
Erection can take the place OF a |
trong and upright character; of good
ess of heart combined with clearness
I head, and that strength and tough |
ess of fiber necessary TO wiring sue
ess from a rough work -a-day world. |
Iothing outside of home can take the |
lace OF home. The school Is an in |
aluable adjunct to the home, but It |
a wretched substitute for It. The |
amily relation Is the most fundamen-
al. the most important OF all rela-