The Washington herald., 1907-03-24
OUR WOMEN CLEVER
Lady Henry Somerset Praises
the Native Product.
SAYS SHE LACKS ROMANCE
as a Favor to Man, Not Be-
cause HIS Love Is Indispensable to
Her HapDiness-AbIe TO Cook and
serve Her Own Meals and Discuss
Literature with Real Knowledge.

What wonder that hotels are more read
ily sought than private houses by Ameri-
Jean women, because the spirit which pos
sesses the mistress has also taken firm
hold of the servant, and she, too. Is not
contented to lead a life ia which the
interests are restricted and the work
monotonous. I have heard great deal
LOT criticism-mostly from English people
as 10 this particular phase OF American
life, and I have heard 1t stated again and
lagain that American women are not
Ihousekeepers and do not delight in do
nestle duties as do their English sisters.
There may be some truth In the accusa-
ton. but it is 10 be remembered that
housekeeping is not limited in its truest
sense 10 the ordering OF meals. the sort
ing of linen. or the cleaning OF rooms
that it need not be the sole end OF a
woman's life.
/ The American woman is better read and
usually far more cultivated than the
English woman of the same class. She
is a more agreeable companion. and she
has firm belief that she owes 1t to her
! self 10 make the most OF her mental
/ powers. These qualities make home more
1
spring cleaning, Moreover. housekeeping
I in America is complicated by many diff
eulties which do not exist here. and II is
/ little wonder that woman becomes dis
c0uraged and feels that life In a hotel
/ or boarding house offers immunity from
| incessant anxiety
Not Ashamed 40 work.
But there is one thing about the Ameri-
can woman which has struck me forcibly.
and that is the utter absence Of any
ostentation with regard to the work Of
her household should she be called upon
to give her own services. I have seen
women in England suffer tortures durlng
d meal because the little servant, who was
new TO the duties of waiting at table,
did not understand her work. Whispers
between my hostess and the girl would
Interrupt conversation. and ! knew that
she had elected 10 suffer all this anxiety
rather than allow il 10 appear that the
child never left the kitchen. and that she
and her husband ordinarily helped them
selves 10 their own dishes Ike sensible peO-
pie. But 1 have stayed in many houses
IN America where / have been delight
fully entertained, where the food served
was as good as anybody could wish, and
/ knew that the woman who was enter
tanning me. and who was discussing Eng
lish literature with real knowledge Of
her subject, cooked these little dishes only
an hour ago. and was not ashamed TO
own it,
The manner of the education OF the
American woman of course differs radl-
cally from ours. She has often been grad
uated - 'co-educatioBaI college, or has
mixed with the other sex in a public
school, and this competition and inter
course have given her q sense of com
penionship with men which robs her of
that self-consciousness or affectation
which often spOils women who are un-
accustomed to such comradeship.
Romance Is Wanting.
On the other hand. there is no doubt
that the American woman has very little
romance. If she is wooed and won, she
yields as a favor. and often not because
the love of the man is absolutely indis-
pensable 70 her own happiness. The en-
thusiasm with which women viii en-
brace profession. such as that of a law
yer. physician. a professor. or an archl-
tect, or will give themselves TO phian-
thropic work. proves that marriage is not
looked upon by them as the ultimate and
only end Of a woman's successful exist
ence.
II is probably this idea which has really
raised women in the opinion of man. for
so long as women look upon single life as
a disgrace, and married life as the only
sphere for which woman is intended. so
long viii man consider her as the slave OF
his caprice, whose life is 10 be passed
waiting for the ceptor which may or may
not be held out 10 her.
The average American woman Is un-
doubtedly better Informed than her sister
In England Nothing strikes me SO much
as the way in which the tourist is fully
alive 10 the points of interest in the old
country. and IL is instructive to watch
women of the two countries looking at
the same objects and considering them
from their various points of view ] had
an opportunity lately at Stratford-on-
Avon OF seeing a very typical Illustration
OF this. It was the anniversary Of
Shakespeare's death, and the grave of
the great poet was covered with wreaths. /
A small group Of people was gathered
round the spot. Two Englishwomen. re- /
fined, weil-dressed. and evidently people [
OF gentle birth, We're anXiously reading
the names of those who had sent the va 1
rious floral tributes. and busy discussing
the different people who were thus repre- (
scented.
knowledge of Shakespeare.
Have you ever been he,e before?" said |
one TO the other NO. never This is /
where he is buried. said the elder of the /
Two. oh, yes. 1 know responded the
other. There is nothing more TO see. is /
there?" and they turned away. Close TO |
them stood a small group of Americans, I
and I remained to listen TO comments, /
made in no modulated tones, but a more 1
interesting appreciation from an inter- /
national point of view, as to what Shake I
speare had done for both nations / have /
seldom heard. I made this remark to the 1
guide, and he answered: That is not at 4
all uncommon. The Americans who come /
here know far more about Shakespeare I
than the English people-especialIy the /
American women.
On smother OCCASION I recoliect staying
with d woman in a very small house on /
the outskirts of one Of the great cities
of the West, a woman who was in no
way especially renowned for literary abil-
tiles. but who had happened to offer me
hospitality when I was making a trip
in the interests of temperance.
At supper the conversation turned on
English writers, and in the course of our
talk l quoted a line which | certainly
never imagined she would be able to YER
ify. but. in a moment, she said: "Tbat
was written by Vaughan the Silurist." I
Know Very well that ] might have trav-
eled the length and breadth Of England
and l should not have come upon any
one living in a small provincial town who
would have heard Of that old poet. far
less recognized q quotation from his
writing.
Much Due TO Man.
II is however to the Auoeriaar 49,
that the American woman owes her edu-