New-York tribune., 1908-04-19
GLEANINGS.

People often wonder why al 5 ssr.nu-
Gus in these days when labor saving contrivauces
and conveniences unknown by our ancestors ought
to have made the pathway OF life little smoother
than II used TO be. There Is really no mystery a.
all about this to those who know anything about
the good old times. Life must have been a very
simple thing when the toilet oS the Grand No
narque was accomplished by his valet POURING
a flask of wine over his majesty's hands and r.u-
ming comb through his hair. The modern woman
knows that cleanliness is the twin sister OF beauty
but a dandy OF the seventeenth century was
thought 10 have carried cleanliness almost 20 ex-
cess when he washed his face nearly every day"
Cleanliness is recognized being next "a
godlness, but in the middle ages II was supposed
TO be positive sin. The neglect OF the bodv wss
a virtue. and in the mOnasteries the bath was Al.
lowed only in case OF illness. For The eighteenth
century France rose 70 the point % having hand
basin in every room. but England was stiI wrapped
in Egyptian darkness and an English traveller in
France noted the hand basin with approval ard
said that he wished England would initiate #.
Considering the tremendous labor OF keeping cur
bodies, clothes and houses clean in these DAYS II
is no wonder thar our forebears who did none Of
these things had plenty OF time for meditation and
prayer.
AprOpos OF leap -ear a contemporary calls attsn-
tion 10 the fact that IL - for very prossc reason
that men have the right OF proposing The man
Is the property owning member OF the matrimonial
partnership. and If not rich for the moment. HI,
future is strewn with infinite possibilities He nav
with dignity ask a 10 share either his pres
ent estate or his future possibilities. A woman
cannut ask a man 10 marry her. because. or1inar-
lily, TINS is equivalent 10 asking him 70 support her
Queens propose. and very wealthy women occa-
sionaIly do and their conduct seems IN accord
anCc with the IaturaI fitness OF things But tts
average woman IS not a queen. although society
has conspired TO make her think SO. She has
either an innnitesimal income or none az all and
she has no possibilities except as the adjunct GA
man. She is a poor. dependent creature. who must
walt to be sought. and only do the seeking
when she has skill enough 70 cever her tracks
Members 81 the COMMITTEES on The physical vel
fare of school children say thar II IS not only
children OF the poor who need 20 be examined To-
physical defects. the children Of the veto-o often
need IL quite much
~ isn't only the children or the poor who
neglected said one man who has been on the
committee since Its inception ON the upper West
Side, for instance. among the children 81 pec9a
who are very comfortably fixed many have been
found who needed medical care and had not had -
And the curious thing is that some ~ these
parents are firiously angry when Informed tha.
their children have bad teeth defective vision Or
notified that her little si-I had been discovered BY
the school doctor. or school nurse. 7 don't know
which. TO have adenoids. The mother came over
TO tell the principal Of that school what se thought
about such Interference
q" 4 don't need any school authorities go tell ne
that my child has adeuoiJs.' >n- said. II there's
anything the matter with my c1td's throat guess
I can find ii out without any assistance from me
school,"