The Democratic advocate., 1909-09-24
A Worth While Career
BY nILDA RICHMOND.

\ ties to art, 1t is refreshing to remem-
ber that the women who are accomp-
| fishing the most are saying the least
about 1t. The women who are pur-
suing yocatiops that are worth while
are the ones who never get their pic
I lures in the papers and have people
turn to look after them ON the street.
Indeed, they would be astonished If
anyone hinted that they were doing
anything for their country or society
at large. and Indignantly deny the
assertion. They are content to work
and live In privacy, as they fondly
/ suppose. not knowing that they are
exerting more influence than many
noisy reformer on the public plat
/ form.
/ In a pretentious little city lived
woman with several children who
we're always well and neatly dressed,
/ and who looked healthy and happy,
as did the father and mother The
neighbors began, few months after
I this family moved into the modest lit
\ tie home they purchased, to say what
pity Il was that Mrs. A. was
I content 10 live such a narrow life.
She did all her drudgery herself, even
/ TO the washing and ironing. and she
\ really was a bright woman. They
/ labored with her delicately to show
her that her family would appreciate
/ her so much more IL she took more
/ interest in society and hired her work
/ done. but one by one they were forced
\ 10 retire from the field. She was al
ways pleasant, always ready TO pick
up BIT Of sewing and chat with a
nelghbor. always trim and neatly
dressed, but she had no time for the
various things her new friends urged
her TO take part in. In short, she
was too narrow to help better man
kind by doing the things her neigh
bors thought were uplifting and re-
fining. .~'~'r
But in time her influence began
unconscIously TO be felt. Her huH-
bands salary was known 10 all the
netghbors. and presently the ladies
began to say. How does Mrs. A.
manage TO do so much with so little
money! The home was their own,
while most OF the people about them
rented, but still. she must be a good
manager 10 accomplish so much" I"
Then they began 10 note that Mrs.
A. baked her own wholesome
bread and baked her food without de-
pending very much apOn the baker
and the tin can, ann that the doctor
was almost a stranger 10 the cosy lit
tie home. also. that her children were
well trained and we'll bred. and that
the whole family seemed to create
their happiness at home. instead OF
rushing here and there IN search Of
pleasure One woman after another
said. "tf Mrs. A. can do her own
sewing and baking and pressing.
can do Il too" 80 II wAA not long un-
tii that one woman had exerted an In
fineHce on the whole ueiRhbOrhood
without trying st all
Now any sane person knows that
the woman who makes a happy home
IL enjoying q career far broader ana
more enduring than that of any other
mortal And homemaknR isn't q
thing that every person can do with
out trying, either or course. shnre
are countless places 10 live all over
the land but the ideal homes ARE rare.
Whenever o man goeH wrong someone
10 aure to ask eynically. Who Is the
woman in the cHEegH And too often
the woman IN The caac " the mans
own wife Whenever woman know
lnglg lives beyond her husbands IN.
come she Is as much of a criminal as
iB the tempted employe who puts his
hand into the cash box 10 steal.
There Is no law To send her to prison
with her husband hut she ~ aB guilty
as he II she ~ dlsc0ntentod and cx-
trayaEant aud merceuary This is
not saying that men do not waste
money AZ all and the fault lies wholly
with the wife. but merely creditiuK
her with her iuat share Of the crime.
The cry II always going up that
men do not confide in their wives
enough. and that Is true, but II don't
take much Of scholar 10 figure
things out for herself when her hus-
band ~ on salary One woman
whose husband earned gi2t per
month insisted upon living. much
against HIS will. In a25 a month
residence This meant that they
would have 20 keep up with the pace
set by the people about them. and
they did--until the husband went TO
prison for stealing. In a modest little
$40 house in the suburbs, where they
might have had q tiny garden and
lived IN contentment the wife could
have brought up tho children In COM
fort and saved money. but she Rcorn-
ed such proposition In that town
$40 house meant y modest dwelling
of six rooms. with large yard or
garden, or place for pets. and aensl-
bic. well-5red noighhors. but the s2b
house boaaied eight rooms and
modern congenienees. II r. better
to live ia a dugout and be able To az
ford Il than 10 skimp and pinch and
cheat people out Of their rent of d
palace. though the latter doctrine IL
the more popular al present Living
In the fashionable house this couple
had 10 hire everything done. go into
society, dress extensively and send
their children 10 dancing school with
the children OF the nelghbors, and
otherwise give the world, OF try 10
give the impression that money was
plentiful with them. And when the
home was wrecked they we're forgot
ten in a month and dropped out of
sight In an humble home they might
have laid the foundation for future
luxury, but they had not the courage
10 even be honest and so came TO
/ nothing speedily.
II there we're not so many grown
up babies among women the world
would reach the millennium a great
deal sooner than at its present rate.
II sounds absurd 10 say that women
old enough to know better SIT down
10 weep and act like infants, but Il
Is true. Having been spoiled at home,
they expect their husbands to con-
tinae the spelling process. and II the
men look for common sense and
grown-up traits they are termed
brutal at once. One selfish woman
quoted her husbands cigars as her
J excuse for wasting money, until even
her relatives were disgusted with her
John throws away money on to-