The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-25
Inactivy the Curse Of Many Women
Who COMPLAIN Of Boredom.

Sue was in savagely morbid mood
when she came into my room last
night. She sank into her favorite
rocker YEARLY What's the natter?
i queried anxiously, regarding her
with some alarm for Sue was usually
the most calm of peaceful mortals.
20, everything" she snapped. "Pru-
dence, I'm ashamed to confess 1t, but
I'm tired of being a woman. We've
absolutely no chance anywhere. Men
expect us to ask silly questions about
the ball game and the stock market
and business details. They hand us
over the millinery and dressmaking
pages of the morning paper and think
we're satisfied. Well, some OF us are,
but most of us are brimful of ambi-
ton to be as useful, worthwhile
members of our communities as our
masculine friends, to stand for some
thing more than So-and-So's wife and
the Hon. Jake Witherspoon's sister.
81 noted the Hon. Witherspoon and
his wife last night at the reception.
He has accomplished many things
worthwhile and is a men of uncom-
mon genius and ability to put his tai
ents to use. She is, his wife, nothing
else. She doesn't stand for any mis-
sion or any purpose save to follow the
Honorable around as if he owned the
earth and kindly allowed her to walk
upon it. Think what horrible boredom
her life must be. And, then, at the
other end of the social ladder, there's
the wife of Jones, the day laborer.
Overworked, worn out by her devo-
ton to a stove that won't burn and
children that will cry. she has little
chance for happiness. When Jones
doesn't like the way things are going
at home, he shuts the door behind
him and makes off for congenlal
friends. Mrs. Jones can't do that
simple little trick of selfishness. She
has to stay where she is. If we don't
attempt to take up any of the burd:-
ems, they call us butterfiys and, if we
do,they call us mannish women or suf-
fragets. They dose us with airy
compliments which most women de-
test or else they shun our society be-
Cause they can't think of anything tc
talk about with that freak"
Poor Sue," / murmured compass.
sionately, you've got it bad this
time haven't you. OF course, Mrs
Witherspoon leads life of boredom
and Mrs. Jones' career is one that
verges on slavery, but think you, Sue
of the number of safe, sane, conserva
tive women who are accomplishing
things worthwhile, who are going
about their daily work, quietly, force
fully and efficiently, whether theil
field of labor be the home, the bust
ness world, or the investigation o.
worthy charities There is nothing
half-hearted about them. Neither d.
they risk losing their womanly vir
tues as London suffragets of Ger
tain type have done. They do no
count it necessary to carry no opin
ions save those of their husbands ant
brothers. They are quite able t,
think for themselves and quite will
ing to work and to work hard.
Idleness among the richer classes
lack of occupation among the highe
strata, has given Satan a hustlini
contract to find mischief enough t
go around. If the society woman o
today in the larger cities, and, TO
that matter, in the towns, had plent
of active work to keep her mind oc
cupied and plenty of interests j
which she could express her individ
uality aside from the matter of dres
and sumptuous environment, ! ar
quite confident that less divorce suit
would shake the domestic felicity c
the countryside and give scandal an
gossip less head.
IL WOultu Inc MIS- Wltuciopoo
interested themselves in lightenin
the burdens of less fortunate wives
women like Mrs. Jones would fin
more leisure to bring up the childre
properly and Jones himself might fin
home more congenial. Somehow
though it may be a splendid attain
ment to be termed well-dressed, @
well-mannered, or well-bred,
should feel quite dissatisfied with my
self until could make myself usefl
in a practical, everyday way anon
every day, workaday, practical peopl
II women branched out more into tn
fields and into the high ways, and di
not confine their routine of life to on
exclusive set of people on their ow
social plane, if they set out with tn
determination of meaning a gres
!. many good things to great man
people, they would find little oppol
tunity and less time to mourn tn
fact that they weren't born mel
though I'll admit that men hay
women beaten in sincere congenialit
among ali classes, good comradeshi
between man and man and freedol
from sham.
But, Sue, tell me honestly, is thei
man among your acquaintance