Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

WANIEA anG the clever character study
49, brings forcfbty 10 the public
mind the fact that the woman who has
been the first lady Of the land" for seven
years has been from first TO last the least
conspicuous member in the presidents
family.
Her portrait has been done in on by
Chartran- The frank mouth is smiling.
But in the gray eyes Is an inscrutabIe ex-
preston Of reserve So future generations
viii see her. says Mrs. Daggett- This is
the picture painted at the order OF the
French government and presented to the
American people. Once she said: "A
woman's name should appear In print but
twiee-when she Is married and when she
is buried" Then she stepped within the
threshold and closed the door OF her house
II happened to be the White House.
Living side by side with the most-written-
OF man OF his time. she has yet quietly
Withdrawn within the shadow OF his
luminous personality. The Libraries are
crowded with volumes that repeat his name
you viii search them long for the merest
mention Of hers: for. as his biOgraphers
hav' come and gone. invariably they have
been met with one condition. oven as they
sharpened their pencils they have looked
up from their notebooks 20 hear q soft
voice say firmly: Gentlemen. oniy With
this understanding are you given access 70
the data about the pr~esident@you must
leave me out" This IL the reason the
world has heard 50 little OF the real Mrs
Roosevelt And she win step out into his
tory as one OF the least known OF the
women who have efgned there. In her
passing We write her down a. the woman
in the background
HI-Deaaed BaeneIors.
The custom Of addressing women who
have never married As Miss" is alleged
By enc OF them to be unfair. as it exposes
her social status TO a degree not suffered
By the bachelor. who Is always Mister
10 ever body, and when he is introduced
no one present can tell from his descriptive
title whether he Is q bachelor. married.
vidower or a divorced man. Al o. which
clearly proves that the innocent may suffer
from this secrecy.
IT point OF this complaint Is well taken
5 comments The Brooklyn Eagle. Bachelors
should not be allowed 20 travel under
vague, II not false. descriptions. The mat
ter has come up rather lats in the Roose-
welt administration, and II may not be
possible 70 appoint a commission 70 look
into 4 and a plan By which
od maids may be lifted from this sub
merged and exposed coalition as We would
IN a farmer BY government or an editor
from one place 20 another. However. pub
nc opinion may be led BY the women them
selves n they win so about il earnestly
ms complainant dOss not suggest how 70
saaress a bachelor to remove the giitterins
sseeraltty uader which ne sails the social
euff~"ts any more than the dog in the
mAhSer Offered a constructive policy.
But st Us look az the puzzle Baehelors
might Ae called "Mists.~ a SORE OF two
thirds Mister" as 'Mlax- Is two-thiras
or AASakA Then ne would have IN tba
society cplamns the announcement thai
Mist Perey Bilkins led the eotllion. etc {"
In pFint Mist" would so an right hut
whe@ pronounced II 10 enough different
rom Mister" 70 Be- recognizes amid tba
fghfusion that attends an introduction An
innocent woman's ear would need 10 Be ex-
eepuonally alert 20 catch the aistfncuon
For All round use IL would. perhsps. Ne
more Practicable 70 refer % A usver-waa
hhkins a. Nile" BEIkins. Giving 70 hin !
purely arbitrary sdress which future isp-
s~Ase Investigators could tell their student.
came 70 be used On the theory thas Mr..
- as sood 81 a Miss and no better.
salaries for wives
IN ne recent National Council OF the
women q France Nine. Landry distin-
Enlsned herself % a long speech IN which
she insisted on the right OF every nood
wife and mother Of the home 70 81 p.id
a specific salary according 10 the earn
ngs OF the husband N present sata tn
fair NraakNr IT, auus 49,