The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-23

and implOring and plotting. and. when
il seems eXpedients threatening ana
compelling.
Probe 10 the bottOm-if you have
acuteness enough, which you probably
haVen't-prObe TO the bottom any OF
the present-day activities of the Amer
lean woman. L care not what it may
be. and you will discover the bacillus
Of social position biting merrily away
at her. If she goes TO church or 10 a
lecture OF a cOncert-if she goes call
ing or stays at hOme-if she joins a
suffrage movement or tenement re-
form propaganda, or refuses 10 JOIN
if she dresses nOisily or plainly-if
she shuns society or seeks il, II she
keeps house or leaves housekeeping TO
servants, reaches and mice-if she
cares for or neglects her ehlldren-n
she pets her husband or displaces
him with anOther-nO matter what she
does. il is at the behest of the poison
/ flowing through brain and vein from
/ the sOcial-pOsitiOn bacillus. She thinks
by doing whatever she does she Will
somehow make her position more
brilliant or less insecure, or, having no
position at ALL viii gain one.
A couple of years after we were
married my wife stopped me when l
was telling her what had happened at
the office that day, as was my habit
/ You ought to leave all those things
outside when you come home said
/ she.
We were forever changing cooks.
The food that came TO our table was
something atrOciOus. 1 heard the
same complaint from all my married
/ associates at the office, even from the
higher officials who were rich men
and lived in great state. They too
| had American wives. In the markets
and shops / saw as l passed along all
sorts Of attractive things 10 eat, and
! OF real quality ] wondered why we
| never had those things on our table.
Heaven knows we spent money
enough. The time came when l got
a clue to the mystery.
/ One day Edna said: I've been do
/ ing my housekeeping altogether by
/ telephone 1 think I'll stop il. except
on rainy days and when 1 don't fee
well"
| BY telephOnel I laughed to myself
| No wonder we had poor stuff and paid
the highest prices for it, l thought a
while then. TO satisfy my curiosity
began TO ask questions, very cautious
Iy for Edna was extremely touchy, as
we all are in matters where in oul
hearts We AlitW We DIRE III lllC MAtiA6
do you remember what kind OF
FRANCE we have in our Kitchen"
asked
10" exclaimed she, disgustedly
| Certainly not / haven't been down
10 the kitchen since we first mOveS
Into this house. I've something BETTE
to do than TO NEEDLE with the serv
ants"
Naturally" said I, sOothingly. An'
. / didn't let her see that her confusion
amused me. What if a man tried L
run his business in that fashion! An'
ordering by telephone. Why, IL wa
an invitation TO the tradespeople Il
swindle US in every way. But l salt
nothing.
As usually either it was bad weathe
or Edna was not feeling well. or wa
in a rush 10 keep her society engage
ments The ordering for the hOus
continued TO be done by telephone
when it was not left entirely to tn
discretion of the servants. One morn
ing it so happened that she and I lef
the house at the same time. Said she
I'm on my way TO do the market
ing. It's a terrible nuisance. and
know so little about those things Blu
Its coming to be regarded as fashion
able for a woman TO do her own mar
keting. Some of the best families
people with their own carriages an
servants in hvery-some of the swell
est ladies in Brooklyn do IL now. It
fad from across the river"
You must be careful not to over
tax yourself" said I.
Presently we were at the butche
shop. I paused in the doorway Will
she engaged in her arduous labor