The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30
Economic independence

of wife whose husband could in no.
wise understood woman's need for
money and the pleasures money must
command
For herself the> wife supbmitted tc
her husbands restrictions. But she
did not justify them to herself, and
she resolved to render her three daugh-
ters Independent ~ educating them ga
business women.
Competent Daughters.
The daughters did their mother and
themselves great credit They grad
uatcd. secured good positions and made
rapid advancement in competency and
the favor OF their employers
When they first started out in the
world they used TO come homo in eve
nings and talk over their office eX-
periences with their mother, while she
darned stockings and sewed on blouses
for the girls. They used n part of
their earnings to render their mothers
household labors easier and added
their modest quota to the common ex-
pense of maintaining home.
Consistent co the Inst.
Discoursing on the wickedness of
extravaganza and the necessity OF
guarding against II, the husband who
denied his wife money and congratu-
lated himself on his daughters ability
to earn It, finally died. consistent to
the end In objecting to his wife's in
diligence in the luxury of tears, when
she might better have been learning
from him safeguards In tho care of an
estate left by him dn her sole charge.
When the vito found herself, for
| the first time since her girlhood days,
free to make such use of her money
as seemed best to her, she at once told
her daughters that they need not work
any longer. Instead. the mother and
| daughters would travel during their
period of mourning and open their
| home. enlarged and refurnished, when
that periot should be at an end.
| The Queer Woman.
Under the above heading. In tho
| August Bazaar. appears a story that
| follows here In part. 1t is SO true in
| what reflects Of human nature that
| women reading it will conclude that
its author. Marguerite Ogden Bigelow.
knows the world of which she writes
| This is the story.
a queer woman went to live in a
| community where the people were
| rich, where 1t was considered proper
! to eat too much. to dress too gorge
ously and to labor very little. She
| dressed quietly, lived simply and
worked honestly for six or eight hours
of every day, keeping only the even
| ings for recreation with her husband.
| She really must have been very queer.
She gave no large receptions and
| kept no human automaton IN attend
ance upon her door-bcll. Instead. she
\ kept a guest chamber fragrant and
ready for visitors from out of town
There was always a place at her table
! for tho friend who would go to her.
| And many went from the East and the
| West, and were strengthened and re-
| freshed.
| Slowly. one by one. she brought into
| her home such beautiful things as she
| and her husband valued and could af,
| ford-a quaint bit of furniture, good
rug. a choice picture precious books.
| And ell these things spoke together u
/ coherent language, but they were not
| understood.
/ She made a garden for herself and
] her children. aSd worked In 1t DIg
1 time every day. She taught her little
| ones to plant and foster flower and
! fruit and how to attract the birds
| She madc them feel the superb rush of
the growing time. the ecstasy of the
| blossom time, tho peace OF the days
| OF rruitage. She gave Thorn the love
! OF light. color and fragrance. knowl-
! edge of tho clean odor of the earth
after rains. And her children became
| healthy and helpful, truthful and beau
! tiful.
And her neighbors realized that she
would not live as they lived. and they
resented 1t. And when they spoke OF
her they said:
1T suppose she's pleasant enough:
but then she would have to be. for
| she hasn't particle of style"
''Probahly she Is one of those pris-
| rish people who think they can reform
the world"
mo. would not invite her IL were
a., you She never entertains, and she
\ would probably criticize the way you
did things or preach you sermon on
the simple life"
Her house? Well. 1t Is just ahoue
what you would expect The things
arc all good enough. but they are not
at all what people are using now.
It's always the way with these con-
| ceited people who try to be original
and won't have housefurnisher do
everything properly"
NO, I would not trouble to call II
I were you. When people are queer
like that there is no telling how far
IT. may go She may be-not our sort
| at all, you know
well. always have felt that there
| must he something not quite-ah--
refined about n woman who likes doing
| SO much of her own housework"
Yes, and have you noticed her
working in that garden with spade,
just like a day laboror, and the chill
dren dirty as little pigs?"
Yes. and feel that YOU never can
get children TO grow UP with any ideas
of proprlety If you are so stingy that
you won't keep a nurse TO look after
them properly
Only the cleaning woman, who went
to her once a week. said
she amt much fer fuss and feath-
ers. but she's kind and good. She
! makes a body feel kinder human and
decent and self-respectin, and Ia
! elsa
'rhc Hen md Her DuckIinEs.
| In becoming promoter of econom-
&c independence tho woman of an older
generation had cut herself aloof from.
the Younger cult. and found herself
In the postio nof the hen who hatched