Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-05-05
INDIVIDUALITY NOT
RICHES, BRINGS JOY
Poverty and Wealth Both
Have Drawbacks, But
Happiness Is Possible.

AS a swift-rushing stormcloud
"A casts its blackness across the
sunny streets, so the shadows Of dis
content, has flung its somberness
across the lives of modern women.
driving them. as the stormy wind
drives the fallen leaves, into extI a
vagance, divorce, crime and some
times suicides grave.
In the daily news Of the large
cities there have been within the
past week a score Of cases recorded
on police blotters Or in the hospitals
OF women whom discomfort has
driven to theft or an attemp. to take
their own lives.
There was woman who, having
failed in her struggle for social pc
sition, tried TO kill both herself and
her little child; a schoolgirl who ran
away from home because she was
disconnected with the simplicity Of
her life there; woman who at
tempted shoplifting because she was
~discontented with her lack Of jewell
ry, and still another woman who left
her home and her husband to seek
cheap notoriety on the stage be-
cause she was tired to death" OF
housework.
And there are many more stories
OF women led to clipping with men,
who, as soon as they tire of them viii
cast them asi'e; stories OF girls
lured by the lights Of the great white
way, and scores of other Tragedies
that have been brought about by that
grim shadow Of discomfort. the fret
ting against the pricks instead Of
searching for the happiness that lies
all about us.
Happiness of any sort is an in
tangible thing. something which can
not be denied, and what brings joy
TO one woman will not even brighten
another, and so it would seem if hap
piness is born of individuality, and
discomfort must therefore be born Of
the lack of it.
And since the present trend Of
woman is to rush restlessly into ex-
citement it is really a trend toward
eliminating the real personality that
makes up half the feminine charm?
Mrs. John Hays Hammond, who
has been made chairman Of the wom-
ems welfare department of the Ma
tional Civic Federation, declares that
this is so, and that neither riches
nor poverty make or mar woman's
happiness.
81 do not know any woman" she
says, who has seen both sides of
life as / have, and in each l have
always found happiness and content
ment. l doubt very much if l would
find. 1t hardship even now if cir
cumstances took me back into the
mining camps to wash my husbands
shirts, as l have done.
Il could do, and any woman ought
to gladly do whatever task circum-
stance sets before her.
I'm doing that she is fulfilling her
destiny and getting out Of life its
greatest contentment.
81 have heard women whose hus-
bands are poor bemoaning their pow
erty and resenting their condition.
have known women whose fortunes
were counted in The millions who
were equally unhappy. l have had
both hardship and luxury, and I Il ave
always found life What I made it,
Poverty and wealth alike have
their drawbacks, but human nature
remains the same under every cir
cumstance."
Rich women" she says, care not
the vain, selfish creatures we like
to picture them; poor women are not
ahe slaves they are represented to be.
There is happiness in every walk of
life just as there is discomfort but the
woman who does the little things and
looks for the optimistic side Of con-
ditions is the one who will always
be content.