Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-06-13
The Woman's Share In Home.
Building.


Human nature is . puzzle, surely l-as
exaspersting sometimes a. 1t ID always
fascinating and unsolvable.
My special grievance just now ID the
tendency among women to run to ex-
tremes. In home management they are
drudges or drones. In society they are
unneighborly PERMITS or gossipy CAD
abouts. In church affairs they do too
much or nothing at all. In civic rela-
tions they are of the never-rsad- a-news-
paper kind or suffragettes.
Heaven save US from any OF these ex-
tremes!
And, ali me, the sad consequences OF 1t
all that We see about US!
l have two neighbors. One gets his
own breakfast every morning and goes
of to work before his wife 10 awake.
She is of the drone species. The other
neighbor wants seven kinds OF vegetables
on his dinner-table, and "thinks he has
no meal at ali with less than five"
Now, every woman who has done house
work knows the labor involved 10 seven
kinds of vegetable ON the table, and will
quickly vote his wife drudge.
The mother who slaves for her chill
dren and the one who lets them bring
themselves up live side by side In every
village of America.
o, don't we wish the human family
could be put into sort Of hopper, shak.
en- together, and turned out with all the
funny corners rubbed off! Not with the
bumps of individuality gone-for that
would make humanity as monotonous
and uninteresting az a flock OF sheep
but with the lop-sidedness Strengthened
and the sharp propgs Of our greatness
broken off! We SO sorely need the level
ing of applied common sense in our
daily living.
But az the need il Individual, so the
! reformation becomes personal matter.
Each of US must settle for herself the
"What-is. worth. lille" question, while
she asks of her conscience, "What is my
ltangent?' Gam | leaving the real and
best to chase will o. the wisp?" cam
following my fancies rather than my
judgmept?" Am l robbing Peter to
pay Paul?"
Suppose we narrow our thinking to
the one line of home-making.
First OF all, woman on whom de-
wolves the management of home needs
10 place proper estimate-s true valua-
ton on it and on herself. If she neither
overestimates nor undertakes either,
then undoubtedly there will be no Stan
gent" and she will be neither drudge
nor drone.
As she works and sings she will also
be thanking God that her part In the
home building Is on the inside OF the
four walls, while her husbands part 10
on the weather.swept outside.
Yet she works at the fountain-head OF
all life; for from the home stream In
fluences limited in scope only with the
earth's circumference, and limited IN
time only with the existence Of the souls
of men.
We know that each home, whether oil
high or low estate, should be bealthful,
comfortable, happy, inspirational and
righteous, and these great fundament9l
things lie in the house-mother's slender
hands.
| Whether she performs the actual labor
necessary to the health and comfort
within those four walls depends upon
the family income; but she must see to
it that both are there to the best of her
ability. Aud be the home rich or poor,
it may be healthful and comfortable
under ordinary conditions.
The happiness, inspiration and right,
eousness likewise depend almost solely
upon her, for the husband, away most
of the time, must play but Q minor
part in this. According to her capability
10 management, her ambition for better
things, her amiability Of disposition
and the principles that actuate her per-
sopal life, will be the home she evolves
from wood and brick and mortar.
His duty toward her is summed up In
his marriage vow, put to work: etc
love, cherish and support as God gives
ability" No more, no less.
As working partners (neither "silenr'I
they are joined in building q home
material and immaterial, she working or
the inside, he on the outside, each bear
ing the part chesrfully, industriously
neither Sinking nor complaining, each
quietly sacrificing for the other, and
both happy in the common good.
Outside duties are her creation; inside
duties are his. Each should have Ger
tain amount.
While home-makipg will ever mean q
sacrifice of personal ease, it 10 not
sacrifice of personal good or happiness,
for both will be found in 1t when sanely
sought. Each has right to expect I'M
selfishness, moral support, sympathy
cooperation, and love from the other
while the two voices blend In the sons
all humanity loves: Home, Sweet
Home" -Ex.