Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-26

feature of the interior decorations. There
are vases on the drawing room mantei
which are genuine works of art, one in
the antique dragon effect in burnt gold
and silver on a dark brown background
She has lovely flower vases after the Roy
al Worcester method and clever reproduce
tons of the dainty china of Dresden
The dining room is filled with handsome
platters, plates, cups and Saucers. The
service which the senator uses for his
daily meals came from his wifes clever
hands and he cannot relish any home
food unless it graces one of her dishes
She has painted every variety of table
ware. fish services where the brilliant
aquatic flowers and reeds give life to the
graceful creatures of the water. all alter
her own design. Flower and fruit pat
terms for berries, miniatures of scenes for
dinner plates, even fancy heads on plat
tiers and for china picture frames. Mrs.
Swanson paints in odd hours as other
women embroider or sew and she gets
through an amazing lot of fine work even
during the busy winter She spends
much time in the summer at this favor
lite diversion and generally plans her
labors with great care
Summer is also my time for reading"
said Mrs. Swanson. Il just skim books
during the winter. and, like most of my
kind, / live on newspapers and clippings
But in the summer l spend my days
painting and reading. l no longer ride
horseback. l had a severe accident which
l have never mounted a steed. 1t is a
great privatiOn. for / would not be a
good Virginian if l did not love horse.
So / read and paint. l like good love
story. / believe in love and happy mar
rage and the problems so called find me
a very unSympathetic auditor. Naturally.
such being my trend. l believe that home
is the place for woman and that her
power is centered there and not in
public career. When women voluntarily
W
merely remaining women instead of try
ing to become men, then they lose their
most beautiful influence. l know that
when one utters such sentiments she is
bidding to be classed with fools and the
feeble minded, for so the equal rights
women brand their disagreeing sisters.
1 do not consider myself in either class.
Women i'm the south have a powerful
influence with their men. principally be-
cause they are the most essentially wom-
anly creatures which our country knows.
We are a sheltered lot, never having to
endure the hardships Of the pioneer west
ern women nor the stress and strain of
the overcrowded states north and east.
We reign in our homes and we influence
our husbands, and this Is mission enough
for the most ambitious. Every woman
has vote if she does her duty. If she is
not married she can vote through her
brothers, even her friends. Her very
presence is an incentive for pure politics
and right reasoning, if she is the right
kind of woman. / fear that / am not suf-
ficiently impressed about the necessity of
purifying politics. 1 think q great deal of
unnecessary hue and cry has been raised
on that question. Politics may need re-
forming, so does every sort of public bust
ness Our entire modern system of living
needs reforming when you come to that.
And the way to reform it is right in the
homes. by making our menfolks happy
and comfortable and contented The more
a man appreciates his wife and his home,
the better man he is and the better citi-
zen he makes. This sort of reform
sympathize with most cordially. but with
no other"
Mrs. Swanson comes of illustrious lin
cage. and belongs to many distinguished
patriotic societies. She is a member OF
the Dorothea Henry Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution at
Danville. Va. and will be it's delegate to
the continental congress, which convenes