The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-06
MISS TARbELL TELLS
OF HER IDEAL WOMAN
Woman's Duty Is to Rear Good
Children
"TO STICK TO HER JOB"
sums Up WOman's Duty In Five Words.
Famous Literary Woman Says
Most Valuable Woman Is
One Who Stays Home
TO STICK TO HER JOB"

New York, February 5.-(Special.)- THE
most valuable citizen in the world is the
woman who stays at home and properly
brings up a family of children.
women can serve the modern state
in every capacity, except as soldier or
sailor.
women have been the indirect enactors
of some of the best laws in this coun-
| try
1.-THE married woman should not do
wage-earning work outside her home, I'M
less through actual necessity.
ITO my mind the whole duty of woman
stick to her job
Those are some of the conclusions of
Miss Ida M. Tarbell biographer of Stand
ard OIL author of classic Life of
Lincoln" and perhaps the clearest women
thinker in America.
"A woman's first and most important
duty to the state" she says in an inter-
view, sis the same it always has been
since the beginning Of things-the rearing
of good children.
1.-THE woman who does her whole duty
to the children she brings into the world
is herself the most important citizen Of
that world. I cannot make that too en-
phatic
There Is no achievement, literary, ar
tistic, what you WILL which a woman can
perform that is of the same vital sig
nificance to the nation as a family of
mentally morally, physically healthy boys
and girls. There Is no profession con-
tanning such real honor for a woman as
that Of home making. And 1t is the
great natural job for the majority of us.
Let us see that we stick to tive can't
do anything better.
"Of course, there are women who give
up marriage for the sake of other peo-
pie. for smaller brothers and sisters, or
for invalid parents. I do not think we
realize how many such sacrifices are
made and we certainly may not blame
these women for not fulfilling the duties
of wifehood and motherhood
They still serve the state in many
ways The highest service they can per-
form is to become teachers"
Women do excellent work on boards of
hospitals, prisons, asylums and schools.
Indeed. there should be proportion of
women on all such boards, though there
should be men also.
"As factory and milk and tenement
house inspectors women do splendid ser
vices. There should be many more wom-
en- probation officers. All state institu-
lions taking care Of women and children
should be largely administered by women.
1.-The machinery of casting vote is
not what serves passage of a good law.
| 1t comes into existence in response to the
voice Of an educated public sentiment,
and that sentiment can always be aroused
and taught by women.
1.-THE women's clubs, especially, have a
splendid record Of achievements in that
| field.
| There are undoubtedly isolated in
stances where men refuse the co-opera-
ton Of competent women. On the other
| small number of women who are f1t, by
natural ability and training to undertake
civic and municipal Jobs. There are even
| women who given these jobs make a
frivolous failure and naturally discour-
age men from giving other women a
| chance. But II we consider the whole
country we shall find that women are
serving the state in nearly every capacity
save that of senator or sailori
| do you think more women should be
trained for public service?"
More of tine unmarried and unlikely
to marry women should receive such
training. A married woman. unless
| forced by necessity should confine her
labors to her home. She will find enough
| to do there unless she Is an exception
| ally gifted person who can perform public
and private duties without sighting
| either. married woman with children
should always remember that the great
| est service is already laid upon her."