The Washington herald., 1912-08-22
WOMAN TIRED OF
MANS CRITICISM
Would Like Him to Wear Skirts
for q Week.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

In the morning mail a rev days age
there came a letter addressed to the
Editor of The Herald" II was simply
signed "a Woman" so nobody but the
writer knows who she may be. II was
| frankly written to a man. and she scold-
ed him pointedly and effectively for
| lot of things.
First, Of all, she told him he should
be in better business than descending 10
the trick of sharply criticising woman
and her mode of dress. And 1t remains
for a mere woman to tell her that those
criticisms are usually neither man-in-
spired nor man-written. but proceed from
the mind and pen of one Of her own sex.
She says-which is quite true-that the
present STYLES are the most comfortable
we have ever had. and she wishes that
critical, carping man might be punished
for his rashness by being condemned 20
wear full long skirt for one week. And
she would like "a few rainy days In that
week.
1t does make one smile. to be sure. for
he would run to cover before the week
was well begun. Verify. the abbreviated
skirt has a few counts In its favor. and
IL is a pleasure TO record them, as an
Offset to It's many fins.
Disausted with Rules for Women.
To the point OF WEAKNESS. she has
listened to the lists OF requirements and
sets of rules concerning the sort Of wom-
an a man should marry. and she asks
for the refreshing variety of a woman,s
standard of the man worth While, his
graces and the bulk OF his pocketbook.
For she wants to spread the doctrine that
love in a cottage" Is just pretty dream,
and that before a man hopes TO wed ne
must be prepared TO come with hands
laden with the fruits Of his labors. lie
expects a lot. and must return In kind.
Indeed, she shows him neither preference
nor mercy.
And this man she is picturing by way
of refreshment must not show "a race
scrawled over with the lines Of dissipa-
tion," he must present as clean bill OF
health and Of life as he exacts from her
He allows no quarter and should
neither expect nor be granted any.
She scores him pretty severely, but
she does not sign her name.
And since she seemingly feels in the
humor to caution men to remember their
own shortcomings and falls from grace,
II may interest her to hear-she may
know 1t alresdy-a report that comes
from Kansas.
1t is said that in some, II not all. the
cities in that land of many reforms. there
is a regulation making II penal CT
fense TO smoke cigars. cigarettes, or
pipes on street cars and railway trains
And one supposes she would ask why
they do not go a little farther. why they
do not bar out the filthy weed from
the dining-rooms of hotels and restau-
rants. Because, unless she chanced to
be fond of the cigar or Of the smoker,
she might not like to eat TO the ac-
compartment Of a cloud Of smoke.
At any rate, in the regulation there
is hidden a real criticism of man and
his habits, and II may make pleasant
reading to "A Woman" who rightly
enough longs for the spice OF variety.
1t surely is n blow directed straight
at man and his foibles.
Things Must Sometimes Go Wrong.
Apropos criticisms. comments and the
like. il there was sufficient independence
and the sure courage of ones convic-
tions, perhaps there might be more in
stead OF less. for surely things go wrong
ir places high and low, and there is
reed enough OF kindly counsel and as
kindly warnings.
But, don't you know that the way Of
the objector is not a pleasant one. no
matter how true the objection may be?
And the way of the brave-hearted folk
who dare to venture away from beaten
tracks is similarly 'beset with perils. the
perils of condemnation and misunder-
which are not so very pleasant
to encounter.
And when women criticise men for
things they have done or left undone, or
when men find fault with women for
similar sins of omission or commission,
there is always fringe of listeners
ready to cry ''disgruntled," sour" dis
appointed" out Of tune with life," or
the like.
Maybe that was the very reason "A |
Woman" did not sign her name