The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-04-13
D FRANcEs .sHAFFER.

II happened a while ago that an
article was published in the Survey upon
The Care of Crippled Children" The
writer brought out the effort that was
made to give these unfortunate ones
sunicient training to make them self
supporting
And without any conscious desire to
discriminate. without any thought Of
hardship. one way or the other. this Is
he way the training went:
me boys, because. as the report put
It, there were so many fields open TO
male endeavor.r were taught telegraphy,
Jewelry making. basl1etry. rug making
printing, electrical repairing. wood turn
ing. carpentry. shoemsking. and other
things IN line with their limitations.
And the girls? Their problem was
more easily disposed of-''needlework Of
some kind. ranging from plain sewing
to embroidery"
In one Institution the crippled girls
were kept at MISUNDERSTANDING" and II
seemed quite satisfied to report that II
supplied the town with that particular
kind Of work, apparently losing sight
Of the fact that in narrowing down en-
deavor to misunderstanding the girls were
not given half chance to develop. or
even to discover their possibilities.
Hard on the Girls.
The amazing part Of It was the divi-
sion Of labor, the implied definition Of
woman's limitations. just as If it was
all the way of nature. And yet I fancy
II any one had intimated to the board
of governors that II was hard on its
crippled girls. that It treated them less
generously than its boys, the members
would have said: But no! We only
select suitable work for each"
Indeed. something like that did hap
pen, for a woman who read the article
and knew Of the sadly crowded condi-
'tion Of the needle trades and the DIM
Guilty OF earning a livelihood through
TO Ilse author Of the contribution, telling
him how life operated for a woman
handicapped by training limited 10 one
-unremunerative field.
And can you guess what followed?
The author, who actively worked as
wen as wrote in behalf of crippled chill
dren, was earnest in his desire to pro-
mote their interest, concerned that girls
be prepared for remunerative work the
same as boys-it lad simply never oc-
CURED to him that they could At in any
where except with the needle. their ira
ditional tool So he and those associated
with him unthinkingly doomed them to
one small field. sending the boys out
prepared to try their hand in different
capacities.
AS one notes the tendencies Of girls,
the peculiar fitness of one for an occu-
patton in line with woman's traditional
work, then the natural leaning of an
other toward something accepted as Pc
culiarly mans work. conviction grows
that II is a hardship 10 impose upon
them any unnatural restrictions, For
the man or woman who finds his true
work finds life far more worth while than
one who fits IN as hest he can.
In times gone by II was practically
the whole world that did not think"
Now one hopes II is only a small minor
.tty that thinks woman's work should be
limited to certain industries involving
service in behalf Of the home.
Broader Spirit of the Times.
have faith enough in men and women
10 believe that when they seriously
think Of the hardship that has inhered
in the narrow definition of woman's
sphere they will not add any word in
condemnation of the broader spirit Of
the times which more and more, is rec
ognizing that limitations should come
from within, not without. II nature rs
a man or a woman for any particular
field, however exalted, why should any
one attempt to halt his progress?
There is Worldwide recognition Of the
value Of Nine Curie's contribution to the
wealth Of scientific knowledge, vet
doubtless there are many who sim look
upon chemistry as part Of mans par
ticular domain.
Women have reached out and are still
reaching out for new work, and II has
mace their way in life inexpressibIy
caster. But there are some who con-
uemn' some who say they are wrong in
their ambition to get beyond the needle