Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-27

society, IL IL Sucn woman.
This appears, however, to be an er-
roneous idea of the matter, and the
poor domestic drudge who works her
self to death in her own home Is be-
ing denounced in scathing terms as a
parasite, a despicable eech who lives
on her husband and permits herself to
be supported by him.
In a recent magazine article an over"
enthusiastic writer on this subject cries
shame upon the parasitic wife and
mother who does nothing but give her
very life to her family, and bids her to
get out into the world and earn an hon
est living
One could smile at such balderdash
as this, except that 1t so unjustly and
unjustly bellttles the great work for which
women were created and fans into flame
the growing discomfort Of the feminine
sex with its lot.
1t Is bromide to say that the welfare
Of humanity rests upon the stability OF
the home, and that the woman who
brings up noble sons and daughters has
the world. 1t can do nothing but harm
to teach this woman that her work is
not worth while that II Is without dig
nifty and that she who Is only wife and
mother Is a figure of contempt. ..
The majority OF women are only too
much of that opinion already. And in
that attitude lies the great tragedy of
the average womans life. Her work Of
making home, of making a mans hap
piness and comfort, of rearing children,
has never been recognized as the greatest
work to which any human being may
turn a hand, as the greatest career that
any ambition might pursue, or even as
just plain trade that was worth paying
for.
We actually speak of the woman who
Is engaged in this tremendous labor as
being supported by her husband We
regard her as a dependent, and she has
no financial status She draws no wage
for her services, and even the govern
ment census report refuses to enroll her
among those women who are engaged in
"gaInful occupations"
No wonder the indiscriminating and
those without a sense OF humor call her
parasite. No wonder that she even
looks upon herself as one.
To any one who watches closely the
feminist movement 1t 10 evident that the
hardworking domestic woman has re-
volted at this insulting classification of
herself with the vampires of society, and
that in the future there must be a new
adjustment of the economic problem be-
tween husbands and wives.
With their growing freedom In other
matters 1t becomes more and more hu-
initiating to wives TO be forced to go to
their husbands and ask, like beggars, for
every penny they spend. Every woman
with no pocketbook with an envy that
turns her thoughts toward the outside
world. The wife shows that she labors
harder than the business or professional
woman, and that her services are better
worth paying for and she rebels at the
injustice that makes her a dependent,
subject to the whms Of her husband.
1t does not take any prophet to fosesee
that the Job OF Wife has got to have a pay
envelope attached to 1t hereafter, or else
women will follow the advice of those
who tell them to put their children In
creches. or some other kind of institution
designed for incubating human chicks,
and that they will go away from home
and follow some pursuit that will furnish
them with at least enough money to pre-
serve their own self-respect.
This would be a most unfortunate state
of affairs, since the consensus Of expert
ence shows that no scientific care Of
children can take the place of motherng,
and also that women succeed best in the
occupations that belong to them by rea-
son of their sex.
1t is folly to talk Of any woman making
real home, and being a real mother In
the fullest sense of the term, and follow
Ing career, or carrying on success
full business at the same time. No