The Washington herald., 1912-11-22
Topics of Interest to Every Woman
EDITED BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI
IF Women Do the Digging
On the Outside Men Should
Do the Heavy Homework
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

1t really seems that the masculine mind
sometimes operates in peculiar sort Of
way. II goes so far and not one bit far
ther, because II will not recognize that
there is a mans way Of looking at things,
and a woman's way. too: and that we
need both viewpoints before our vision
Is perfectly clear.
This Is the way II runs:
New London, Conn, is TO have col
Iege for women, and in commenting upon
IL editorially in q New Haven newspaper
the belief was expressed that the wom-
en- OF connecticut'' were quite right in
their demand that the college be presided
over by a woman.
And then a Hartford paper read the
comment. thought the situation all over,
and decided that they really were right
provided they would consent TO carry
that policy through to the bitter end.
They might have their woman president
but there were other things to consider.
First of all. the buildings should be de-
signed by women. Then when the con-
struCtion was under way it should all
be accomplished by women--they should
excavate for foundations lay the bricks,
and the heavy stones, standing guard all
the while, working with heads and hands,
in heavy and light degree, until the last
stone was in place. the last nail driven,
and the last bit OF refuse cleared away.
Then the men trustees should go, and
the women OF Connecticut" should be
left by their lone to boss the little job.
4 Bit DIscOnccrtinE.
Well, that really sounds a bit discon-
certinE. For while one believes that the
designing Of the buildings, the ''bossing''
and all, might safely be intrusted to
woman's clever, If still rather inexperi-
enced, hands, there might be bit Of balk
when Il came to the heavy task of eN-
cavating and much of the hard work that
is a necessary part OF every big building
The fact is, one never sees a massive
structure in the course of erection ana
notes men straining every nerve al
heavy labor that overdraws upon their
strength without thinking that wherever
else wonan's place may be II is not
there. And IN spite Of new schools for
master builders, with training in every
branch Of the trade. it hardly seems
that women ever will be at home in
the digging. the pulling. and hauling
that go on where big buildings are made
But the Hartford editor forgets
When those men stop their work on
the buildings to make way for the wom-
en- who must do 1t all, will they hurry
out and do the scrubbing, the washing,
the ironing. the baking. and all the
hard work in the home?
AS things run now in the world ot
labor, while men are digging and using
every ounce OF their strength in hard
work that must be done. their wives,
their mothers, and their sisters are at
home engaged in pursuits that are no
light pastime, work that eXhausts their
energies and keeps them busy from
morning till night. For everybody who
knows anything about it at all is well
aware that the home making Job OF
the wife OF the Iaborer does not belong
In the sinecure class
And-do you suppose that editor would
consider it an equable arrangement OF
things, while the women were digging
and pounding and straining on the build
ings, for the men to be tending the
homes?
An Old story.
1t brings to mind that old story that
had its beginning ages and ages ago.
A beautiful temple had been completed
and the artisans gathered together to
admire the work they had done and to
contest for the honor of sitting at the
Kings right hand. The carpenter