Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-19

tered life have taught woman how to
use one talent to perfection, that of
'clinging vide the dictionary, the
art OF supporting oneself by embrace
ing or twining round" These ivy
like qualities, carefully fostered by the
admiration of men of previous gener-
atoms. she has imported into the
working world with her, and in many
instances she has had no difficulty in
finding the oak that she desires. The
WORKING woman, by that mean the
woman who leaves such a home as
, she possesses to toll in some office or
shop, is today a stern reality, but the
truly independent woman is so rare
! and shy a bird that minute inquiry
. fails to discover her. If she is found
II is occupying such an obscure posi-
| ton that as an argument she may
! we'll be disregarded.
The wealth of the world is in the
! hands Of men, this is one of the facts
that tie girl must discover as soon as
| she leaves her home. If she starts in
life, say as shop assistant, she may
be nominally under the control of
some other woman, but even her in
significant destiny depends upon the
good will of the buyer or the man.
ager of her department. The girl is
ambitious, and she is not satisfied
with her wage of a few shillings in
the week, and she aspires to rise; to
be promoted to the millinery show
room. or the costume department. 1t
may be urged that she can win this
promotion by incessant attention to
duty in selling hooks and pins and
ribbons. But hard work soon robs
girl of her bloom. and you cannot sell
hats to plain middle-aged woman if
you do not look better than she will
when she has purchased the elaborate
structure which it is your duty to per-
suade her to buy.
The work in the millinery showroom
is considerably easier than that of the
"habby" counter, and the girl, being
wise according to her lights. deyotes
herself to the. process of "tvinlng.
Her youth, her smiles, attract, as she
intends they shall, the attention of the
buyer" encouraged by some casual
notice, she lays the net of subtle nat
terry about his feet. Some emporium
tiles are made for further friendship
and she succeeds in persuadlng MIN
that she alone can sell mats as lney
should be sold That girl Will go 1ar,
she will probably end as the head OF
some important department, ana all
, this by the simple device OF icing
ing .a
II as not every woman who desires
TO cling, int some are forced TO IL
] against their will, driven to seek sup
port by their haunting fear of failure.
| / have met women of intelligence and
. talent who with infinite pains have re-
/ pressed their own individuality, and
| have fashioned themselves into a pitt
/ full imitation of some man in whose
| office they worked. They did it through
| fear: they could not trust themselves
| to stand uron their own feet. The man
employed them; he would continue to
, employ them so long as they were use
| full TO him. and they so set themselves
| to work to assimilate him in order to
h, be necessary to him. And the day ar
/ rives when the man requires some new
, idea to spur his own jaded efforts. and
the Woman cannot give it. How should
, she? She has no idea that does not
| emanatc from him.
1t is painful to reflect that woman
| into the working world before she
| has learnt how To work In her
, home the necessaries. of life have
+, been provided for her. SHE is
| therefore totally ignorant of the cost of
! existence. But she must earn her iiv-
ing" the home is overcrowded, when
| tho braadwnner dies there will be
nothing for her, and gaiIy. With no
misg.v!ngs at all she sets out to work.
| The small sum that this girl earns
week by week cannot possibly allow
her to save, to put by sufficient money
IT, tide her over some period CT sick
ness or unemployment, She lives, eco
nomically enough on tea and bread,
| but she has none of the logged per-
severance that enables the man of
the sarne class to climb cut of the rut
| in which lie has been placed she does
| not in fact know how to work. She
| secs in the streets other women clad i'll
silks, and riding in motor cars, she
| meets IN her daily life if not wealthy
| men at least men who have the COM
rnand of money, and the demon of
greed enters into her own pitifui little
soul.
Whichever life has taught women it
/ has not yet taught them to lean on
other women. In the rush of present.
! day competition no human being can
afford to stand alone. Men have long.
since formed themselves into societies
| for their own protection, they have
, learnt the power of numbers But sug
gest To a woman that she should. for
| her own advancement and improve
ment, enter into bond with other
women and she will look at you ask
lance. This would mean giving some-
/ thing. some small sum for the support
! and successful conduct of some associ-
ation. it might mean the giving of
| sympathy, the bestowal of disinterest-
ed friendship. The independent-de-
F, pendent woman does not want TO give
. to anyone. she must always take. she
| is the twentieth century daughter OF
the horse leech holding out her hands
with the cry, Give. Give! Give. perpet-
ually on her lips.