The Washington herald., 1913-11-11
by FRANCES sHAFFER.
And now. may be bit personail-

And now, may be q bit personai1-
Awhile ago. in commenting upon tho
undoubted fact that few men look upon
women as illogical. not at al deep or
broad in thought and not capable Of
climbing very high, the belief was ox-
pressed that such men took their stand
ards from the women they chose above
all the world And the statement wns
made that ''the women in their homes.
IL typical of the world Of women. would
justify that belief" or course. that was
supposed to mean the womenfolk In the
homes OF those particular men.
It was read by a man--kindiy critical
he is-who interpreted II AZ nm inferenco
on the part Of the writer that women
whose activities are bounded BY their
own home-walls. IL they stood for all,
would easily warrant the belief thar
women are incapable Of registerins very.
high in the worid'r most important
events
And, interpreting II that way, he
counted IL a very nlppant and unjust
manner OF measuring the reach OF home
loving hearts"
II slip Of the pen. or q slip Of the
mind. made such an Interpretation pcs
coming. But to me. though, perhaps not
very well expressed. the meaning seemed
perfectly clear that some of the wives OF
some OF the men who count women "in-
ferior" In natural mental equipment
thoroughly justify their rating. because Il
is true they can reach neither far nor
well.
But. wonder
Nall O. H.
corner Of The Herald the compliment Of
attention from day to day, or upon oc-
casion. is there another who has gathered
the impression that the writer regards
the "home-woman" as more or less mar
rowed down by her horizon. while the
woman who walks In the outside ways
expands and grows intellectual. because
Of the wider field that she covers7
II there Is. then either pen or mind
must have faltered very badly. because
II has been the aim of aims to glorify
the makers of homes, not to mount them
On false pedestals, but to accord them
the place that is their due by reason OF
the high. the very high quality of mind
and Of heart urgently needed in order to
succeed In the most important post in
the worid-yes. most important, without
any qualifications
It has been the aim to set forth the
belief that wherever women may wan
der and wherever their workshops may
be. their ideals and the best OF their
dreams turn homeward. because they be-
lieye that home is the most royal spot
In the world and that "home-loving
hearts are best"
And that is not all: for in season and.
it sometimes has seemed, out OF season
as well, the work done by the best, OF
home-makers, those quite true to their
trust, not only has been singled out for
honor. but the statement has been made
that housekeeping and home-making call
for out-and-out brains. when they are
elevated to the dignity of art, as they
are many times.
Indeed. the ambition has been to give
the impression that, though the occa-
sional woman drifts from the normal
woman way, and though her work car
ries her far afield, even where men are
laboring. she does not lock upon It as
the perfect way. When she does go afield
she wants the right TO serve where and
how she will and can, but that does not
alter the fact that she has quite different
ideals.
Out there, away from the tasks that
belong to the home, she may win full
measure of success, but she does not
count the work half SO important as that
accomplished by the best Of home
makers.
And, from time to time. having ex-
pressed these views regarding the work
and ideals of women. 1t has seemed
rather safe and comfortable to rest upon
the belief that not even an occasional
slip of the pen or the mind would be
sufficient to overcome the impression
earnestly sought to be carried along that
East, West, homes best" And that