The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-05-19
MABEL'S CHlTCHAT
Something About the Woman
Who Apparently Doesn't Work.
THE LAZY STAY AT HOMES.

Dear Elsa-Fm going to preach, so,
you poor. suffering sister, if you're not
in the mood for sermoniZing, burn this
letter or sidetracll it until its power of
suggestion will appeal My text is,
Tie Woman Who Doesn't Work"
She's rare these days, but she's about.
1t seems, if one listens to general
conversation. that all women work,
some for livelihood ana others just
for work $ sake-worl as a means Of
developing their personalities and to en-
large the interests Of the workers.
That's the slogan. You know, dear,
that it's the thing" to have an impor- +
tant occupation of your own or at
least one which you can talk $bout
with Importance.
Now. work is good thing for every
body, but l think there are Il few of US
who have rather narrow ideas about it.
We think our own particular job is the
only really important thing in the world
and that people who occupy themselves
with other matters are more or less
certain to be idling.
70 come down to cases, l know a
family of four sisters-one is employed
in an Office, one is a teacher, one an art
student, and the fourth stays at home
Her name is Margaret, and she occu-
pies the position of Jack i'll the mid
die in the family.
All the sisters are nice girls and very
fond Of ooaI, ntIor. ,r1t tho fbrha work
ers with one accord combine to patron
ize and pity Margaret, not in an un-
friendly way, but quite as Il matter of
course
You see, she does nothing" they
say. It's q pity she has no talents.
for the days at home are so dull and
long At least she doesn't have to
toll for her bread and butter as the
rest of us do"
3 To be perfectly honest in the matter
I had always thought Margaret rather
lazy and often wondered how she
could sit idle while her sisters worked.
But after spending Il day with the
family I changed my mind.
Work? That girl worked from sun
rise to sunset. She did more in a day
than any of her sisters did in week,
and the work was purely unselfsh, as
she received neither credit nor pay
ment for it. The teaching sister want
ed Il lot of circulars sent off to pupils,
and of course Margaret could address
the envelopes-it would give her Il nice
little occupation. The office girl never
had time to attend to her clothes, and
it was quite IN understood thing that
Margaret should darn her stockings
trim her hats and keep her clothes il
order. The art student wanted a model
and Margaret must pose. and so on
and 50 on. At the end of the weel
the three sisters had something II
show for what they had done-saIaF!
envelopes, something solid and com
forting. But what did Margaret get
I think she's being cheated, weel
after week. of the thanks and affeC
ton she has earned by sheer hare
work. The least these sisters coul
do would be to speak we'll of her, t
acknowledge her usefulness and t
place her on an equality with thei
important, busy selves.
If you have Margaret in you
house do not cheat her of the OnI
wage which she wants-yOur love an
thanks Do not fall into the habit c
supposing that stay at home sister
and mothers never need any rest {
change. They want it just as muc
as you do, for they toll at a very har
profession, that of doing the odds an
ends which are too duh or two trivi;
for others to undertake.
Do not snub and patrOnize the sta
at homes more than you can help, f.
it is quite possible that every day {
their lives they accomplish a wor
which has value far above that
your own labors. Here cndeth the Sc
mon.
From grave to gay is but step, an
speaking of steps, the very latest fl
here in New York this spring is Il
restaurant dancing tea. You drop
between > and in the afternoon G
tcnsibly to drink tea, but what "
really do is to sip a very little bit al
trip Ia one step-polite name f
turkey trot. tango, etc.-a great de
to the music Of a tinpanny piano,
banjo and guitar / said music, but
didn't mean to use the term, for mus
is not fashionable this season. III
noise is the thing-ragtine bang-bane
The people who 60 TO these tea
Well, there are all kinds-nice, III
nice and the not nice at all varieti,
The tea tables are arranged round t
wall. and Il big space is left in the &c
ter Of the room for the dancers. a
YOU have no idea how many coup
can do a one step in a small space.
really requires only the dimensions
new five cent piece to trip up
ones tiptoes to ones partner. then t
back again. while introducing Ell rot
oil the odd. outrageous gyrations c
is capable Of inventing.
Now. dear. must hurry away fir
the desk and get ready to meet D
mt the smartest hotel with a dane