El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-01
Equal Standard Of Morals
Mothers Must Begin Reform Move
ment in the Training of
Their Sons
By virginia Terbune Van de Water

n0 F course I believe in an equal
standard of morals for both
~ sexes declared a man to me
long ago. why should a woman be
condemned more than man when
she forsakes the beaten and decent
PATH In either case the sin is the
same-and the matter of difference of
sex makes II no less
asked. 7 am told that, as mems
temptation are many, there is more
excuse for them than for women if
they do not live up to the standard
He Shook his head. IF mems
temptations are many" he replied,
''men belong to the stronger sex. Men
boast of their strength and deplore
WOmen's weaknesses, then let them
prove their strength by keeping
straight, and let them show their ap-
probation of woman's weakness by
plying her when she makes a false
step"
As I have said, that was long ago.
Some years later 1 learned with dis
may that this man and his wife mad
a falling out
He was furious with his wife" said
my informant, who knew the couple
well, because her name was connected
with that of a certain man Of IN
savOry reputation do not think
that she was ever really immoral but
the fact that she had been so reck-
leSsly imprudent angered her husband
His Practices.
1t also happened that circumstances
threw this husband friend of bygOne
days-into association with me soon
after this rumOr reached my ears. In
the course of one OF our conversations
he spoke bitterly Of the shadow IN
his life"
Julia is selfish and self-absorbed,"
he insisted when I suggested that he
was harsh in his judgment of her. mo,
We are not going TO be dlYOrced-fOr
We feel that il would be unfair to the
children But We are living a part tenn
pOrarily until / can sift this matter
out and see just how wrong my wife
has been"
Il do not believe she has been guilty
of anything worse than folly and I'm
prudence" I protested, ana surely you
can forgive those. All people make
mistakes sometimes"
His face flushed Ny wife should
not make such mistakes" lie ex-
claimed Does she forget the dis
honor she may bring upon M name
and upon my children? A woman can
not be too carefulr'
Have you always been carefui?'-
1 asked softly For I knew that nc
himself, had not been entirely the soul
of propriety.
The Masculine Answer.
And then, in spite Of the protesta-
lions Of former years, he made the
masculine and-tO the mind of man
the unanswerabIe statement. with n
woman it is different
After a little more conversation I
gathered courage to remind him OF
1 what he had once said to me- about an
equal standard for the sexes.
You have changed your view s,
haven't your" 1 asked.
Nor he declared stoUtly. not at all,
except when the woman happens to he
my wifer
thus revealed his ideas, and vet I
knew that he spoke a truth that lies
at the bottom Of many a mans heart
/ Men pity the fallen woman in tha ab-
! strGct, they condemn women who are
I hard upon her, they give moaty 20
! houses of refuge-and one would Think
/ them the soul Of pity-until a woman
( belonging to them falls; then he whole
J matter changes
It is not fair, nevertheless 7 an
/ told that it is impossible 59r a nan
| to rise above this inherited feeling
| yet there are men who have doEs so.
A Wild. Bad Dream
One, a plain farmer, learned that his
/ wife-prettv, foolish creature
/ had gone away with a handsome CITY
/ rascal and he tried to harden his heart
! against her. Yet when, a week later,
; she came to her senses and rerurn-d
/ pale and cOnscience-smitten, and, para
I phrasing the prOdIsals prayer. pleaded
/ L am no more worthy to be Gale !
your VIE, let me be your servant He
/ lifted her from her knees to his breast
and said, I have been waiting for you,
! little girl You have had q wild, bad
/ dream, but it is all over"
| A woman to whom I told this story
! shrugged her shoulders. What a
I puslllanimous fellow he must be!' she
exclaimed. Such an action was GER
! tainly not Ike a manly man."
NO. 1t was more like God, wasn't 1t ,
Women Must start Reform.
~ IND,
I tnat the men are not the only yersons
/ VINO do not live up to &. belief in an
! equal standard. And Intil We women
live up to it, we cannot blame men for
/ condemning our sex when we forget
| our WomanhOOd. Il Is with women
! that the reform must begin The
mother must train her BOYS to believe,
/ in this euaI standard, to say, as does
/ one mother: IF you want your wife
/ to be a good, pure woman, make yo-r-
| self the kind of man that a good, pune
4 woman should marry