The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-24
V WEN a good mother, S1 years old,
 - who lives on farm miles away from the nearest school, and who


 IT who lives on farm miles away O from the nearest school, and who has been keeping house virtually all her life and who is good housekeeper-
 You wouldn't think, would you. that she would care to travel on horseback the miles which separate her from the school, over muddy roads, in order to attend an extension school and see for herself how housekeeping is taught?
 Yet the dear old lady has done it. One would like to meet her. She is a heroine as much as was Grace Darling, or Joan of Are. or Molly Pitcher, Ida Lewis. She represents America In her the spirit of the present day American woman is typified.
 She is not content to let others do her thinking for her. She has, and she knows she has mental equipment equal to that of her brother citizen, and she is willing and able to use it.
 Since the world began there have been fewer causes for national congratulation more encouraging and significant than this attitude of the American woman. She rises to full stature in the light of her opportunities and desire for advance ment.
 The old lady of the Ohio farm knows a lot about housekeeping, you may be sure of that But she goes to school to learn how it is taught This American woman knows a great deal about life. She, too goes to school in the college of national affairs to acquaint herself more fully with the life about her.
 There are still, unfortunately, even in enlightened America. men who poohpooh this desire of the woman for full infor- nation They repeat the old, time worn. moth eaten theories about ''woman's place is in the home and quote with snug approval Kaiser Wilhelms dictum about the proper confining of womens activi- ties to ''the three kinder kueche and kirche"--in English, the three Cs-"chil- dren. cooking and church"
 That is nonsense.
 Apart from the fact that the femi- nine intellect is not to be differentiated from the masculine and is as able as the latter to comprehend anything of which the human mind may take note-subject, of course, to individual limitations in each case-the industrial life of the nation in which women have an ever increasing share, is forcing them into the study of all sorts of questions.
 It is a good thing for the country and for the world.
 If is related of Lord Nelson, Eng lands most famous naval commander, that in directing his fleet in practice maneuvers he used to signal to his ships to let certain junior officers take. tenn porary command. The assumption was made that the seniors had been killed or disabled in action and that the juniors would, in taking charge of the ships, ac- quire invaluable experience for use in case they actually be entrusted with the commands.
 Of course the youngsters fell in with the plan eagerly It gave them oppor- tunities to exercise authority and to prove their mettle. One can imagine the glow of enthusiasm with which the an nouncement of Nelson's plan was re- Ceived by them. . There is here the germ of valuable idea for parents. who stand perhaps in the same relationship to their children as Nelson did to his junior officers. Try the great sailors plan on the young sters. z I.
 Dad has pefhapa growing boy vh16b QaieIk. ea66S infolltgoSdo Wou1d l f