The Washington times., 1914-03-18
Bv MRS. SUSAN wHrcoMB HAssEIL

eoOa "oio oh .~~b
spoke with the New England accent,
might easily have been a lifelong
Bostonian.
y There is an army of women and
q larger army Of men whose ideal
Of womanhood Is that sweet, mod
est, old-fashioned type who found
tasks enough for hand and heart
in her own home circle; was full Of
domestic virtues and charms, and
shrapk instinctively from public
activities. often as in the case Of
the Boston bachelor tyes. he con-
fessed that he had no wife), the
ideal Is my mother"
There Is neither glory nor shame
in holding this sentimental and es-
thetic ideal. To that class Of IDEAL
lists the writer belonged until a few
years ago, and to that class. chief
ly, this letter Is addressed The
only shame Is in shutting ones eyes
to new light; the only glory In being
open-minded.
Light streams down upon this sub
ject from stars OF every magnitude.
Which ray may pierce ary particu-
lar intelligence is a question Of how
strong the eyes are. Few have the
eagle eye to face the sun. For those
who find the sweeping visions and
keen analysis Of Ellen Key too daz-
zling here are somo ordinary day
light truths.
New Freedom For Wives.
The home-maker has been freed
from many demands which used to
crowd her time and exhaust her
strength. If the modern housewife
does her own work, it probably does
not include bread-making or laundry.
certainly not soap-making and car
pet weaving. Dressmaking and sew.
ing are reduced to alterations and a
little mendIng. A hundred necessi-
ties which were made at home fifty
years ago are delivered at the door
ready for use. Apartment houses
simplify life still more. The aver
age housskeeper who has = servants
has multiplied them by adopting an
elaborate and artificial style Of liv-
iLg.
The family circle has grown small
er. A dozen children Is news for
the press. If a mother undertakes
" bcdCh utE o"h SLllu " ISoo, 20"
or cook, she may find that public
school kindergartens and specialists
know better methods than she has,
ever learned So strongly the cur
rent Is set toward community ways
Of doing things, both Industrial and
educational, that the housewife has
many hours TO devote to interests
outside the home.
View Grows Broader.
The daughters Of fairly well-to-do
people are sent to college or voca-
tional schools. They find open doors
into the professions and into busi-
ness life. II the economic urge is
great, the girls. and. in many cases,
the mother, too. has Joined the wage
earners.
The woman who found all she
could do at home Is becoming his
toric. The capable woman Of today
and fourth Thursdays. At other
times. II is wiser to telephone, II you
want to know.
The wise mother plans to be there
when the only child comes in from
school, but one whose interests are
confined within her own walls is
probably wasting time and nerve do
Ing useless and foolish things. or
she is starving for something really
worth while.
The view Of human oneness grows
broader and clearer, and results in
some compelling appeals to a wom-
ans sympathies and energies. How
the big truth of the oneness Of hu-
man interest is flashing over the
common mind. The air I breathe Is
no better than my neighbOr's back
yard. for the wind blows over the
fence. Your child may no purer
than the boy who lives at the lower
end Of the street.
Must Mix With World.
I know of q woman who said. Il
cannot enter into the social life Of
this crude little Western community.
II would not hurt me. but my chill
dren might be Influenced by its low
standards. 1 must keep them sep
a-nte." Her children have grown up.
Her son derives a good part OF his
income from rental OF property in
the so-called restricted district"
The daughter is married to q man
who. her parents have said, shall
nevor cross Their threshold. Their
mother could NOT keep them sep
alate.
The housewife may be ever SO
careful about her kitchen and re-
frtgerator. 1t amounts to nothing II
her food supplies come from a mar
ket where they are exposed to dust,
flies. 5nd dirty hands. Because We
are all bound up together in COM
to public drinking cups, to the length
Of hotel sheets. to public rest rooms
and libraries. to free baths and
scnocl nurses.
Tn S. socializing spirit has modified
our IDEAS Of religion. SO that our
highest duty seems no longer to
God whom we have not seen. but to
the neighbor who needs US.
Car greatest fear is not Of our
own future punishment. but OF caus-
ing some little one TO offend.
Growth of Mother Love.
What wonder that women have
been quick to catch tho new and
wider view of life. The mother love.
the care for home. developed through
the generations. easily spreads its
wings to shelter all children and to
make all homes clean and beautt-
full.
Talking together and working tc-
gether are necessary steps in obtain
mug social betterment. Out of this
newly awakened spirit have sprung
all manner of organizations for con-
terence anu euuSd'ioii' " pI"H .',
to do things. Count the hospital
boards and sunshine societies. par.
ent-teacher clubs. and consumers
leagues, child welfare aocieties, Boy
Scouts and Campfire Girls. Chris
tian associations. civic leagues.
Fairgrounds associations. big sisters
and social settlements, not to name
the great clubs and unions composed
OF women only
In all these, the major part or
the work is done by women who are
not too busy in their homes to do
these things for the homes of 9TH
.r. Such work appeals tn head