The Washington herald., 1915-11-29
AS SEEN BY A WASHINGTON WOMAN
WHERE CRITICISM LEADS.


throughout the country could learn
much from the merchants of the
community; the school teacher might
take many good points about his own
business from the men and women
who employ hundreds of young girls
and women as the sales force of their
stores. For all of these girls have
spent more or less time in the schools.
Presumably the schooling they did
receive was in a measure preparatory
to their work in the stores. Still one
seldom hears of school teacher TAX
ing points from department store
manager, or listening patiently to
criticisms that he might offer.
A few days ago, however, Mr.. Jacob
Girnbel did have an opportunity to
make few valuable suggestions along
Just this line when speaking before
the Home and School League OF
Philadelphia The point under con-
sideration was the question of self
support for young women. The last,
but by no means the least important,
of his suggestions ran thus:
Home stands as a link between
school and business, and in their atti-
tude toward both institutions parents
should discourage paltry criticism OF
superiors, which ultimately degene-
rates into a destructive critical atti-
tude toward work that precludes the
possibility of satisfactory service and
progress"
We all know this paltry critical at
titude to which Mr.. Gimbel refers.
We see it in our own children when
they gossip after school about their
teachers, bringing to their home
series of paltry complaints which if
we encourage will become habitual.
We hear it from a certain type OF
high school girls and college girls,
too, who delight in the smallest sort
of personalities when discussing their
instructors. And the young girl in
business is no less free from it. Two
pretty little stenographers in the
street car this morning were whisper
ing like two old village gossips, air
ing their complaints and their grlev-
ances, all of an amazingly petty ma
ture, about their respective bosses"
And so in many phases of work this
petty criticism goes on The women
lwho indulge in il most freely must
, have started out on their career with
the innate feeling that employers and
superiors generally are a sort OF
superman, and, finding that they, like
the rest of mortals, have their fail
ings, they spend an amazing number
OF leisure moments in airing their
grievance.
OF course Mr.. Gimbel did not mean
that the employe should accept what
ever lot she might meet in business
without comment, or that simply be-
cause she occupied the position OF en-
ploye she should submit to injustice
from the employer. The sort of criti-
cism that really accomplishes some
thing, that discovers fault and pur-
sues it till it is remedied, the kind of
critical independence which prevents
a woman from accepting employment
where conditions are not what they /
reasonably should be is as admirable |
as it is rare. But the woman usu-
ally who criticises most, who COM
plains most about her employer is the
last woman who would lead in any |
actual undertaking to improve her
own and her associates conditions of
work.
Did you read the announcement,
made in a half jocular way last Sat-
urday by the brilliant suffrage beauty,
1nez Milhollaud Boissevain, that it
was she and not her good looking
Dutch husband who popped the
question" of matrimony. The beauti-
full Inez and Mr.. Boissevain both /
aired their belief that this was really
as it should be, and that in the new
order of things there was no earthly
reason why we should cling to the old
time habit of letting men propose any
way.
We'll OF course there is nothing
very new in this suggestion. Shakes
pearean critics tell us that the bard
of Avon must have favored this sort
of feminine prerogative, so frequent
ly do the women of his plays take the
initiative in such things.
Still there is good, sound reason for
the convention as it exists at present.
And most men who have played the
passive part in their courtship would
not, probably, be as eager to make it
known as was the husband of the
fair Inez.
MARY MARSHALL.