South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-02-03
A Natural Impulse of
the Idle Society Woman.

But with this difference her fundamental,
biological desires and inherited instincts so long
have been suppressed that they are unknown
N her real self And this is where the injury
Is wrought and the hysterical elements merge 10
the exploding point when the woman sociai
activities are brought to standstill.
These elements the fundamentals OF
every woman's nature. They are complex OF
emotions which must have some form or re-
lease 10 work out their manifest duties.
The one instinct so deeply implanted In AL
normal women that its absence means alb
normality is the maternal instinct Inis may
find all manner of expressions for Its outlet
Teaching children, care OF orphans. welfare
,,orL trained nursing the score and more OF
vocat tons and occupations where woman Is
kent mentally balanced and contented when
she is not occupied with the arduous duties OF
a wife and mother.
Nursing is essentially woman's work for the
woman physically fit for this most trying of all
vocations Here is the point: The only woman
who is OF any use TO the surgeon and help to
the patient is the woman who has had the
wears OF drudgery and training necessary to
reach this state.
OF a hundred who start to get this training
not more than fifty will finish. Many young
women In this country who have been brought
nm I'm luxury and comfort have essayed to be-
come trained nurses. Most OF them give up
after the fist year. Their idea OF nursing was
the emotional side. The physical labor, the
studies. the necessary unpleasant tasks every
trained nurse must undergo did not At in with
their idea OF soothing mems brows, wearing
natty caps and offering sympathetic con-
fidences.
Such war as is now upon the world brings
every woman to face facts. to know things
old as the world but new TO her Of the life OF
ease Forces in these society women which had
outlets in sport, dances. dinners and nightly
pleasures have been stored up Just little too
long Like a suppressed geyser they
breaking out and the overflow is doing much
harm
there was in these women sufficient nervous
exhaustion due to their methods OF living to
find place for natural energies and instincts to
rest and accumulate.
Now. remember this fact: All these society
women. celebrated actresses-and in her way
the society woman Is the greatest actress o.
all-had been living night and day upon I'M
natural excitement, many actually suffering
unless they could attract publicity or notoriety
Women who have once lived in the limelight
OF publicity cannot live long without publicity
OF some sort. II is their stimulant, their false
food; all their actions have for motive some
kind of publicity.
them falsely happy. II is all due to the wrong
education and environment and foreshortenngs
in ifes perspective. II is the constant shunt-
ing of natural instincts onto the tracks OF
sterility and mental restlessness.
The war brought them suddenly against the
wall. All outlets for nervous energy and mental
expression we're closed. What to do most Of
them did not know They have bGSn accused
OF morbid tastes. OF unnatural curiosity In
wanting 10 go among mangled men, Some
have labored under ihe imputation OF going 10
the front to capture husbands-so much
absurd romance has been written about the
facility with which a pretty nurse wins name
and fortune Taken all in all these accuse.
tons and hints quite unjust and have no
real basis. The cause is psychological; tina: