New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-02
A BRIEF FOR THE WOMAN
She Refuses To Be the Goat Even if She
Lacks Consciousness of Duty

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In comparing the apartment house
woman of to-day with the Original cave
man." Dr.. Stephen Wise has struck note
that rings so nsstently in my brain that
nothing short of explosion or expression VIII
still the turmoil II the woman Of to-day
lives in an apartment instead of house and
lacks "a consciousness of duty and response
bility." is she to be the traditional goat ana
hear the insult thus offered without vouch-
safing n reason or reply? As matter OF
personal experience, I would like TO offer a
fcw facts 70 the man outside the cave for
his earnest consideration. The "multitudes
Of women. married women to quote Dr.
Nse), who arc broken down in spirit and
. morale because their lives are empty GER
tainy exist: but why? In nine cases out or
ten the woman of to-day whose spirit and
morale are broken is generally broken first
physically and we won't inquire into the
why of that condition.
Life TO have purpose must be 20 certain
extent clear of visionI would like 10 say
"free"-but women are never free il they
are married or if they have children. The
shackles are there plain to see even in the
happy lives. According to the average man
(and the average sets the pace, woman's
definite purpose must consist first IN well
ordered home. proper food, even If at irreg-
uar intervals when the man phones he has
a business engagement, etc. and unremltting
care Of any children that may happen along
in these days Of disunion.
All this she is supposed to be prepared TO
meet often with irregular or insufficient
funds and little If any preparatory training
Because she is woman she must intultively
grasp the problem Of how to run happy
home all by her lonesome. while husband
thinks his share is accomplished by occa-
sionaly paying the rent on time and telling
her as he hands her SO when household eX-
penscs gapingy demand $50. that "she must
learn to economic" And this same man
may smoke W in cigars, cigarettes or spend
for highballs enough TO have helped her
make ends meet. The woman Of to-day who
is. after all is said. the girl Of yesterday
simply cannot do" this mathematical prob
lem. so "how to be happy though married" is
still fruitful subject for novelsts, news
paper men and preachers. But the girl Of
to-day-who will be the woman of to-mor-
row is doing lot Of was going to say
Lots of them stumble into matrimony on the
old conditions, but few in each group
fight through 20 a sort Of middle ground
where marriage is in the nature Of bargain,
and others who scorn 10 stoop or seek 10
climb work out lonely salvation.
There is no such thing as n "workless job
DR.. Wise 10 the contrary, for even the girl
who thinks that in marriage she will find an
end of work promptly faces these alterna-
tivcs: she either learns her job and is as
good a wife and mother as circumstances and
her husbands health allow her to be, or she
works even harder to keep the affection, ad-
mration or respect of the cave man who
has made her a fgurehead It's all very well
to write about "the supreme thing in mar
risge being intellectual and moral indepen-
dence and spiritual interdependence,' but II
takes two 70 make home just as much ss to
make bargain. and in spite of fragrant er-
amples TO the contrary | hold a brief now
and for all time for the woman in the case.
Give her fair deal and then see what even
the average can do. JUSTICE.
New York, Feb. 80 1917,