The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1917-04-06
POINTS OF VIEW.


A Marietta young man sojourning
in a western state recently sent ais
mother nicely bound copy of BLEAK
House" as birthday present AMI
when she mentioned it to me | said
THAT is the most difficult of all
the stories Dickens ever wrote, its
positively exasperating in the way he
presumes. to dispose of one dear lit
tie woman (Which one? Mrs.
Jellaby." ''Do you think he is UNI
just to that poor deluded creature?"
And this Is my answer to that
question:
Everybody who tolls through
BLEAK House estimates the Jella-
bys by the measure of that superb
cial, too amiable, tiresome old maid
Esther Summerson.
Peepy and Caddy and Mr. Jella-
by are posed as helpless, unhappy
victims of "Womanly Devotion
to charity that did not begin ncr
end at home. Now, Mrs. Jellahy
has all the good qualities necessary
to make a sunshine in a shady place,
only her sunshine reaches too far
and falls not upon her own cluster
ing olive branches She is a sweet
tempered, energetic, handsome and
intelligen woman. Unfortunately
she has been entrapped into a circle
of philanthrophic reformers. Her
generous nature was stirred with
pity for the miserable paupers Of
London. The work she attempted
was worthy of the noblest effort Of
wise men and good women 1t was
missionary work of the best kind;
and yet, because Mrs. Jellaby al
lowed herself to become absorbed in
devfsing ways and means of elevat-
ing the lives, and saving the souls
of her fellow creatures, she has been
held wholly responsible for all the
shameful conditions of her family.
and the other discomforts of her
housekeeping. The dilapidation and
disorder of the house; incompetence
of the servant; the dishonesty of
the tradesmen the uncared for chill
dren the ignorance and ugly temper
of Caddy-even the dismal failure in
business, and in all other matters
that befell the father of the family.
Are they not all laid on the shout
ders of the bright-eyed little moth
er?
Thousands of women spend all
their days and half their nights din
ing out, driving in parks, visiting,
dancing, attending lectures and op-
eras, visiting charitable institu-
lions, yielding to the various de-
mands of society, and philanthropy;
and who cares for their houses and
children meantime? How many
mothers. habitually battle and dress
their children to say nothing of
teaching them to read and write?
AON SNCHNo' lOuStLldIuS, sewing
girls and governesses legitimate and
necessary adjuncts to housek ee ping
and child-training? Peepy's state
OF dirt" as well as the disordered
state of the house reflected on the
undutitul, lazy housemaid rat..e
tnan on her mistress.
am not defending the class of
women that bestow on houses ana
children only the crumbs of time that
fall from committee tables-wheth-
er. the subject set out on the tables
be charity balls, church fairs, or
tae immigration of surplus poor
people to colonies on the west
banks of the Niger or the east
banks of the Amazon.
Touching Mrs. Jellaby's untidy
and questionable dressing, l have
only this to say Many good women
have no more "eyes'' for dress and
adornment than many Others have
: ears for music. The best dressed wo-
man, the ever-blooming pink of
neatness and style is oftener than