Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-11
LIFE'S PROBLEMS
ARE DISCUSSED
By MRS. WILSON WOODROW

happened to run across an eS-
say written about twenty years ago
by a woman who was something of
a celebrity in her day. 1t was a plea
to women, urging them to set up
bank accounts for themselves where
ever possible and telling of the sat
isfaction and serenity of mind which
came from such step. 1t sounded
like voice from the Dark Ages.
"Yet, at the time she was real
~ proposing rather radical de-
parture," smiled a contemporary of
the writer who was with me. 1t
was the exception then rather than
the rule for n woman to have knowl-
edge of business or finance. Most
of us could more easily have drawn
the Sistine Madonna than a check.
We were appallingly ignorant in ev-
erything relating to money"
Except probably in ways of
spending it," 1 observed significant
ly. My friend always has been and
is to-day rather eXtravagant.
"Ah!" she shook her head, "I
come of an era, you must remem-
Der, when woman was just about as
much of an economic factor in the
world as a canary scattering its
birdseed around its cage. She was
there merely for ornament and to
air her pretty little accomplish
ments. AS for the birdseed, it was
always on hand, provided for her
entirely without toll or thought on
her part to do with as she chose,
and apparently came from an mex
haustible supply.
"Why should she bother to hus-
band or take care of it, when to
throw it about furnished some
amusement in her otherwise idle
and monotonous life? That was the
era and the atmosphere in which /
was brought up" she repeated, land
you can't teach an old dog, or an
cid canary either. new tricks.
Indeed" she went on, when I
think of the ideals which obtained
and of what a sealed book all busi-
ness except that of squandering
was to us little more than a gen.
Grafton ago l stand in amazed won
der before the alert, competent,
business-like woman of to-day.
There are still plenty of canary
birds, of course, just as there have
always been bustling, sober-mind-
ed, thrifty sparrows; but the age
has taken on much more of the
sparrow complexion.
you know" she smiled, "it is
said that sparrows were introduced
into this country through the me-
diGm of single pair brought over
for the purpose of combating the
wasteful ravages of the grubs and
caterpillars that were destroying
crops and vegetation of all sorts.
but the sparrows increased and
multiplied so miraculously and are
so aggressive that they have to a
great extent driven out all the other
birds. We have perhaps lost some
thing in the way of color and orna-
ment by the change, but we have
saved our food supply.
And, to tell you the truth" she
reflected. I doubt very much if the
canary bird role ever was a natural
one to woman. 1t was forced upon
her to a great extent, but it was
only masquerade in borrowed
plumage, as proved by the celebrity
with which she has doffed it as soon
as her opportunity came. AS it says
here" she picked up the essay
which had started our discussion,
ard read aloud:
"'A definite allowance and a
check book will make of many a
woman an economist and a man
ager who would otherwise be a
wasteful spendthrift on a small
scale, doubtless, but one quite as ex-
as are the titled danes of high de-
gree in London, who are hopeless
ly in debt to their milliners and
tailors-for there is something in
that eXactness of figures, those in
eXorable figures which traditionally
will not lie, that educates a
woman"
1 wonder If there is not a good
deal in what my friend had to say.
We have. always been called the
eXtraVagant sex, / know. Never a
man went on the financial rocks but
he and the world promptly blamed
some woman for it, either in con-
junction with wine and song or else
be cause of n vain and inconsiderate
wife or daughters.
And 1 am not denying that wom-
en- have been the worlds great
spenders. In very ancient times
men were the chief offenders. 1t
was they who went robed in pur-
pie and fine linen and decked them
selves with gold and precious stones.
Solomon in all his glory" was the
synonym.
There were Cleopatras, too, and
Theodoras wasting wealth like wa
ter, of course, but women in gen.
eral went simply clad and kept in
the background. Then in the Mid
die Ages and down through the
reigns of Louis XIV. and XIV. in
France the two sexes ran in this
respect about an even race, neck
and neck, so to speak.
The day of woman's general and
superior prodigality dawned when
Eugene came as Empress to Paris
with her beauty, her youth and her
love of display and set the vogue