The Washington herald., 1918-08-26

their war work these women have
literally found their souls. After II
Il over, will they be satisfied to 90
back to the flesh pots? VIII they
be content to spend aimless days.
filled with nothing but the pursuit
of amusement? Will not the exc
cutive ability, that so many OF them
have developed. require q bigger out.
let than running a town or country
house? How will they dam up the
energies the war has set free into
the small circumference OF a draw
ing room?
And there are md1IIons Of other
women who have been engaged In pi1-
ding women's work where they re-
ceived only starving wages. They
have found out, since the war be-
gan, that they can do mems work and
earn mems salaries. Are they going
i to be willing to give up the lathe and
the big Jobs they now have. and re-
tire once more to the kitchen and
wash tub, and the dollar day en-
velope?
And there are thousands of other
| women who chafed at doing domestic
ity, and who loothed women's tradi-
itional tools-the cook stove and the
| sewing machine. Many OF these wo-
! men were married to husbands with
no gift for money making. The war
has given these women a chance to
see what they can do, and they have
made good. Will any one be able
to shoe these women back into the
home to haggle with husband over
pennies when the war Is over? The
woman who has once known the Joy
Of her own pocket book is like the
tiger who has tasted blood.
"Will not the war change the whole
theory as regards the propriety Of
married women being wage earners.
and engaging in any kind of work
] for which they have a talent7 The
world will need all the skillful work.
ers 1t can get to offset the economic
| waste Of war.
| will not the war also change our
ideas concerning woman's status in
the household? Thousands OF men
will come back from lover there" in
| capacitated for life from supporting
a family. This will force many
women to become the bread-winners.
and I wonder how the men and
women are going to adjust themselves
to this change.
II wonder II the war Is going to
| give women a rational dress. and II
1 women are gong TO realize that peo-
pie who have real work to do ana
big affairs to decide cannot waste
| their time and energies on adorning
themselves in fripperies. Thousands
| of women are now wearing uniforms
| and are finding out for the first time
the ease of mind and body there is
in plain. substantial. comfortable
gowns and shoes. / wonder IL out
Of this will not come the standardiza-
ton of clothing for working women.
Il wonder what the millions OF
women are going to do with their
lives the women who would have
married and brought up families, the
women nature designed for that pur-
pose. but who will never have a
chance to marry. because the men who
would. under normal conditions, have
been their husbands have been slain
in battle. On what mama will they
feed their hungry hearts? What in
terest will they devise for themselves? ?
What outlet will they find for their
thwarted mother love?
'Oh. It is going to be an interesting
world after this war" added the old
woman, with a sigh, ''and / am SO
sorry that won't be here to see it,
(Copyrighted. 1918. by the Wheeler
syndicate.)