The Washington herald., 1918-02-01

A great many people oppose the en-
trance Of women into the commercial
world on the ground that II will
harden them and rob them Of their
feminine charms and virtues.
When you ask these objectors which
of the essentially feminine character
istics are likely to be so injuriouslS
affected by the entrance of women
into the trades and professions, they
hen, and haw, and finally say: "Oh,
well. you NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. won't
be 50 sweet and womanly. They won't
be so trusting and confiding. They'll
be more suspicious, and worldly wise,
self-assertive and all that kind OF
thing, you know"
IF you mean that the woman who
has acquired enough strength and
clinging vine any longer. you are
right" you answer patiently. but is
there anything so peculiarly admira-
BILE In a floppy. spineless, wet dish rag
sort Of a woman. who has TO hang on
to any man upon whom she may get
her clutches? Do you really think
that the parasite woman is the high
est tspe of womanhood? Do you
AAdL lAlC GIN VIII " SCI
some man to support her shows that
she is of finer and higher nature than
the girl who rolls up her sleeves and
goes to work to support herself?
Don't you know from your own
observation that there is nothing else
in the world that so utterly demoral-
izes character, whether it's a woman's
character or a mans character. as
aana.AAnAap n
human being who grated his or her
living who wasn't a liar and a syco-
phant. and filled with envy and spite? /?
And, on the other hand, don't you
know that there Is a magic in inde-
pendence that gives people self-re-
spect, and pOise, honesty and dig
nifty?
Il know two girls, both Of whom are
pretty and attractive and poor. One
Of them sponges around, a self-in-
vited guest, who Is never wanted,
and who is forever hunting for gifts
OF clothes and money, and who will
marry any man on EARTH who can
support her. regardless of her feel
ings toward him.
The other girl refused the offer of
a rich relative to become a member
OF his family. She studied stenog-
raphy. and Is holding down a good
job in a business house, and when
she marries it will be for a high and
holy. not a sordid reason. Which of
these girls character do you admire
the more, the one that has been mold
ed by society or business?
Perhaps a business training will
make women more suspicious and less
trusting. Let us hope so, at any
events. A trusting nature has never
gotten anybody anywhere except into
trouble, and it's been woman's ever
lasting undoing. There isn't a trag-
edy Of a lost woman that doesn't be-
gin with her blind trust in some faith
less man. Anything that will make
women use their heads more and their
hearts less will be q godsend to the
sex.
"As for business robbing women OF
the finer feminine qualities, give your
self no uneasiness about that 1t Sim
ply gives them room for freer and
fuller expression.
Take self sacrifice. for instance.
That has always been considered wom-
an's star virtue. Well, the business
woman exalts self sacrifice to the nth
power. have worked among work
ing women for a quarter OF a century,
and I have known thousands OF them
intimately. and from Sarah Bern
hardt, 73 and crippled still working to
support her family. to the humblest
cash girl who turns over her thin pay
envelope to her mother. 1 have never
known a single working woman who
wasn't giving the best part OF her
earnings to taking care of somebody
else.
There isn't an office. there isn't
a store, there isn't a factory. that
hasn't In II some woman who Is max
ing a heroic sacrifice OF herself on
the altar of her family. who isn't sac
rificing her chance for happiness In
life to take care of her old parents
or give her younger brothers and sis
ters the opportunities that she never
had.
"And as for the other bromide fem
mime virtue-sympathy-i you want to
see II in its flower look for il among
working women. The woman who has
never known what 1t was to be hun
cry, or cold, or racked with anxiety
about the rent money, does not know
how to feel. Her heart has never
really been touched. 1t takes the wom-
an who has been through the hell oi
poverty to sympathize with the poor
IF you want help don't go to the
rich society woman, go to the busi-
ness woman. She will split her las,
nicked with you. She will help you
get work. She will teach the new girl
her job and above all she will ex-
tend the charity of a kindly judgment
and pity to the woman who stumbles
and falls. because she herself has trod
the road and knows now many and
dangerous are its pitfalls.