The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-01-26
WHAT is EXPECTED OF THE
WOMAN.
r. w. Robertson.

AAoSC1 ~ AZ OApCClCu LudL A6 HAS d
trade, profession, an occupation of
some kind, in which he is skilled, in
order that he may be able to provide
for himself and family.
What is expected of woman?
have heard mothers say, Let my
daughter enjoy herself while she is
single: there is time enough for her
to learn cooking and housekeeping
after she is married." Now, suppose
a young man should go to college
to ask for his diploma, telling the pro.
fessors that he would take out his de-
grees; but the profession he would
learn afterwards. Suppose that a
young man, while Offering his hand
to the daughter of the above mother,
should say, Madam, / have enjoyed
myself so far; now that l take to my
self a wife, l will learn a profession:
there is plenty of time after marriage
to learn" What would the dame say?
Very likely she would stand aghast al
the impudence of the fellow; and po-
likeness would not prevent her from
telling him that he was not fit to have
the care of her child. And yet, when
he says, Il am a mechanic, mer-
chant, lawyer, or doctor of medi-
cine," what does she say of her
daughter?-probably this: 'She is a
good girl; she is the idol of our fam
lily; she has never worked, she has
never known trouble: see that you
make her HAPPY" o good mother!
is that your idea of equity? The way
you ought to be able to answer is this:
My daughter, too, has profession;
she can keep house; she can sew; she
can cook; she knows the market price
of comestibles, knows the proportions
OF groceries to be melted out for GER
tain number of individuals in a fam.
lily; can keep a book of expenses; un-
derstands the laws of economy, the
management of servants, the govern.
ment of her house. assure you that
the earnings from your toll will be
safe in her hands. While you make,
she will economize; and, instead of
being an expense to you, she will be
an assistance. Even if she should not
need to labor, she so understands how
to do that she can direct the service
of others. Her pleasures are only sec.
ondary to her duties; and while she
is refined, educated, and virtuous, she
is a good manager and pleasant
companion"
0 mothers! let this be so, and hun
dreds of bachelors who rove through
the miseries of Single blessedness,"
deferred from marriage by the fear
that they cannot support a wife, will
take to themselves one of. these love.
ly and Industrious women, and regret
that they did not find her before.
Whose fault is it that the young
men of our days are so afraid of mar
riage? Whose fault is it if married
men cannot encourage bachelors to
change their condition? Even from
the pulpit we have heard denounced
this disinclination of men to marry.
We know that this abnormal state of
things is prolific of moral vices and
social degradation, yet we cannot en-
courage good men to marry women
wro are totally ignorant of the duties
of a wife; we cannot blame them if
they do not want to marry women
who drag them from step to step down
| the ladder of success.
No woman, were she a queen,
should feel above certain amount OF
daily work.
1t is for the parents to educate their
daughters for the profession of house
wives. To become an efficient house
wife, it needs the early training that
man has to undergo to become q
mechanic, professional man, or &
trader. The habit of methodical worl
is acquired only through early perse
Verance, never after. Men will more
respect a girl who can use little
French on her pastry than one who
can only utter French bons.mots il
the parlor. Her white and fiexibl,
hands will lose none of their charm!
II they are pricked by the industrious
needle. A well-fitting dress will at
tract no less if the nimble fingers o
the wearer did the cutting and tn,
sewing.
Raise your daughters to do thei
work, and the limited incomes of thu
Iyoung men will be ample to supper
a family, and also to save for rain,
days. The wife thus employed will
have more respect for herself, an,
will be a good judge of the hardship
OF her husband. The husband will
love the little sprite who lessons hi
anxieties, and affords him so muel
comfort. No more dependence upol
unwilling or untrusty servants; sh
can laugh at them, and, when the
find that it is SO, they will learn tina
their interest is to work, to econc
mize, and be faithful The Who'll
household will then be in harmony
the vexatfons that try ones temper
the heart burnings and rejoiners, vii
| be replaced by peace, prosperity an
| happiness.
4 Occupation and labor are conduciy
to health; and, with habits of indus
try, many of our beautiful but fraj
girls would have been much finer spec
linens of womanhood morally an
| physically.
WIN. II. Wolline, M. ID.
= 4,