El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-30
|"Poor Relation" Blossoms Out As
Self Reliant, Happy Human Being
Patient Drudge That Was Unthanked Factotum OF
Many Households Has Taken to Outdoor Life,
Attractive Clothes and a Salary.
y BEATRICl1 FAIRFA1

3 And one could really get on quite well
without a servant Because The cous-
3 IN had no DAYS off," and no free even
ings, and no beaux. or other personal
/ complications Of her own. You see,
/ you really could depend on her She
was never i'll. and she didn't have
I Mysteries, either. or do anything to
make herself conspicuous IN the
l household All her moods and her
worries she kept with her belongings
in that little room over the kitchen
where she slept
The poor relation received her board
and lodging free, and many of the
/ family connection gave her their worn
out clothes. And people said she was
fortunate to have such a good horae
Very likely she thought so he=svlf.
She wasn't unhappy, I am sure. She
didn't dislike darning. OF even scrub L
bling, and she often cared a great deal
for the children. in a touching, secret
sort OF way I'm not sure she would
have accepted wages She wouldn't
have thought she had a right to
them.
Well. she IS vanished We couldn't
find her now, or persuade her to I'M
dertake the drudgery Of our house
holds, even II We offered her the
wages that are now considered the
equivalent Of such services. She has
escaped US forever. She is living her
own life. She Is busy with some work
that she has chosen. and IS getting
paid for II. She has her own home,
either alone or with some family COM
panion. Very often she adopts child
or two.
Personally she isn't recognizable.
You couldn't Identify her with the
eolorless cousin who used TO wear
such ugly. shabby dresses. and wig
baked for you, in secret, such ex-
tremely deiectable little cakes. She's
20 years younger and healthier and
happier and prettier. She's never had
the indoor habit because her genera
ton knows better.
And since she grew ID she's never
bee dependent because she knows how
many ways there are for q woman to
support herself The idea OF DOING
odd Jobs in a relatives family. with
complete suppression OF her own per
son7lity. and no waEes-Would be IN
thinkable. If she feels like Il, she
may even marry. though she is past
her EirIhood- But II won't be for eco
nonlfc reasons She isn't looking
about for somebody who viii give
her a home" She can contrive home
OF her own without any trouble what
ever If she u1arries Il win be for ro-
nance and friendship and comrade-
ship.
But how IN the world do the moth
ers and fathers and children Of this
generation get on without herr Who
makes family life possible2 Who
watches the baby while mother goes
shopping. and helps brother with his
examples" and does emergency laun-
dry work. and keeps track Of the
linen. and-Oh. well. you can see why
people say that family life isn't fam
lily life any longer.
There's nobody TO keep the ma
chinery oiled There's nobody TO sac
riffce her life in the interest OF the
family convenience II does make q
difference The fireless cooker doesn't
replace the poor relative for a mo-
ment. though we may have hoped Il
would-nor the bread making machine
nor any electric device that has ever
been invented. or ever viii be.
Let's cherish her memory. at all
events. Let's have the gratitude and
the decency to acknowledge what she
did.