The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-07

One OF the most curious things in the
world Is that we have believed for so
long a time that there were two varie-
ties Of human nature, masculine human
nature and feminine human nature, in
stead of realizing that all human ma
ture Is cut off the same bolt Of cloth,
and is precisely of the same warp and
wool.
This fallacious theory has made us
think that what was sauce for the
goose was not sauce for the gander,
and that men and women were diversely
affected by the same influences and re-
acted differently to the same situation.
Thus we have held that work was a
blessing to man n a curse to woman.
We have realized that the devil invari-
ably finds work for idle masculine hands
to. do, but We have had a child-like
faith that idle feminine hands did MOTH
ing but lie, white and innocent, In FEM
inine laps.
We have not failed to observe that It
weakens every fiber Of a mans moral
nature for him not to earn his own
bread and butter by the sweat OF his
brow, but we have fatuously expected
a woman to grow fine, lovely and an
gelic on parasitism.
or course these miracles never hap
pen, but we have gone on believing In
them Just the same, in spite Of the fact
that idle women have been the curse of
the world. and that practically every
Feminine vice is the direct result OF
women not having any legitimate OBJ
teot upon which TO bestow their ener-
gies.
The nosey old maid, whose curiosity
makes her pry into every ones private
a NFaNRa Il. WAWht2- hAN ~ -, -
has so little to do, and so few interests
In her own life that she has to graft
upon the lives OF her %neighbors, The
ttttle-tattle and gossip, and scandal
mongering that goes on among women.
and that blasts regulations and ruins
lives, Is only the Inevitable result Of
women having nothing that Is big
enough and vital enough to absorb their
thoughts.
II doctors were honest enough to
make a true diagnosis Of what ails 80
per cent OF their feminine patients they
would tell them that Il Ii idleness and
prescribe work as a cure. Give a wom-
an nothing TO do and she starts explor-
ing her system for symptoms OF dis
ease, and she finds every affllction
known TO the science OF medicine.
In proof Of this, reflect that 1t Is not
the mothers OF seven babies and who
have to do their " cooking, washing
and ironing, who acquire nervous pros
t%ration, but ladies who ride around In
limousines and have maids that hand
them their Pomeranian pups, Also re
fleet upon the number of invalid ladies
YOU have knowe cured by having
their husbands die, and having had Ia
rise from their couches and roll up their
sleeves and 80 TO work to support the
family.
Idleness Is also the real correspondent
In the great majority Of divorce cases
Give n oma plenty OF none and
nothing more interesting to do than tc
buy clothes, and haunt beauty shops
and you give her a flrst-class ticket to
perdition. She's all dolled up, and she
mas TO go somewhere to show off her
finery, and she has got to have some.
body TO admire her, and the somebody's
got to be a a
Husband Ia too busy making money tc
pay for her idleness to notice whai
she's got on, or TO pay her compliments
and so wife starts out on a still hum
for somebody who will And she finds
him in some lounge lizard, or long
haired aesthetic, who is perfectly will
Ing to pay for being fed, and driver
about In her car, by telling her how
misunderstood and unappreciated she is
and what a sordid chump she is mar
ried TO.
They ignore the fact that womei
have any intelligence or any energy
and that the individual with brains m
energy must be given a worthy objec
upon which to eNpend them, or else b,
or she will find an unworthy one.
Vet, in spite of all this. the grea
majority Of people continue TO believI
that idleness IL the ideal state 10
women, and men keep on working
themselves to death so that their wive
and daughters may have nothing 10 d
but to sit on a silk cushion and sew
up a seam, and feed upon Strawberries
sugar and cream. That men shout
sacrifice themselves to do their women
Kind the greatest harm they could pos
sibly do them, N one Of the most pltifu
mistakes that the world has ever see
in all the history Of laundering altru
ism.
You need no better proof Of this tina
TO see how much healthier, how niue
happier, how much more alert the work
ing woman is than the idle one. g
thought Abe looked SO alive says tn
e~uvious rich, fine lady Of the typist Q
one OF Barrie's subtle plays And L.
true. The wonau who works Is alive
she's up on her tiptoes. shes full Q
fresh ideas, new thoughts, bubbling owe
with hope and enthusiasm,
She doesn't have TO I'll in endles
days with make believe tasks such a
punching holes in cloth 10 M them u
again, or crocheting borders on was
rags. She's doing constructive wor
that Ia worth while. that means some
thing and gets somewhere. She has
definite goal to her ambition. and
! puts pep and ginger in her days and
song In her heart,
Work Is the panaeea for broke
hearts, for W-health, for everythin
that ails you, and II affects the femi
| nine constitution precisely like II doe
the male, and when men realize thi
NNnd instead OF trying TO protect the