El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-04

Z full career OF 4 professional mother
3 inlaw.
And Of all dangers that menace the
woman Of 80 I wonder if this ism
the most serious3
Inasmuch as Of all lawful ways OF
making q nuisance of oneself. this
wears the most disarming cloak OF
unselfinshness and virtue
We all know what a sense Of re-
lief We feel when a charming girl in
whom We are interested tells US that
the man she is TO marry has been an
that his entire family lives in CALI
fornia and has never been known to
take journeys. And this is because
so many women cannot be trusted not
to abuse the privilege Of being a
motherinlaw.
The woman in the 40s is rested
from the efforts OF her first ten years
Of married life. More OF less con-
sciously she is yearning for something
TO do In all matters OF baby raising
and housekeeping she regards her
self as an expert And nothing could
make her see that in coming into her
sons home and personally tackling
its problems she isn't doing the youns
wife kindness
Perhaps she does not wholly base
her interference on the ground Of her
greater age and experience Perhaps
she is a mother who loves her son too
well. loves him. I mean. in a jealous.
possessive way, and insists on acting
as though she were still the guardian
OF her boys comfort and happiness
and the distracted wife an unsuccess-
full probationer-
A miserable chapter is beginning
in a young mans life when he dis
covers that his wife and mother are
tearfully at war over the holes in his
socks or the way he likes to have the
bread baked And it's an unhapDi-
ness that could be totally avoided II
mothersinlaw would only learn TO
keep their hands off
The harm that a mother may do by
interfering in her daughters married
life is perhaps less obvious, but II is
just as real Here there is less clash
Of domestic standards, because the
mother and daughter are in this re-
spect already adjusted But the pro-
fessional mOtherinlaW is willing to
tamper with more delicate matters
than cookery and washday. She
doesn't hesitate to tell her daughter
how to manage" her husband.
Husband changing.
Hasn't she herself successfully
mana aged a man for a quarter OF a
century and doesn't she know7 And
wouldn't II be disrespectful on her
QAuEALeF part NOT 10 need her aQ-
vice. But as soon as this outside in
fluence makes itself felt in the life
Of the young lovers. misunderstand-
ings and quarrels follow wish that
such mothersinlaw were ever repent
ant for the misery they cause But
they are SO thoroughly in love with
their own wisdom and authority that
they Co not feel the slightest twinge
o. remcrse-
All OF which is merely a preface to
my appeal to middle aged women 10
find an occupation for themselves.
Something, II possible. outside their
own homes Something that they
can take seriously and care deeply
about and 70 which they can usefully
apply that wisdom and energy and
experience OF theirs Something 10
make the world cheerfuller and them
selves happier: something to keep
them young and l0vabls and alive.
Fortunately. there are at this mo-
ment many more outlets for a mature
woman's energy than there ever were
before Can IL be that you, you wo-
man Of 20. do not know OF any? How
about school lunches, and baby well
fare stations, and Montessori classes2
How about community kitchens and a
district nurse service and proper play
grounds and the public health gen
orally.
And suffrage isn't won yet. except
in spots.
You see. there isn't a shred OF ex-
cuse for you,