The Washington herald., 1921-05-02
THE CuRE.ALL

fed herself by saying that she was
a baby vamp. and just couldn't
help yamping men"
-Humph," commented q middle
aged woman. II could cure her Of
vamping. I'd give her six moaths
Of scrubbing floors, six months Of
the cook three months of
dish washing. and three months Of
intensive sock darning. She wouldn't
be a vamp after this course"
She wouldn't, and there wouldn't
be 50 many baby yamps roaming
about. seeking whom they may de-
YOUR. IL every mother saw. to II that
her daughters took . good precau-
tionary dose of housework every
day. For there Is nothing more
salutary for the mortal, as we'll a.
the physical system, than making
beds and sweeping floors and cook
ing. .....--.
There Is no more altruistic thing
in the world than making q home.
1t sobers and ennobles one. Mo-
body ever heard of a light-minded
cook, or the girl who did the family
o6A hok bCAhe eSAN " A1~.C NS~
eyes behave. The maiden who
keeps her room spick and span and
spotless 10 IN no danger of -bespat-
the mud of the streets.
There Is no doubt that what We
used to cali "woman's work" il a
fine. remedy for all that ais the
modern girl. and II 10 q great pity
thai. mothers have not, enough sense
to see this, and enough backbone to
apply II. II they had. they would
save themselves many bitter tears
and many . wayward girl from 60
ing to destruction.
The trouble with mothers is that
| their love and tenderness crowd out
their common sense and Judgment.
They are 80 anxious to save their
girls from all the cares and bur
dens of life, that they fail to real
ize that q girls mind and hands
must be employed some way. and
that IL they are not filled with
worthy employment they will nnd
an unworthy one.
Every one of US could name a
hundred cases in which Q poor
mother slaves morning, noon and
night in kitchen, while her
daughters Cad the streets: where
mothers toll at the sewing ma
chine making their daughters
pretty clothes, while the girls keep
dates at the drug stores, or make
eyes at strange men on the street;
where mothers are literal slaves in
order that their daughters may be
free to 60 to the movies and dance
halls.
It would save these girls IL they
had to take turns with mother At
the cook stove, and the vashtub,
and the sewing machine II Mamie
knew she had to 60 home and get
dinner for father and the boys she
wouldn't have SO much time to en-
gage in persihage with the soda
fountain clerk, or pick mp some
good-looking strange man with q
rowing eye for just such little, idle,
purposeless happers as she Il.
All young people are full Of en-
ergy; they are restless, they must
have something to do and to think
about, and It passes comprehension
why mothers do not face this fact
and see that IL the children are not
given the right thing to do, they
will do the wrong thing.
The most disastrous fallacy In
the world Is that which has taught
US that work Il . misfortune to
women. For ages every mothers
desire has been to protect her
daughter from any care or labor,
and every mans ambition has been
to have his wife do nothing but
"sit on a silk cushion and feed upon
Strawberries, sugar and cream" We
have pitied the woman who has to
do her own housework and shed
tears Of sympathy over the poor,
unfortunate working girl who has
to earn her own living. We have
even talked about the foundations
that beset the woman who had TO
work out in the world. and thought
how nice and safe the girl was who
had nothing to do but stay at home
and go in society.
Nothing could be further from the
truth than our attitude toward
women and work. In reality, idle
ness is more disastrous for women
than II is for men. 1t was a woman
with nothing to do but kill time
who first started trouble in the
world. and Satan is still finding
work for such Of her daughters as
have empty hands. Eve seems to
have become a worthy and estima-
BILE woman as soon as she wds put
to. work, and had plenty TO do
raising Cain and Abel.
II yu will look the world over,
you will find that the : neurotic.
complaining. whining, disgruntled,
dissatisfied women are idle women.
you Will hnd. out that the women
VINO are seeking their soul mates,
and who have decided that the men
to whom they are married are not
their afhnities. are idle women.
You will nnd that the women who
betray their husbands, and neglect
their children. and get into sean
dals. are idle women.
The women whose hands and
minds are occupied every minute Of
the day; the women who have a
PURPOSE. and who, are working for
some definite end: the women whose
souls are nlied with the satisfying