Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-27
Woman,s Life and Loue
The Won,a,, With the Latch Key
BY WINIFRED HARPER COOLEY

In the rush of modern life, people 70
and come mt all hours. The woman
who had to depend on her husband 70
unlock their home would be In a stranss
position indeed. When folks rent IN
apartment. they are always given two
keys. and each goes and comes indie.
pendently. To suggest that women win
misuse a key is to hint that IL they
are not locked in by their husbands thsy
will run away!
Recently, man from Cuba told me
(approvingly y an actual story Of A
friend Of his. The man married a girl.
and being extremely jealous by nature,
shut her up a dozen years in locked
house! The first story window was
high up and barred. She was never
permitted outside her home except to
60 to church with her husband She
was supplied with servants, and given
govcrnesses to teach her music and Ian.
gnages. In this prison she bore min.
children. In twelve years or 80 the
master became lax. either because b,
decided that nine babies would "settle"
any woman, or because as he grew
older he became more careless and less
jealous. He had stated that he wanted
to be certain that the children his wife
bore were his!
Think of the insult to the woman
one marries. And is 1t possible that a
man supposes that If girl really Is
wild, she can be kept true by barred
doors? 1t is notorious that In Latin
countries where chaperonage Is severe,
and women are secluded strenuouay,
there is continual romantic intrigue,
and bribed servants wink at secret Wis.
itors. There is something in human
nature that violently resents lack Of
faith in ones honor. and in the very
nature of things such lack of faith %
rewarded by deception and lies.
Or, II woman's 3 self respect or lack
of opportunity prevents her from tax.
Ing revenge, she nurses a long, smol
dering resentment and batred-which
surely are not to be desired by man
from one whom he processes to love!
Better give wife a latchkey and
trust to your own attractions to keep
her, Friend Husband!
! 1t may seem a trivial thing, this little
key, and one may object that we make
n good deal out of nothing, but. belevt
me. 1t Is the big symbol Of Independents
and self respect. Only when one b
free can she be moral. As the China.
| ildll nuiNcly lHblSteu tHuL 10 upuinu
girls feet was to let her run away, 70
men for many centuries, In supposedly
frcer countries than China, have
preached that to grant any freedom 70
women was to wreck the world Surely
nothing more insulting to the sex they
professed to reverence could be con-
ceived; to free them was to let them
go according to their own desires, and
| these must be immoral
Lack Of all supervision and restraint
may be harmful sometimes to immature
girls. Minors need wise guidance, and
parents may have swung the pendulum
too far, when they flung to the young
folks a key, and themselves went Oh
to bed.
Temptations and pitfalls. of course
sometimes are for the ignorant. and
the wise parent ought to seek the conn.
dence of daughter land son y and ouso'
to keep n kindly supervision over hour
of arrival after parties. But when
women no longer are minors, but an
responsible human adults, there IS 10
one who has a right to assume guar.
dianship over them, or to do pohc'
! duty.