The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-28


 ments and the circumstances by which they are surrounded. Some see it as an act of God for which they are in no way responsible. Some as a high and holy calling. Many as graft Not a few as abject slavery.
 It is only now and then that a woman looks upon wifehood and motherhood IS the job she has under tallen-her job, in which she must put both heart and back if she is to make a good job of it; her job, in which she will either make a success or failure, according to the kind of work she puts into it, according enthusiasm, and grit, and determina- tion, and energy with which she tackles it.
 Strangely enough, although prac- tically all women want to marry and are more Or less chagrined If they are old maids; they are not proud of their matrimonial jobs. Rather they look upon the domestic occu- patton with contempt as being in some way servial and of little credit to those engaged in it.
 Every woman who has made any sort of a success in business. or any profession. has hundreds of wives and others say to her enviously:
 'It must be wonderful to do things as you do. How 1 wish l had made something out of my life as you have done out of yours!"
 "Why, you have done the greatest thing in the world" cries the busi- ness or professional woman. You have made happy home. You've raised up family of fine girls and boys"
 "Oh. that" says the wife and mother with a shrug of her shoul- ders. But you've done big things"
 It is in vain that you tell such a woman that her job is the biggest job on earth. 1t is in vain that you tell her that to write six best seller that will be forgotten in five years time is as nothing compared to in- scribing the precepts of right living on the blank tablets of little chill dren's souls. It is in vain that you tell her that the greatest woman doctor works no such miracle of healing as the mother who can kiss a hurt place and make it well.
 It is in vain that you tell her that the most skillful interior decorator can only assemble together furniture and rugs and draperies that are a mass of junk until wife and mother ] It is in vain that you tell her that the eloQuence of the most gifted woman preacher is sounding brass and tinkling cYmbals beside the word a mother whispers as she tucks her children into bed.
 It is in vain that you tell her that the famous women politicians and famous reformers and women educa Q tors are only valuable as they work through the mothers, for it is eter- nally true that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
 The mothers only shake their heads unconvinced and wish that they had something worth while to do like writing for a newspaper, or painting pictures that sell, or being highly paid private secre- tary.
 Of course, women are not really to blame for taking this disparaging view of wifehood and motherhood. Even the government. in the census report, lists running a home and raising a family among the non- productive occupations.
 Small wonder for In only too many households the woman who tolls IA hours a day for her husband and children is expected to work for her | board and clothes, and never has a penny given her as a just reward for her labor.
 This is why domestic women, who see other women having jobs which carry with them a pay envelope and which show definite achievement regard their work with so little en- thusiasm, and so often turn out such bUngling jobs.
 This is a pity, for nothing would do more to take matrimony out of the extra hazardous risks class and put it into the category of sure things than for women to quit look ing upon marriage as the end of a romance, or the beginning Of rest cure, and to regard 1t as a big life