Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-19

divorce, both Of which are inc
30 back to work. When the
children are entering their
teens. the women can easily
At 9 job into the home sched-
ule. They'll be grandmotliers
in their 40s, eagerly looking
for something to MI their
time. Women live longer
than men. so Il is likely that
they'll spend the end Of their
lives. If they're lucky, work
ing at a job that interests
and delights them. In the
long view. marriage and
childbearing. although q des-
perate need. may be only an
interlude in q woman's life.
The married woman is
fooled into believing she can
spend her whole life without
acquiring q single skin. Fritz
tering away the scant years
before she marrieS. she learns
no trade. She comes to mar
riage with little ability
beyond q certain fiair for
looking attractive in strong
sunlight. On this house Of
cards she builds her self
assurance. But time won't
hold still and she reaches
her mid-30s. when her chill
dren are almost independent
and her one small talent is
beginning to weather. The
change in her appearance.
which had counted for so
much, makes her insure. She
is now ready. with her family
nearly grown. to take part in
the hustle outside her home,
but she is newly timid and
has no training. Unskilled
occupations look wearying,
unworthy. and dull; so she
sits at home and becomes
more respondent with each
empty. wasted day.
] met one such woman not
long ago. Her husband had
died in his mid-5Os and she
was devastated.
Il know that self -pity isn't
helping me-" she commented
sadly, but / just sit in our
pretty little home and cry"
You'd better get q job"
I said.
"A job she exclaimed.
1--WE never had a job in my
life. What could ! do?"
start down the street Of
the shopping district nearest
you" ] advised her. "and 60
into every store and ask for
work until you find a job"
She took my suggestion
ard landed a job the next
day in a dime store. Wres-
ting with the problems OF
learning to ring UP sales
and make change for the
purchase Of 59-cent wallets,
she found new strength to
accept her loneliness, and an
awakened interest in people.
She left that Job for a better
one and ! haven't heard
from her since. / suspect
she Is just fine.
Work is a great healer for
a woman. A woman who dis
covered her husband, much
adored by their children,
was chronically unfaithful,
soothed her ravaged emo
tons by going back TO work.
Another woman, who was
languishing in misery be-
cause she was sterile, pulled
herself out of her own pri-
yate pit by spending a morn
ing a week bathing babies at
an infants home. The babies
responded instantly TO her
loving gentleness in the midst
Of their institutional life:
babies and women helped
one another through a bad
time.
I'd like TO add a special
word for a woman trained in
some profession such as
medicine or law. before her
marriage. In our busy coun-
try II Is a tragic loss TO have
such a person disappear into
the suburbs. and agonizingly
difhcult for such a woman 70
he content with peeling po-
tatoeS.
! cannot close this article
without adding that there
are exceptions TO my argu-
ment. There are some wom-
en- who have no struggle as
to whether they will continue
to work outside their home
when they marry No indeci-
sion or longing for activity
N'ill wreck them. They marry
. farmer, a minister, or q