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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1904)
Saccesafol Woman. T WHAT aire docs a woman achieve I J success? In what llnea of work la she most likely to be success ful? What sort of training best Droparee lier for a successful career? are in Wliat is success, anywuy? These substance, tho questions that Amanda Carolyn Northup makes .attempt to answer In on article in the Popular Science Monthly of a recent dato entitled, "The Successful Women of America." The answer to the last qucstiou Is to ba found in the fact that she bases all her work on data obtained from "Who's Who In America," the presence of a woman's name in that book being the hall mark of success. Sho says her work la a study "of those women who have acldeved in public or professional life that measure of Buceesa sufficient to give them a place among tho successful men and women of America, and for tho finding out In what lines of work tho greater probabilities of success He, and what part educational training seems to havo had." She admits that the con clusions are tentative, and she might havo added that they were in some respects even illogical and misleading. Oi tho 977 women given in "Who's Who" only 954 are considered In her six tables and the remarks based upon these. Sha excludes sixteen actresses and opera singer because they are neither by birth nor resi dence American, and she not only deposes from success a one time island queen, but also one queen of society the only queens that Americans bow down to. Sho does not montlon the fact that the total femalo popu lation of the United States and island Is 87,178,127, and 32.607.4til of these are whites a fact that throws Into gloomy sig nificance her 854. Even after ono has made every possible allowance for age and condi tion of servitude, can it be possible that only one out of 30,000 and more is a success ful woman? One fact alone that of but one financier being; mentioned Is enough of itself to throw A shadow of doubt on the representative truthfulness of these conclusions. There are many names of men financiers included who have not by their operations acquired a million of money, yet hardly a month, per haps hardly a week, passes that the news papers do not tell of women who have done more. The answer to the two Important questions f the article, "What profession seems to give the greatest opportunity of success, and what educational preparation seems most helpful and necessary?" seems to be that authorship is the profession and work In the private schools the most helpful training, for out of the 964 women con sidered 487 are authors (novelists, essayists, poets, and historians), and C5 others are really authors, though tabulated as journalist. Including editors, critics, and oerrmpondent. Of artists there are 103; educators, Including lecturers, 91; actresses, 6Sj mualelans, 43; doctors, 21; scientists, 17; ministers, 13; librarians, ; lawyers, 9. The woman manager, whether an en'ter preneur or a manager of a large number ef people, Is not mentioned; neither Is the Stenographer. There must be successful wnmnn In both classes, women deserving Of recognition, but the fact Is probably, that their profession is not recognixed either as a learned or polite one, hence the exclusion Is not personal. It would seem as though the question as to what profession offers the greatest op portunity of success should be modified. Tho figures show In what profession rec ognition Is most certain, a recognition often based on a small volume of work. The fact is that the writer of one book which is published may have her name In "Who's Wh ," but does that indicate In any large way that she Is a success? Some fault may be found with the con clusions reached as regards the preparation received and the suggestions as to what is the best preparation for success. These are In favor of the private school, but Is not the private school girl successful to begin with? The chances are that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and with other property of much more fundamental value than many spoons. To be fortu nately born Is an element of success In It self; It usually means the best physical nnd mental opportunities for development; it means freedom from hampering rare; it means time to devote to special tastes and aptitudes, and means to cultivate the.e. If parents of such a girl are serl ot!8 minded and successful in other things than those of a financial nature, her In herited gifts and every day surroundings nre a coiLfrtantly augmenting stock In trade that becomes of invaluable service to her when she turns to serious work. Never being obliged to do any large amount of so-called menial labor, If she Is by nature Industrious, she will turn to the arts and set herself well on the way to success If she later chooses to go on. Any training In the art of expression Is, of course, of the utmost value to her, whether she turns to authorship or to any kindred pursuit. So trained, she has not that Inertia to overcome that one naturally gifted but undisciplined must have. There are two other points of Interest In this paper. At what age does success come? Tho answer Is. late. Musicians reach the goal first with an average ape of 40.7, and artists next with an average age of 44.4. Kdueators average up to 4fl.2, authors 53.3, Journalists 50.8, and actresses 55. The one financier given Is 67, but cer tainly Hetty Green was a successful woman In her way long before she reached that age. Is it fair to count the present nge of these women, some of whom at tained success at 30 or earlier. In answering such a question? Authors, In particular, ore likely to do their best work, certainly their fame-bringing work, long before they are 63. Do successful women marry? The an swer Is that 54 per cent of them do. Twelve out of the thirteen ministers, eight out of the nine lawyers, and forty-four out of sixty-five Journalists, the next highest ratio, were married. But poor educator! "Her chances of matrlmoney are 26.3 per cent, or a little over one to four. The cause of this Invites speculation. Is It disinclination or lack of opportunity? Does her 'instructive habit make her less attractive to mn?" If this per cent should come to be the per cent of mar riages among those who at some time teach, the nation would need to take active measures to prevent the social disaster consequent. Hut teachers will marry although they see success In their profession staring them In the face, with the full realization that they must for ever quit the school room. Why so small a number of women educators obtain recognition Is a much more serious ques tion to ponder over than why so few of those who do marry or are married. Per haps the reason in that teaching is one of the most crowded of all the women pro fessions. It is easier for an educated woman to get Into this than into nny other, and it Is bound to contain many women of mediocre talent, little ambi tion, and less will power, while author ship requires more than a modicum of ull these.-Chicago Tribune. Trinkets That Del Ik lit the Ilahy. IOT1IHKS who are on the lookout M for new Ideas will see unusual possibilities In the nursery tilln-? w.fjl which Is now shown In all the Vfr rw stores. This consists of blocks of tile about six Inches square, on which are pictures and nursery rhymes. These ate used for the play room, nursery, fireplace, or for the walls of the children's bath room. The tiles nre arranged In position so that the story Is told In sequence, and the word are printed so plainly that even the chil dren who are Just beginning to read can spell them out. All colors are used for a background, but white und preen are tho favorites. An artlsllc fireplace recently seen In a nursery had white tiling with delft blue. Kate (Sreenway figures to coi respond with the blue of the walls. tlardcn rhymes about "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," were on the tiles. For the baby's bath there nre exquisite conveniences In the way of toilet sets, which conic In miniature. A white one, for intanc; has robin's egg blue bands edged with gilt, und forget-me-nots sprinkled all over the surface of the bowl and pitcher. Kven the dainty soap dish, comb and brush are hand-painted with the small blue blos soms, which signify remembrance. How to keep the baby's bib on without using pins has always been a problem to both nuive and mother. A new arrange ment, called a feeder holder, is prettier and moro useful than It sounds. It Is made of a strip of three-quarter-inch white s:itln ribbon, hand-painted with forget-me-nots and laced through brass rings at Intervals of an inch. This attaches to the bib and holds it taut in the back. To offer a china doll to a buby Is a direct challenge for him to use it to pound the floor with. l'p-to-date mothers buy bisque or cloth dolls and dress them in crocheted Jackets, skirts and hats. Tiny Islls sewed on the hat or bonnet, or In some Invisible place, will delight the baby whose car is ever alert for musical sounds. Cashmere Instead of cotton sheets are used in the modern nursery. These are of softest white wool, and are hemstitched. Physicians all agree that It Is much better for tho child to have tho lightweight wool next to him instead of cotton. Utile chest protectors made of webbing are now sold In all the stores. They are simply made to slip the bead through nnd are bound with tape. These protectors are invaluable even for spring wear for chil dren who pluy out of doors a great deal and who are susceptible to colds. Old Paabloiietl Kniliroltlerles. N OI,I craxe In the faneywork line, which is called new, is canvas embroidery, but it is really one of the oldest of feminine oc cupations. There la a difference, however, and tho in the kinds of materials used result produced, although the principle remains the same. In tho old days, when this work was popular, there wus only one kind of canvas to select from, and yarn was uaed ex clusively for working the patterns. Nowa days, there are all sorts of canvas weaves nnd as many beautiful colored silks, linens or cottons to choose from, so when finished the embrirtileied luttcru appear much more workmanlike. A bedroom set designed for a sunnier cottage was dainty enough to use In a spaie room. The set consisted of bedspread, shams, dresser, commode and table scarf and one pllow. The woi k was done on a coarse weave of cream linen, which n -v;n-bleil scrim, aid mi wbii h a pattern bad t'.rst been stamped in a conventional d.r-ign of tl'Mir de lis The center of the bedspread had a ma.'-s of the tl Mir de lis, while the border was conventional and cm. hi It pother with a bowknot design, all done in yellow silk. The pattern was tlrsl darned, and when finished the edge of eae'i Hnt-som vaS worked In a double ero'" : tileii - i'.n, covering two threads of the canvas cieli way. This made it stand out distinctly from the bac k-gronnd. givlnx it e raised appearance. The nlu-e of the spread was scalloped and buttonhole stitched with the yellow silk. The mosaic embroidery Ih also done on canvas, which comes In little squares. An artistic mill useful t Met mat for a bath room was done in n heavy blue and white linen thread. The center pattern was in a diamond design. When finished, each solid blue check was tarred with white, and vice, versa. The edge of the mat was hemmed, and 11 was lined with felt. Kor canvas embroidered curtains there are several novel little edges made from which to select for a finish. Tin s edges come In all colors, as well nr. while, nnd are made In the clip form, which means that both sides are alike. Curtain binds are n: ade to match and are finished with this edge, anil with a crocheted ring for a loop. Another new embroidery Is the Unitarian. Tho work Is becoming popular here, as it Is In Kurope, and promises to be one of the favorite occupations of the summer. It Is done on heavy linen, usually In three colors of linen Ihws, which have launder ing qualities. A table spread done in Htilgiiriun work had a design of maple leaves about the lMirder. with the edge buttonhole stitched. Polka dots, about the sIko of a pea, were worked in red and blue over the entire center up to the lordcr. Tho leaves wcr naught together with a garland of polka dots in alternate colors of red end blue. What Women Are Doing. Mrs. Anna M. Stents has been elected to succeed her late husband us president of N y'''i'Bt Null""al Monroevllle. Mrs. Sy lit Ida A. Saery, one of the few surviving pensioners of the war of 1SI2. and the only one in Illinois, lives at liloomiiig ton, III. Her father was John Newman of Pennsylvania and her grandfather was a ltevolutlonut y war soldier. Miss Jessie I'eubcdy, a colonel on the staff of (Jovernor I'cal.ody of Colorado, bus Just been made the recipient of Hn honor not hitherto conferred on any American woman, in the name of (leneral Sherman Hell and other members of the staff she has been presented with a splendid gold mounted sword, the presentation speech being delivered by Colonel J. O. Mc!iinatd. Mis. A lire y Kainou. a remarkable woman, has died in the lioHtoii city hospital, aged Ht. Kite was born in the l iiitid State, educated in Uertnariy, served as u drummer boy in the I'nlted States army In 1M!, until her sex was discovered, and then became un army nurse, vervlng until the clow of the war. In 1x75 she went to ituston from New York und established a successful business us a dermatologist. Khe was the daughter of a triplet, herself a triplet and twice the mother of triplet. Her father, utfed 114, lives in Los Angeles.