Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1904)
fclmntnn Fraar In PnshloBn. V'KK BINCK Mother Kve cans d E the question of "Wherewithal hall we he clothed?" to become one of paramount importance to the human race, the. evolution of leap dress has been In progress and on nnd all have we liowwl the neck to fashion. It has long been B masculine litihlt to pi tut to thin slavish allegiance to style anil its ch ii'gos as a distinctive feminine) character istic, anil especially to remark upon the fact that fashion an J hygiene rarely go hand in hatul. A newspaper humorist nsks: "Are the fashionable sleeves this Feason to he too light or too loose?" And between fashion and comfort there seems to yawn on impassable gulf. As long as man retains his present ridicu lous and inartistic costume, he i.s hardly In a position to criticize 'feminine attire, declares Hubert Webster Jones In the April Housekeeper. It would be difficult to Im agine anything less esthetic than the ".stovepipe" silk hat or the baggy trousers nf the present day and generation. There have been no striking changes or Improve ments In man's attire during the last fifty years, but In that period dress reform for 'iim has made distinct advances. The most noticeable of these, probably, has been the almost general adoption of the short skirt for street wear, and physicians say that the gain In the feminine health la already apparent. For this reform our business women are responsible In large measure, although the use of the short skirt in golf and other athletics has not been without Its wholesome Influence. Shoe dealers tell us that It is only within the last few years that thick-soled shoes for Women have become popular, and that their Hale now, during the winter and spring months Is very large. Another evidence of common sense. The extremely tight lacing of our grandmothers and the "wasp waist" have fallen into disfavor among sensible Women. Other reforms In the matter of dress might be noted, but It Is very evi dent that fashion and comfort are no longer Incompatible In feminine attire. Revival of The Home, 'Vf IS THERE as much of the "home Kj I I life" among American families as M 1 )iir was tvpnfv thlrlv nr fnfttf years ago? This question was brought home to the writer re cently upon observing a discussion on the Decline of Domesticity," in an English newspaper. For the acute vLsualiet every word contains a picture of some sort. The word "family," for instance, always calls tip heore the writer's vision a picture of several persons happily gathered together around a large table, from the center of which a reading lamp sheds forth a cheer ful glow, says Robert Webster Jones in the March Housekeeper. The father is reading the evening newspaper, tho mother is busy with her knitting or sewing, and the chil dren are pleasantly engaged with book or gnme. Serenity, comfort, peace. Is the tone color of the picture. The scene of the picture Is not the "drawing room" or the "parlor," even, but the old-fashioned, well named "living room." Kvery now and then the father reads aloud some Interesting or amusing bit from the paper, to which the mother or one of the children responds with a more or less wise comment, or per haps one of the youngsters needs a lift over a hard place In bis school book, and father lays down his paper, or mother her work and sees what an older brain can make of the difficulty. Love rules, and no cathedral, no storied ehrine of pilgrims U more a sacred spot than humble "liv ing room," the throne room of "that beau tiful realm called home." There are encouraging indications on every hand that the Arncrlinii people as a nation are realizing more than ever whero the source of real happiness lbs-In the home. t Is not In the Anglo-Saxon nature to find true satisfaction away from domes tic associations. The American home Is something vastly more to Us inhabitants than a dormitory or a feeding place. "She's such a lion.e-body" I the remark one ised to hear delivered in a tone of seml-dispar-ngement, as though the subject of the re mark were lacking somewhat In enterprise or energy. The American people are be coming great "home-bodies" and according to tho way in which they live their homo life will the nation grow strong or Weak. There will be something radically wrong Women in the 1SITORS to the headquarters of the Vnited Mine Workers of Arflericn In Indianapolis when business calls them there In the absence of President John Mit chell, are usually Impressed by the fact that Secretary Wilson always refers them to a woman when information U wanted which would naturally come from tho president of the organization. It seems to be an unwritten law of the Mine Workers that no one shall presume to know, much less to tell, anything that should be known and told, if necessity for telling it exists, outside of his own special department. . . Tlie secretary, for Instance, deals in fig ures and never discusses policies. The editor of the Mine Workers' Journal, the official organ, will tell when any particular event happened and will courteously give access to the files of the paper. But when Information is wanted outside of the mere details there found, the inquirer Is re ferred to the secretary for any official re port thiU may have been made on tho happening, although the editor may be in possession of every material fact con nected with it. Mr. Mitchell shapes the policies of the organisation, in connection with his lieu tenants, but he alone will speak of them. The memlwrs of the executive board may have been In conference with him, may have discussed the policies agreed on, or may even have suggested them to the president of the organization, but It is Mitchell and Mitchell alone, when he Is at headquarters, who la entitled to speak about them. He may speak himself or, like Secretary Wilson in Tils absence, he may refer the Inquirer to the young woman who occupies a seat at a desk near him. When this Is done, the Information Is al ways forthcoming. The young woman is Misa Elisabeth Mor ris and she Is reckoned a second president of the Mine Workers' organisation. Nom inally, she holds the place of private sec retary to the president, but Phe has been with Mitchell so long In that capacity, has become so familiar with the work of the organization, its past, Its present and its future policies, has assisted so ma terially in forming them and is depended upon o much for advice and direction when the real leader of the union Is ab sent, that it is questionable if any one could fill bur place. That no one could V when domesticity goes out of fashion, when people are not content to stay at home, and when the world's attractions outvie those of one's own hearthstone. Home Is to th American and ever will be "tho dcaie-t spot on earth." firow l,a in Their titbit. ' OU ('l'.N'ri'Kl ICS the women of I Kngland have maintained a ropu , I tatlon for observing all the pro ?t::?l prielles of life with a pnnot ilioiis- nesx that could not be surpassed. When advised to do anything out of the ordinary their first question has been, "Would It Ik' proper?" Of late, however, their strictness seems to have relaxed a little, and we hear of them doing hitherto Inconceivable things for Knglish women. It would appear that the habit of smoking is growing uuiong women and the giil Miners' Union fill it so well Is conceded on all shle-i, for she carries in her mind all Important data concerning the organization, ami is vir tually a reference book on any point on which Information Is wanted. Miss Morris was a clerk In the ofliee of tho Mine Workers when Mitchell was elccte I president. At night she studied shorthand and typewriting. Mitchell hail been identified with the organisation for years, but there were many things lie wanted to know when he took the helm. Whin he asked where certain data could bo found ho discovered that Miss Morris had it in her mind as well as neatly tran scribed In her books. Comparisons with the books showed that she was remarkably ac curate, and she was promoted to the place of private secretary. Soon Mitchell began to depend upon her more and more. He found her Judgment goid and her advice practical, and he 1 ve gan to trust many of the Important affairs of the office to her. There were details into which he hadn't the time to go, and these fell to her lot for disposition. Much of the correspondence of the oflice was disposed of by her and when he had leisure to refer to It he found that her replies to letters of Inquiry, her requests for information from subordinates and her correspondence even with operators regarding troubles In tho mines were as much the expression of bis own ideas as If he had dictated them In stead of merely Indicating their general scope. Miss Morris Is 2ti years old. She has studied Mitchell's methods to such purpose that she Is practically a reflection of blui. She doesn't know a thing when It Is ad visable from her point of view to be Ig norant, and she knows everything when it Is expedient to talk. She is never dis courteous, never out of humor, but she Is a dry well to the pumping process and can give out less In the same length of time than Mitchell himself. She often sits at the meetings of the ex ecutive board at Mitchell's right band, takes down the more Importnnt matters In copious notes and then puts them in pure Knglish by dictating to a stenographer from the notes. The members of the hoard, as a rule, are not men who have enjoyed educational advantages, and culture does not come from working In the mines; but what they say In Die board meetings, when written out. Is dressed up in good Knglish. This pleases them, and Miss Morris is popular on that account. schools nppnr 'titly ate reeking with ciga rette smoke. These Kills do not seem In hi" abashed by biting Hie woihl know of their habit, an.l many girls In their school smoke. loctois have taken sides pro and con and the discussion waxes hot. It would appear to be a fact that th smoking habit already Is firmly tKed In moldy, and It Is no uncommon sight to see alleged "smart" woun n light a ciga rette In eel tain public lestatil ants and bold cafes. In west end restaurants, win re fashionable people lunch and dine ev i y day, women bring out gold Jeweled cases and light their favorite Kgyptlan or Tiirk sh as a realtor of course. Many of these women are most fas fldioiiH about the brands they smoke, ami In numerous cases Wist end tobacconists mix special tebaeeoes to please distin guished customers. in almost nil cases the most popular cigarettes for women are gold tipped or coated at the end Willi a thicker paper. Very few women use holders; It Is not con sidered the right thing. At most of the private dances held In town cigarettes are generally smoked In the Intervals between the dances. Men and girls compete with each other In blow In,? smoke lings ami letters in the air. A peer's daughter is a unpllshed In the art of smoking the cigarette with the lighted end in her mouth. Smoking has been quite a common prac tice In women's clubs for some time, and rooms are set apart especially for smoking. West end tobacconists include many well-known women among their customers, and In the opinion of west end Jewelers the most popular gifts sold last Christinas time were cigarette cases in gold and enamel, prettily Jeweled and monogrnmmed. The country house parties- riots of llcens rovenl tho fact that about nine of ten women guest smoke, and they do It openly with the men. After dinner the men and women talk so.indnl and tell stories over the wine and cigarettes. Don't Marry the lilrl W HO NAtiS. Who Is lazy. . Who Is a Wit. 13X3" Who run riot centred her temper, i ' " Who dlslihca children und ani mals. Who Is not neat and tidy In her dress. Who Is deceitful and is not true to her friends. Who fusses, fumes, and fidgets about everything. Who dresses in the height of fashion when going out, but does not care bow she looks at home. Who Is amiable to suitors and "hor.ld" to her family. Whofie chief Interests In life are dress and amusements. Who lacks thrift, and has no idea of tho value of money. Who can not bear to hear any one but herself praised or admired. Who thinks more of making a fine ap pearance, than a fine character. Who is coarse, imperious hiuI domineer ing In manrer and conversation. Who never thinks that her mother needs an outing, amusement, or a change. Who humiliates servants by snapping at them or criticising them before guests. Who puts everything she can get on her back, bo that she niiiy make a good appear ance, while her mother Is obliged to patch and make over for herself old cleaks, gowna. and bonnets Success. css vssa