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Show 1 , Some Reflections on Cbe Hew ffloman (Written for the Interniountain Catholic.) The Church Economist has an interesting article arti-cle or. the "ow Woman.'' The writer tells how the '"new woman" is engrossed with multifarious duties that prevent her from discharging what properly belongs to her sphere. Jle enumerates these and tells how busy the "new woman' is kept in order to keep her engagements. We quote from the article: ar-ticle: . "The 'new woman,' for better or worse, is a very busy woman. She has her business affairs, her committees, clubs, objects, engagements. Xor is she recreant to the old-fashioned virtues of home, as some, would represent her; only she adds to these virtues others which grow out of the. more varied social ministries of our age. And as a natural result re-sult she is preoccupied and already mortgaged when the call comes for church work. Then, again, this call itself is more exacting than it ued to be in the good old days when praudniama was young and taupht in Sunday school or sang in the choir. The modern church requires for its women officiary those who stand for the present and are recognized as its leader?. And this type' of women, as we have said, and as the church in some anxiety is beginning begin-ning to discover, is quite as busy as the men. It hasn't got so far yet that we are discussing paid presidents for missionary or ladies aid societies, but that may come in lime. What already appears is a growing reluctance on the part;of women of standing and ability to devote themselves " to the drudgery of church soeiely routine." To this might be added that she is sometimes engaged in political issues, with aspirations to tho highest ofiices in the State. All of which deaden the natural instincts to become a wife or a mother;-because mother;-because a mother has not .the time, nor the inclination, inclina-tion, to' attend to business affairs, or be present at the "committees, clubs, engagements, or other objects.' ob-jects.' The Economist maintains that the "new woman is not recreant to the old-fashioned virtues of the homo, as some would represent her." But the "new woman" discards "these old-fashioned virtues," vir-tues," which belong to her sphere ami for which nature destined her. These are, 1o he a wife and a mother, to look after ihe household and take care of the family. In the discharge of ihcse duties no one can supply her place, not even the father of the family. But how discharge these important'dul lies if her thoughts are engrossed ''with committees," and her "time taken up in the clubs" " It is an old-fashioned virtue to take care of the children, and old-fashioned old-fashioned mothers never failed to extend, the ten-derest ten-derest care to the children, and of spending sleepless sleep-less nights watching over them, when sickness entered en-tered the household. But all this must be sacrificed sacri-ficed for "business affairs, committees, clubs, objects, ob-jects, engagements." All these latter claim the attention at-tention of tho "new woman," and as children ' are . a hindrance to the discharge of modern requirements, require-ments, the ''new woman" will repress her maternal instincts. . The editor of the Economist in soft, sweet tones would give no offense when he says "the 'new woman' wom-an' is not recreant to ihe old-fashioued virtues of the home; only she adds to these virtues other. which grow out of the more varied social ministries minis-tries of our age." Then he gives the result, namely, ''she is preoccupied and already mortgaged when the call comes for church work." But the writer excuses the "new womau" whose services arc already al-ready mortgaged, because ''tho call is more exacting than it used to be in the good old days when grand-mama grand-mama was young and taught in the Sunday school or s4ng in the choir." The reason given-by the Economist for palliating the indifference of the 'new woman" toward church work is not cogent. It is because, "the modem church requires for it3 ... i . women -officiary those who stand for the present and are recognized -as its leaders. And this 'type of women is quite as busy as the men." Yes, "she has her business affairs, her committees, clubs, objects, ob-jects, engagements." In attending to these the household duties and the care of--the children are neglected. But does not all this mean a revolution in the relative position of the sexes? The "new woman" is no longer satisfied with loing man's equal, but claims a certain superiority.. Superior she certainly is, in her own sphere, i. e., as a wife and mother, in dispensing her VrffccV'ons to the husband and children, and performing her household house-hold duties. These are "the old-fashioned virtues of the home." They are more important and more elevating than the clubs and committees, and show that in the true Christian home woman is a real queen. Our age in its demands is never satisfied. To let well enough alone is voted down by the "new women" in their clubs and committers. AH the old standards which. helped to build up the Christian Chris-tian home are now effete, and must be set aside in this progressive age. What the final effect. may be it matters not. "Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." i . ..- '- i |