THE UNHAPPILY WED

Dunstan Times, Issue 2154, 28 October 1902, Page 7

THE UNHAPPILY WED

Community Of Women Who Hav® Found Marriage a Failure. Members Hava Different Trades and Profession* and Provide for Bach Others* Needs Withes 4 Hale Assistance. Out in Mount Pleasant, on® of the prettiest suburbs of Washington, there is a large brick house which shelters a unique community consisting of 25 women under the government of Mrs. Martha McWhirter. Most of them have found marriage a failure and have left worthless or incompetent husbands to enjoy life in a sisterhood where each can do exactly as she pleases, provided she contributes her share to the general purse, and does nothing to disturb the harmony of the family. They do not live lives of idleness, but each performs a certain amount of labor under the direction of Mrs. McWhirter, who seems to be a woman of remarkable personality and executive ability, says the Chicago Record-Herald. Some years ago, in a letter from Texas, I told an interesting story of four women at Belton, a little Texas town, who, having been deserted by their husbands and thrown upon their own resources, established a boarding house which soon grew into a hotel and had the reputation of being the best in the state. Nobody but women were employed, except one negro man, who did the heavy lifting and took care of the horses. This hotel became sfo popular that the proprietors started several others like it at Waco and in different parts of Texas, and they were all successful under the capable management of Martha McWhirter. They started laundries, nlso.andother enterprises which brought large profits, and within a few years enabled Mrs. McWhirter to retire from active labor with money enough laid by to support herself \id her com pc nions in comfort during the rest of their lives. In looking about the country for a location which suited her health and taste, Mrs. McWhirter found the climate and conditions at Washington agreeable. She bought two large houses in Mount Pleasant, remodeled them into a single mansion of 40 rooms and invited to this shelter a limited number of distressed sisters who had found the matrimonial yoke wearisome and sought peace. The community has gradually grown and now consists of 25 women of 30 years old and upward, who are living what they consider an ideal life. Each one who enters* the community surrenders to it all the property she possesses, and it goes Into the common fund, which is quit® large. The amount is unknown, and it is estimated all the way from SIOO,000 to $500,000. They agree also to obey the orders of their superior and submit to the rule® of the organization, which are few and simple, and are chiefly for the regulation of labor. Mrs. McWhirter assigns the duties of her subordinates. There is only one man about the place, and he is an aged negro, the same who waa employed by them at their original venture at Belton, Tez., 20 years ago. He does the heavy outdoor work, and the women are assigned to whatever they can do best inside. One of them is a physician, who not only looks after the health of the community, but answers calls from the neighborhood: Another is a dentist, who has a chair and a case of instruments In the reception-room of the house, which makes unprotected male visitors apprehensive. Others are seamstresses and milliners, although extravagance in dress is prohibited, and one is a shoemaker, who not only mends, but makes the footwear of the household. Mrs. McWhirter selects the cooks and the housemaids according to their tastes and qualifications, and thus far, she tells me, there have been no “kickers.” Every woman in the community has cheerfully accepted the situation and performed the duties to which she has been assigned. The labor is light, being distributed among so many, and as the underlying principle of the community is to promote the peace, comfort and happiness of Its inmates, the effort of living has been reduced to a minimum. The women have no politics and do not pretend to be reformers. Nor do they interfere in any manner with the outside world. They enter the community to obtain relief from care and anxiety and to avoid all responsibility and everything that will interfere with their tranquillity. If they become tired of their restful surroundings and desire to return to scenes of activity, they are allowed to leave, but they forfeit whatever they have contributed to the common fund. Two or three nervous creatures who sought the shelter of the community found that they could not endure its peaceful atmosphere and returned to their husbands. One of them soon regretted her vacillation, but they would not allow her to come back again. Each woman is allowed her own religion. No attempt is made to influence the conscience. No religiotis or political discussions are permitted. Mrs. McWhirter believes in a strict interpretation of the Bible, and a literal obedience to the teachings of Christ. She declares that the theologians are to blame for much of the evil and unhappiness from which people, suffer in this world: that controversy is destructive of happiness, but the teachings of Christ bring peace. Louis XT.’s favorite diversion was watching trained pigs, a«, fantastically dressed, they danced to music.