The household editor's weekly question-and-answer column addressed topics primarily of interest to women, asking them to draw on their thoughts and experiences to respond-- in 100 words or less-- to a different question each week. Some dealt with "My Greatest Mistake as a Mother"; others, with subjects like "Spending Money in the Name of Thrift" or "Reforming the Family." The column seen above appeared in the January 27, 1924, Newark Sunday Call. A week earlier, Lawrence had posed the question:

"Probably at some time in her life every woman has fervently wished she might have been born a man. A few of us may suffer from chronic envy, but, except for a few brief-- and generally youthful--flareups, women accept their sex philosophically and even appreciatively. It isn't such a bad thing to be after all -- just a woman. Now is it? For the five best letters received this week on the topic "Why I Am Glad I Am a Woman," five cash prizes of $1 each will be given."

Lawrence usually prefaced each letter printed with a brief summary and comments. She began the January 27th column with:

"No two thoughts on this week's topic--that elusive creature known as the 'average woman' has no desire to change places with the average man -- motherhood and the maternal instinct compensate her for all she has to endure. If she is denied children of her own, she can still mother other women's children. Whimsically speaking, there are more [illegible] blessings accruing to her, but without exception each letter received this week stresses the one dominant fact that motherhood, realized or potential, is a woman's glory."

For a scan of the entire column for that day (259K), click on the image at the top of the page; for a column-by-column scan (larger image), click below

column one (99K)     column two (57K)     column three (96K)