A FOREWORD

WHEN The Law and the Woman, a book dealing with the legal conditions affecting women and minors in the several States appeared in a small edition it was received kindly and quickly passed out of print. The succeeding pages contain all of the information covered in the first volume, together with additional data, comment and simple and adaptable forms. The first edition went out to women with the endorsement of Olive Stott Gabriel, then president of the Women Lawyers' Association, and of Mary Wood, chairman of legislation of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The New York Times said of it:

As the first attempt to present in a single volume the status of woman in the United States under the Federal and the State laws, Mrs. Bres's book has unique value and interest. Her digest and discussion of the present legal status of women in this country is scholarly and readable and makes a worth-while addition to feminist literature.

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And Everywoman, the official organ of the National Council of Women, said:

It is written in a manner to give the reader the fundamental principles of the law governing the subject, divested of the technical phraseology which only lawyers understand, and furnishes a comprehensive grasp of all the law indespensable for women to know in her broader field of life. As such, this helpful and instructive volume should be in every woman's library.

In this volume the entire subject matter in the first publication is covered, the intent being to make it of greater service to women as legal first aid.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

THE GREAT WAR has called women to new service. From necessity, or a high sense of patriotic duty, they have become co-workers with men in every line of effort for the furthering and fostering of commerce and industry and the preservation of the highest ideals of our American institutions.

Women of every class and creed find themselves forced to face new problems; their influence and aid in legislation necessary to meet the new condition is brought

home to them.

An intelligent understanding of what the Government has done, is doing and should do for the legal protection of the interests of women and children is sought by all progressive women to-day. But the usual text-books are such a labyrinth of technical expression the information cannot be generally had from them by laywomen.

Rose Falls Bres' book, "Maids, Wives and Widows," discusses broadly and entertainingly the legal status of women since the time of Mother Eve. It presents in a correct, comprehensive and most readable way what is called "advanced legislation" for women. Of especial interest is her dissertation on Marriage and Divorce, Child Labor and Mothers' Pension.