Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-06-09

its highest capacity. A genuine cul-
ture will produce nothing that will over
run its divinely-appointed limits
Woman work will follow spontaneous
ly from woman's nature, and will ac-
cord with the qualities of her being
1t will not therefore be strong physical
work, but where clean delicate work
is needed, where emotion mingles with
thought, 1t will be her work in the flu
ture, and still more as the future opens
into civilization. Woman's truest work
is ofhome and sanctities. Let Us not
fear, these Offices will be abandoned !;
there will be still the heart OF the wife
and the mother. There are MANY
women for whom this sphere of home
Is enough. But if woman is enslaved
and degraded at home, where shall she
have honor? In this sphere | claim for
her a large and liberal culture. Is it
OF no consequence who is to discharge
these otfices-who is to teach and train
the life, the heart of the future man?-
Among women there are two classes,
whom the home duties do not absorb
and they complain of something to do
They comprise those who are not fore
ed to work for living and those who
are. In behalf of mans work. In be-
halt OF those, | say a large field is need
ed for woman's work Consider what
ought to be done for that class of wom-
Ell who must work or perish. What
are they to do? That is the question.
L might specify many forms of labor,
such as some parts of matchmaking,
OF telegraphing, of the work of newspa-
per offices and countless others, all cf
which are adapted to woman's nature
and her capacity. The claim of this
class OF women is simply the claim Of
their humanity. They must have this
work or perish-perish in one of two
Ways-physically, either from lack Of
work or scantiness of it. Think of tn
poor widow who makes shirts at five
cents apiece-and [ suppose the man
who pays it covers the new testament
with that five cents apiece. She can,
perhaps, make one day. Is not that
reducing humanity nearly to starva-
ton? Think of those noble women
who virtually say, ''Let Death have us
so he takes to God our wonlanly purity
untainted.' Thank God for the won-
Ell who die honorably and only perish
/ physically! | think what saints they
make In heaven, with their sweet faces
! from which all the trouble is glorifed
away What did those men, whom
the world call heroes, more than these
noble women, who, chnging to their
conscience died at their posts? APP
plause. This ought not to be So
Then should she work for all, and
least Of all should work be denied her
because she is a woman: and vet this
is really the fact. We reverse the di-
/ vine law which tells us not to oDDress
the weaker, and turn and Cypress them
simply because they are weak. To
some men, the shirts they have made.
might be the shirt of Nessus.a [ wish
these old scourgers who pay five cents
for making shirts might be haunted
with women's ghosts, who should bear
the inscription, ''More work and better
pay" But there is another class who
/ perish morally. We must not shrink
from all the facts, and it is a fact, that
want OF work has 4 great deal to do
/ with driving to shame the 10000 wom-
en- in our city who walk our streets.
whose smile is onl y seen by the gas
light. But the shame is not all with
them. Shame upon him who offers the
price of dishonof; shame upon those
! honorable women who smile upon the
victorious debaucfee; shame upon our
selves if we nourish any prejudice that
depreclateS the value OF woman Let
all these shames blend with the shame
of the poor lost girl, and tighten little
curse that bears too exclusively upon
her. Here, are these two classes who
must have work or else honorably or
dishonorably. perish. But there is
another class OF women, who are not
compelled to work, concerning whom
one of the noblest women of the dav
(Mrs. Jameson asks if a more enlarged
social sphere cannot be allowed wom-
an? I can merely say, this field is inli-
Gated in the philanthropic institutions of
our age. 1t is eNemplifed in women
like Elizabeth Fry, and Florence
Nightingale. Applause. One of those
poor soldiers of the Crimea said to her.
q believe You are not n woman, but
! an angel How much better is that
than the homage of the drawing room.
or triumph of Irritation. Applause.
How many women might be an angel
to the poor hollow eyes that followed
her from a sick bed. Let us remember
that this is not an attempt to draw wonl-
an from her sphere. But let us consid-
cr how many claims there are out of
this sphere. Let us not fear any ridi-
cule which may be cast upon lis. Rid
icule is the feeblest weapon that can be
used; it proves the lack of heavier ar
tillery; it fires scattering shot, and does
not hit the mark. Applause. 1t is
rather a fearful picture to be sure, of a
masculine woman, scheming in Wall
street, or shouting in Tammany Hall
: 3 But when called to step forward to the
line, who shows more manliness, more
/. courage, than women. Look at the
maid of Saragoso, look at Grace Oar
ling, and at that noble woman who bu