Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-01-28
ovs. The ATLANTIC MONTH

LY for February is thus early on our tahle,
The leading article is entitled, "Ought Wo-
men to learn the Alphabet" Ith a. gcni-
al and thorough discussion of the much
talked of question Of ,,women's rights" and
true social position, by one who has faith in
her ultimate triumph. Wequote from this
interesting paper, the following as q sample
of the authors manner Of treating the ques-
ton, and of the earnest and hopeful aspect
in which he views it -
Everybody sees that the times are altering
the whole material position of woman; bu {
most persons do not appear to see the inevi-
table, social and moral changes which are
also involved. As has been already said. the
woman OF ancient history was a slave to phy-
steal necessities. both in war and peace. In
war she could do too little, in peace she did
too much, under the material commissions
which controlled the world. How could the
Jews, for instance, elevate woman? They
could not spare her from the wool and the
flax and the candle that goeth not out by
night. In Rome. when the bride first step-
ped across her threshold, they did not ask
her. DO you know the alphabet they asted
simply, Can you spin? There was no high.
er epitaph than Queen Amalasontha I, DO
mum SerrdUit, lanam fecii. In Beotia,
brides were conducted home in vehicles whose
wheels were burned at the door, in token
that they were never to leave the house
again. Pythagoras instituted at Crotona an
annual festival for the distaff Confucus, in
China, did the same for the spindle, and
these celebrated not the freedom, but the
sertdom, of woman
And even int, modern days.this same ty-
rannical necessity has fingered. go spin,
you jades 60 spin !" was the only answer
vouchsafcd by the Earl of Pembroke to the
twce-banished nuns Of Wilton. And even
now, travellers agree that throughout civil
lied Europe, with the partial exception of
England and France, the profound ABSORB
ton OF the mass of women in household la
bors renders their general elevation impossi-
BILE. But with us Americans, and in this
age, when all these vast labors arc being
more and more transferred to arms Of brass
and iron, when Rochester grinds the -four,
and Lowell weaves the cloth, and the fire on
the hearth has gone into black retirement
and mournng,-wh the wiser virgin is
the less she has to do with oil in her lamp
when the needle has made its last diving
speech and confession in the Song OF the
Shirt, and the sew ing-machine has chang
cd those doletul marches to delightful mea-
sures,-how Is it possible for the blindest to
help seeing that new era is begun, and that
the time has come for woman to learn the
alphabet?
There are duties dcvolsing on every human
being duties not small or few, bu, vast and
varied,-whIch spring from home and pri-
vate HE, and all their sweet relations. The
support or care of the hum best household is
function worthy OF men, women, and an
gels, 50 lar AS it goes. From these du,ie.
none must shrink. neither man nor woman:
the lottiest genius cannot ignore them: the
suhiine-t charity must begin with them
/ hey are Their own exceeding great reward.
their seli-sacriice is infinite ipy. and the ssl-
hshness which discarI- them receives IN re-
turn hon illness and q des late old aye, Yet
these. though the most tender and intimate
portion OF human life do not form its whole
1t Is gwen 10 noble souls 10 crave other in
terests also. added spheres, not necessarily
alien from these.-larger knowledge, larger
action Also duties, responsibilities anxIe-
tlr., dangers, all the a imeut that history has
siyel to It's heroes. Not home less. but hu-
lnanity more When the high-b,rn English
laiy Ia the Crim@,n hospital, ordered To a
post oil almost certain death, only raised her
hands to heaven aud said, Thank God -
she aid not renounce her true position as
woman she claimed It,
In this present treatment of the subject,
we have been more anxious t. assert broad
prnneilies tiian to work them out into the
de.'lis OF their Application. We only point
GUY 'n' pam TACT woman must be either a
su'.ee' OF an equal there is no other perma
ligil Srouha' Every concession to suppos-
~ ,t it.nt'p's ohiS Involves the necessity OF
vi" II, ''eA' concession Tor winch ut principle
ea'is once yield the alphabet and we
abandon the whole long theory Of subsection
have notbin, bnt ahs,rao, Nv aS,a' e anu We
upon. Reasoning abstractiy il NM, ha al,
mitttd that the argument has been. thus far
e ',' on the woman's side, inasmuch as
win ar,nnsnt 'eI =, :; 'flsd 70 meet them