Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-02-11
a For tho Ohio salesman
r. Womaa's Work.

justment of ii. has been merely palliative of rad
cal evils, out ofAHhirh grow continual suffering
and disorder. -. AZ.
Society begins to recognize. and half reluc-
tantly acknowledge the fact, that this busy half
of,creati0n, must have its due share (that is,
half, I.euppose) Of che best and most resp onsi.
bic, work, with plenty of encouragement to do 1t
well; or, on the old principle that "Satln finds
some mischief still" &C., they oin meddle with
and mar such work terribly. hs. :.
More than century ago, writer In ADD
sons Spectator, lamented the decline OF that
art by which Penelope filled the long interval
Of Ulysses absence, but despairing of being
able to revive it, proposed in lieu thereof in
creased attention 70, embroidery, as the next
best means of keeping women out Of mischief,
such as political ljntrigues and coquetry. "The
wits Of Queen Anne's reign" were not slow to
discover that the weakness and frivolity OF the
women of that period, were continually neutral
izing all that they could do to lift the age out
Of those vices and follies which had been left TO
IL, as legacy, by the tiissolute reign Of Charles
ii, and the weak sway of James 14'i
"Look atour ancestresses!' one exclaims,with
enthusiasm; s'what pllesof tapestry they wrought!
There was Matilda who worked'a view OF
her husbands fleet leaving the harbor and be-
sides her, how many noble ladies have thus
wrought their memory into fame.' SO said the
Jew Of Zurich to his daughter, who contuma-
ciously questioned him about a silly fly OF bor-
rover, who was about getting into his lthe
Jew's) net; "Get thee to thy embroidery! Wo'
man have nought to do with these things" u
People seem to suppose that the "feminine
arts, !" foremost of which is embroidery, "come
by nature" as Dogberry says, whereas only
few persons can, with years OF practice, produce
anything really beautiful, OF, worth the wear OF
sight and patience, .l
What If the ambitious father should say to
his son, "look at the frescoes Of Michael Ange-
10! Why shouldn't you substitute labor in that
glorious art, for your exploits in the streets and
at public meetings2" He might be answered
as was the grocer who apprenticed his con to a
painter, al doesn't want TO be hartist, wants
to be bOatchr." fl.5..,
Thackery Gays when be sees the absurd fig.
ures on stools, rugs, mats, &c.,-the 80 called
fancy work, which like prisoners, the ladies
hang around the walls of their cells, and "hear
the Internal jingle that has cost so much patient
practice on the piano, l swear by everything
sentimental, could wefp.' r.g
Let me not be thought, however, to UNDER
value those works of taste and skill, 80 dear to
young girls. 1t is only when they are proposed
or accepted as substitute for something better,
bQAk tQ6y D6COIn6 u uulsduCts NluSlSICu htcuhu
the grand objects Of life, they are like flowers
wreatbing stately Capitol.
Richard Hildreth, whose word ought to out
weigh ours in everything but this, which SO
nearly concerns us, wrote, some years ago, q
very good paper entitled "What can Woman
dot" that savors little of the Spectator spirit
and marks the man who has read and thought,
more than lived, in this work a.day' world. He
proceeds to say that she can educate the future
hero, statesman, &c A great and noble work,
truly-but suppose she has no opportunity to
engage in it2 Ia she to be placed in the absurd
position of adverlizing- for III As though she
were to say, "Hers am ready To refine hus-
bands character, and train his children for use
fulness!" Whatever it may be the policy OF
men to profess in their Intercourse with women,
it is well known that they speak with contempt,
open or covert, Of those who submit to this kind
of degradation, while they honor the high spir
tied woman, who regards herself as a subiec
and dependent of God alone.
There are chiyalrous and generous men lik'
Hildreth, who holding high the sweet memory o
some mother or sister, or gentle wife, cannot b.
/ brought to speak disrespectfully OF woman or he
position Men who depore while they see no rem
edy for the evils Of enforced dependence, conten
themselves with pointing out the consultations
Il
| the general tone Of all classes, each in Its oW
vernacular, Is like that of Sam Weller, or ratt
er his friend, "Rum creations is women" Nc
from want of innate respect, or generous feolip
toward the sex, but that their mere positio
in society exp0segthem to contempt.
\ A word moFo-iu regurd to the educating 3
| great men. We cannot teach what we do no
| know. We cannot exercise another in qualitie
entirely deficient, or only negative in ourselves
IL women has no capacity for statesmanshil
she cannot develop that capacity in her SON.
She cannot give him the thirst for great anC
noble achievements, If she does not possess 1t.
To return to the point No one can settle th'
question of appropriate avocation for another
| frequently not for himself, until he has testet
in various ways, his peculiar bent and talent
But it is well known that distasteful imploy
ment, where neither love nor duty lends its re-
conciling influence. is a Calling chain, Will,
monotony to O person of great versatility is
kind of death. | am going tosadVance the her
etical opinion, that man being not only les
versatile but less intensely earnest than woman
could better learn to be limited to a singh
round of pursuits. 71i
Douglass Jerrold said "woman Ia not joakinJ
animal-she takes every thing seriously" Ever,
| voice of life-of nature is to her De Profun.
dis Clamapj, calling to her spirit for labor ant
sacrifice In some direction. The age of brain
has come and she must work, not only to live
| but for that which sWeetens and ennobles life,
grand aim, worthy object.
What woman or girl, idling away the harves
time Of life, waiting for the husband who new.
er comes, or grimacing before the looking
glass, and growing ugly with envy or fear O
old AEGEAN old age without honor, full of meal
and humbling memories; has not envied Flor