Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-06-29
SOMETHING ABOUT WoMAN's
WORK,

The popular notion of what woman 5
work consists in, has been yariously deter
mined in different ages nations, and eli
mates The women of Nirgils time were
expected to be expert with the distaff The
wife of the English tradesmen of to-day
must be competent to make good rabbit
pie and plum pudding. The dark-sllinned,
meek-eyed maid who attracts the attention
of a Congo Celebs will augment the size of
her worthy sire s corral by half dozen cat
tie and as many swine-the price OF her
own dusky self-if she have good strong
backbone and can handle a bush knife nim-
bly, And this Hottentot estimate Of Afri-
can female character has been zealously
adopted BY many Of our own countrymen,
who, in the practical development of their
theories, have reflected great credit on their
instructors.
The enlightened nations have universally
taken an artistic, rather than philosophic-
al view of women work Their social sys-
tens demand that she should possess beau
ty and wit, should be at ease and entertain
ing, and society aesthetic requirements are
met The domestic circle claims far more,
and woman feels that its authority is the
most imperative and genuine that it calls
her to the exercise Of positive feminine sci
enee and philosophy. Always, when she
had liberty, the true woman has found and
filed her vocation. Agitation and ventila-
tion are undoubtedly goodoprinciples in pol
itics as well as physics. Increase of health
and progress are their results even the
agitation Of the doctrine of Woman S
Rights does not seem an exception to the
rule. But It's advocates have met with lit
lie real sympathy from the cultivated and
refined, or indeed from any intelligent COM
munities They have justly been regarded
fanatics. Their aim is to place woman on a
political and social, and hence, equality with
man. They would drag her, Cassandra like
from the home altar, from her divinely
appointed work, and under the plea Of Civ
Ing her certain invaluable rights would bring
Ter into ridicule aud disgrace. Look at the
victims of this poor delusion, they are called
strong minded most palpable misnomer.
Their weakness is only too visible in their
attempts to copy the habiliaRents Of the
sterner sex. Female staggering is like
profanity from the mouth of a sucking.
The lamb cannot with propriety be called
q stately beast, nor the duck a bird Of majes-
tic and imperial bearing, nor can this MINI
icry of man-this second hand assurance
bear evidence TO any thing but unWomanly
AGCbiNAtE5H VI olitA1b Gi4AA GillS nl4AIGE0 Va
brain. If woman's rights consists in her
being placed on mental and political level
with men, where from the very necessities
of her nature she eannoL stand and retain
her feminine character, then forever be she
wronged
IF her wrongs consists inher social ina
bility to harangue multitudes, to deposit
ballots, to acquire by masculine associations
habits Of thought and masculine modes of
action, then for the sake Of the most pre-
cious interests ofhumanity, may her wrongs
never be righted
Every woman who makes the attempt
discovers by womanly intuition what her
lgofk ia. Missions are for those who can
write poetry, can use great sounding words,
and can teach nations and congregations !;
but womaus work is for those simpler but
purer souls, who have moral and spiritual
ability to spend themselves for the objects
Of their love The spirit of devotion is the
one with which all true woman sing the
sweet unwritten anthem Of life melodious
with good, earnest, loving deeds.-HoVrs at
Home.