New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-15
TIE LATE ADAH ISAACS MENkEN.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TRIBUNE.

10 HE Ot l1lE lhlDONG.
SIR: la your recent obituary notice of the
late Ada Isaacs Mcnken, believe that detect the
hand Of writer. who whatever his sense of duty as
public chroicer aud mOralist may be, has still mind
10 comprehend and heart 10 credit such eXtenuat0n
Of crcumstantial in woman's career an I'M
prejudced offer and impartial cOmmenta
or accept Equally intelligent conclusions differ widely
the natural qualifications OF wOmanbOOd for those
occupations wherein popular approval and support
challenged at the expense of private sancty but there
scarcely be opinions concerning the tendency Of
AL social and moral education TO either divert woman
from ss,cll presumed self-saerfce, or turn the pitt
glass of utTacensOTiOusness upon her
every defect il inclination or destiny successfully
temps her to defy Indifferent custom The subject Of
your notice and this communication not only had her lot
from mper0us necessity, with those of her who
call upon themselves the conventional ceRsure Of inert
morality, but also peculiarly misitted by her impul
sve undsciplned nature, exact ordinary justice
from her Judges. Compelled while yet child TO go
upon the stage in NewOrleans operate danseuse
that her widowed mother and helpless younger sister
might be saved from want she knew heDeefOth other
SCHOOL kinder home than the theaer, and gave TO 1t
energy and unsuspectng aspiration which had brought
fairer fruit sophstcay directed Soon separated
her family by the exigencies of profession in which
rapidly to perlous success and deprived Of
every sacred influence by which the female charac-
Ter is guided aud guarded to the pure and gentle
royalty of home life, she grew into the wlld
Is unstable and Inconsistent the popular caprice which
gives 1t motive Taught only by her unschooled impulses
discriminate between wisdom and fOly governed only
by the uBeucated dictates Of passionate intellect
the assertion Of individuality which knew not that 1t
sheuld seek any other Justification than its felt
oessty she provoked thousand scandals by her
ignorance of the studied forms OF proprety and
deemed exception to all the possible good OF her
calling she knew not how identify herself with
respectable average Of its evil From this to an i'm
petuous defiance Of the mudgement exaggerating her
oddities into grayer faults but step and then
passionate untutored spirits spasnOdc attraction TO
The first and fses pretender Of the immediate sympathy
Il craved To expect the appearances Of deliberate pru
dence discretion, from rank, unframed
nature hers had futile indeed but too often the
public voice accused her reckless trafcker In her
sen-perEerted sensbilities when it should have
been silent through pity for her the victim Of their
wanton deception and heartless abuse by others
The present writer has desire to the lesson Of
misguided talents and womanhOod sOiled IN the dust
yet would he having sad and truthful knowledge Of
hs subject plead earnestly against too harsh judg
meat of one in whose homeless and uDfrended life
there much 30 claim tile fOrbearance OF every Just
man, and make every womans unchauty for woman
nek IA relenting tear. am sir, yours truly.
Neto- Yerk, Aug. 18th.