Litchfield enquirer., 1869-09-30
sgT TTTST FT Iggg 77-s.-I V.--- 7- ------ THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE.

Novels, says the Pau Mau Gasetls, are not moro eargerly devored by the unthink. ing multitude than the clap-trap written in the present. day about women. Pope's famous line--sAnd fools rush in where angels fear to tread" d"-can be so fitly ap- piled totno other kind of criticism, and naturally enough, as it requires little else but audacity and proves extremely lucf a. tive, the crop is abundant. One may safe- ly say that . young authors fortune is mape who can abuse women, in G.ively, Il-natured and authoritative mannef. Friv- olous, discontented, irrational, a creature of whims, devotee of fashion; victim of enui, morally, physically and intellectually feeble--such is the woman of the present according to the satirists. The marvel is that they wish to see unchanged what they denounce as contemptible. If anything is proposed by which some of these faults must inevitably bs eradicated, these con- eistent critics take alright. Let us keep these angels of perfection as they are, cry they, soft cushions whereon to rest mascu- line asperities. What would the world be like if womankind were changed from the lovely thing it is? and so on, the incense quent multitude listening and believing.
 Few will deny that wisdom whose es- sence is common sense has large share in determining the happiness of social and domestic life. Is 1t not reasonable to SUD- pose that the various reforms in female education will have proportionate effect upon the female character. and that the woman of the future will differ from the woman of the present intellectually as well as physically? Steady culture, increased habits of self-reliance, wider views of life, and keener appreciation of the truth for truths sake, can but enlarge and elevate the whole sex. The obvious inference is that just as more healthful mode of exis- tence will invigorate and beautify the bod ies of women, so rational mode of exis- tence will strengthen and improve their minds. Frivolity, pettiness, inactivity, and other faults of which men most com plain will make room for opposite quail ties; and who shall aver this to be against the interests of humanity? Perhaps noth- ing causes more domestic unhappiness than downright stiffness. A foolish wife will often bring about as much mischief in her husbands home as consistently evil-
 tempered one could do, and with the best intentions in the world is sure to hinder and hamper him upon every occasion. Now stiffness is the first stronghold of evil that good system of education will storm. Just so long as girls are trained to frivolity and irresponsible habits from childhood upwards, will they become frivolous and ir- responsible wives, mothers. In granting, then, that the woman of the future must of necessity inherit large share of physical and intellectual excellence, we are led to extend the same happy prophecy to the moral faculties. Women often commit grave as well as small errors, not because their reason is at fault; and they fail to recognize the proportionate relation of things. Again, habits of subservience in- duce cowardly attitude of mind. Very few women have the courage to be individ- uaL Very few women estimate their own lives of any value in the fullest sense of the word. They know well enough that they have some use as wives, mothers, daughters; :; but that they can have any share in the well-being of the world does not occur to them. Self development conveys to their minds something quite apart from the du- ty of wife, mother, or daughter, while the truth is that tself-development embraces ev- cry other duty. III, therefore does it be- come those who satirize women to hinder any efforts made on their behalf, whether educational or social; always remembering this, however, that such efforts are likely to do very little good which tend to make of women weak limitations of men.