The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-27

ness, physical perfection rather than physical
degeneracy, in the women they select as
mothers of their children. Artists will re-
ioice and sculptors will cease to despair
when this happy cOnsummation is reached
Let none regard it as chimerical or Utopian
A very little rationalism brought to bear
upon daily life would place physical we'll
being within reach of woman of all ranks;
and where health leads the way, beauty is sell
dom slow to follow.
Few will deny that wisdom whose essence
is common sense has large share in deter
mining the happiness of social and domestic
life. Is it not reasonable to suppose that the
various reforms in female education will have
proportionate effect upon the female charac-
ter and that the woman of the future will
I differ from the woman of the present intel
lectually as well as physically? Steady cul-
ture, increased habits of self-reiance, wider
views of life, and keener appreciation of
the truth for truths sake, can but enlarge
and elevate the whole sex. The obvious in
ference is that just as a more healthful mode
of existence will invigorate and beau
tify the bodies of women, so ra-
tonal mode of existence will strengthen and
improve their minds. Frivolity, pettiness
inactivity, and other faults of which men
most complain, will make room for opposite
qualities; and who shall aver this to be against
the interests of humanity? Perhaps nothing
causes more domestic unhappiness than
downright Stiffness. A foolish wife will often
bring about as much mischief in her hus-
bands home as a persistently 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 n good system Of
education will storm. Just so long as
girls are trained to frivolity and
irresponsible habits from childhood up
wards will they become frivolous
and irresponsible wives and mothers In
granting, then, that the woman of the future
must of necessity inherit a 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 we'll as small errors, not because they are
perverse by nature, but because their reason
is at fault, and they fail to recognize the pro-
portionate relation of things. Again, habits
| of subservience induce cowardly attitude of
| mind. Very few women have the courage to
| be individual. 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, and daughters; but that they can
! have any share in the well-being of the world
does not occur to them Sef-development
conveys to their minds something quite apart
| from the duty of wife, mother, or daughter,
while the truth is that self-development
embraces every other duty. ILL., there
| fore, does it become those who satirize women
| to hinder any efforts made on their behalf,
| whether educational or social; always remem.
bering this, however, that such efforts are
| likely to do very little good which tend to
make of women weak limitations of men.