The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-09-18
The Woman of the Future,

IN where angels fear to tread can be so
htly applied to no other kind of criticism.
and naturally enough, as it requires little
else but audacity, and proves extremely
lucrative, the crop is abundant One NAV
safely say that young authors fortune is
made who can abuse women in a lively, i'll
natured, and authoritative manner.
Frivolous, disconnected, irrational,
creature of whims, devotee of fashion, a
victim of ennu', morally, physically, and in
tcllectually feeble, such is the woman of
the present according to the satirists. The
marvel is that they wish to see unchanged
what they dcnouncc rs contemplate. If
anything is proposed by which some of
these faults must inevitably be cradicated.
these consistent critics take alright Let
us keep these angels of perfection as they
are, cry they, soft cushions wherein to rest
masculine asperities. What would the
world be like if womankind were changed
from the lovely thing it iso and so on, the
inconsequcnt multitude listening and be-
leiving.
Fortunately for all, this kind of writing,
like any other form of scnsationalism in lit
erature, Is of the day only, and will pass
away. What has been said so often will
tire even the foolish at last, and ''we have
piped unto you but you have not danced
will be the lament of these once popular
detractors. \ great change, moreover is
taking place in public opinion regarding
the education of women. The wise are
more inclined to weep than laugh over the
frivolities of the sex, and see no reason why
this as well as any other element of unhap-
piness should not be eradicated from socie-
ty. On one great point we imagine alike
the serious-minded and the scoffer, the re-
former and the epigrammist, to be at one,
namely, that frivolity is evil and not
good. Those who love the truth for truth S
sake, and consider each individual life as
an important unit of humanity, and bestir-
ing themselves to remedy the evil; those
who live without any sense of moral re-
sponsibility whatever try to hinder the
work from pure selfishness or prejudice
To discuss the numerous schemes on behalf
of the better education of woman is quite
foreign to the purpose of this paper. A
few of these have already passed from the
ordeal of popular contempt into the sun
shine of popular favor; some still in embryo
are too rational to meet with opposition
from any quarter. Many others will doubt
less be proposed when the world is ready
for them. To own i'll the face of these
facts that the woman of the future will re-
semble the woman of the present is to deny
the entire sex all capability of moral and
intellectual growth. If occupation exer-
cises any influence upon the character
whatever, and there is little doubt that it
exercises great influence, -generations to
come will indeed feel thankful for the
change. Deprecating as we do the sweep
ing assertions of clap-trap critics, we are
forced to admit that there is wide room for
improvement. Women are not universally
so beautiful, so wise and SO good as they
might be- and it is to the interests of hui
mainly that they should be beautiful, wise,
and good. Consider, in the first place, the
question of beauty. The more hopeful
look forward to the time when something
of the old Greek feeling for physical perfec-
ton shall have revived, and simpler and
more hcaltlful life shall have fitted women
to become mothers of noble race In this
respect we are wiser than of old; but,
though hygiene and common sense have
done more for our ourselves, they have
done much more for our children.
We of the present generation are the
offspring of tight-lacing mothers; but
small waists tight shoes, and other abom
nations are no longer universal. Dress is
much better adapted to out-of-door life
than formerly. Etiquette has been relaxed,
and our young women enjoy a freedom
from physical restraint undreamed of by
their grandmothers. Health has ceased to
be the monopoly of the other sex. Still,
the ma iority of women lead far from whole
some lives; and rs beauty is more or less
matter of health, too much can never be
said against >ucE abuses of it us are yet in
fashion. The worst of these abuses is that
they lead to 4 perertion of taste. Quite
naturally the fragile type of beauty has be-
come the standard of the present day, and
men admire in real life the lily-cheeked,
small-waistrl. diaphanous-looking crca-
lures ideali;yl by living artists. When
we become accustomed to a noblcr kind of
beauty we stall attain to Il loftier ideal
Men will seek nobility rather than pretti-
ness, strength rather than Weakness phys
ical perfection rather than physical degen
eracy, i'll the women they select as mothers
of their children. Artists will rejoice and
sculptors will cease to despair when this
happy contamination is reached. Let none
regard it as chimerical or Utopian. \ very
little ratonalism brought to bear upon
daily life would place physical well-being
within reach of women 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 domes-
tic life. Is it not reasonable to suppose
that the various reforms in female charac-
ter, and that the women of the future will
differ from the women of the present intel
lectually as well as physically? Steady
culture, increased habits of self-reliance
wider views of life and keener apprecia-
ton of the truth for truths sake, can but
enlarge and elevatec the whole sex. The
obvious inference is that just as Il more
healthful mode of existence will invigorate
and beautfy the bodies of women, so "a
tional mode of existence will strengthen
and improve their minds. Frivolity, petit
ness inactivity, and other faults of which
men most complain, will make room for
opposite qualities; and who shall aver this
to he against the interests of humanity >
Perhaps nothing causes more domestic I'M
happiness than downright Stiffness. A
foolish wife will often bring about as much
mischief in her husbands home as a per
sistently evil-tempered one could do. and