, 1869-01-22
Km d. conlnr woman work :

q very different idea Of the sphere OF wo.
man than that which generally prevails.
The common idea is, that our girls have got
to be supported until they are married, and
then the husband will take them in charge.
Henee tue great majority Of our young
women, among the more comfortable aud
wealthy classes, grow up in comparative
idleness. Their education is Of the most
superficial character, and if they are throws.
upon the world in hher life to-suppOrt them
selves they are wholly un6t ior it. Besides,
there is still a larger number who by their
necessities are obliged to earn their own
bread.
In our old communities, the excess Of
women over men is that of two to one, 50
that at best only one-half can be married.
In England aud Wales there are from three
to four hundred thousand women who are
obliged to remain single 10 consequences OF
the excess of numbers. In the State of
New York there. are 3S,7S3 more women
than men between the ages of fifteen and
twenty, and the same ratio holds with all
the older States
Now this large number must live in state
of dependence, eating the bread of idleness,
or they must work. But what can they do +?
Here, we come to the radical question Of
woman's work. At present, she is restricted
to service, sew, teach or try her hand at
writing. All these being crowded, the pay
is small. The remedy is very simple: Throw
upen to her every avocation for which she
is fitted, and let the fitness be determined by
actual experience.
We do not see why women should not do
light work on the farm, keep books, become
tellers 10 the banks, agents for insurance
companies, engage iu various kinds of busi-
ness, enter the professions At present her
education units her for many OF these, but
training comes from experience. No one
can learn how to SWIM until he g0es into
the water. When we enter upon this exper-
imsnt, then women will learn frUm practice
to do many thugs for which both she and
the community now think her untitled.
What shall we do with our daughters ?
asks many an anxious parent.
Get them married, is the common reply
SO the plan Of life is arranged with this
as an end the daughter is put tO school, and
lives in a condition of dependence until the
hoped for event is reached. But more than
one>half, at best, in our old communities,
cannot become wives. They, must, there's
fOro, be supported or support themselves.
When young man becomes of age, be is
exnectsd IN take care birns-lf and this stimu,
Iates him to exertion In the few cases of
rich mems sons. who rely upou their fathers.
we see what the effect of denendence ia
Generally it robs the Young man of ENERGY.
and be,rts habits ofidleness and induIsencs
Can onr yirls be trained 60 depeodence
uithout ike results2
We do not advocate plan Of lifp.or system
of edncntion which ignores the generic diff
fa,ence. of ,ex. What we maintain is. that
wnman sbould be trained to do the work for
vhick she is fitted. and should do this inst
as men do theirs.
Wh., c.n she do7 This must bs determ,
ined bv trial. and not be preiud,ced bv false
,h.oric. The changes that have already
been made have improved her industrial and
social nosition. II is compara,ivelv within
a short period when womans work was lin,
;,ed 10 5omestic service sewing and teach.
inc
Rut SLOWLY other occupations have Oradu,
allv been oneninO. In Central Europe, when
The war. Of Napolsou had reduced the agri.
cnItural workers. ,be was sent into the vine
yards to enter upou the lipnter work of the
| 6eld Since then, both 10 the European cit
les and in our own country, the sphere Of
Labor has been gradually opening. She now
engages in various trades aud manufactures
and has invaded the professions. We have
female doctors and ministers. and lately 4
il renorted that a .lady LAWYER has beer
admitted 10 the bar of one Of our Westerr
courts.
This enlargement of women's work i,
frsuybt with Industrial and social changes
There were in Massachusetts,, in 1861, 6S6,
2UI womsu-outoumberiug The men 80 O70
Suppose that only a quarter OF these, iusteaC
of eating the bread OF idleness and depend
ence, or selling themselves To base uses en-
gage in some useful work. As far as the,
do this, they add to the prOductiveuess of th,
common wealth. So much for the genera
,ood