Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-03-23
WoMAN'S REAL RIGHTS.


Jesuits have n maxim that there is no
greater enemy to religion than an
over.pious fool Neither is there u
greater enemy to humanity than your
over.maudlin humanitarian. We feel
an abiding conviction that, with, we
are willing to believe, the most amia-
bic intentions, few men have done
more mischief than our white-coated
friend and philosopher, Horace Gree.
ley q Co., by encouraging Fourierism,
free.loveism, woman's rlghtisms, and
all those other isms of which the Nc.
Farland and the many cases that
every hour come up Of the wild justice
of revenge ior domestic wrong are the
natural spawn. Scratch any of these
cases and you are sure to find some
Tribune man underneath. Indeed,
Horace himself seems gradually com
ing to this conviction. AT the last
feast of tomfoolery and flow of tea
over which be presided ut Delmonieo's
he invited Miss Anthony and any
number of those lovely advocates Of
womaD's rights with spectacles and
hinge headachy Massachusetts fore.
heads who were around him to take
an axe and pass forenoon in his
forest at Westchester. "There," he
said-et tu brme-with somewhat
stinging irony, "you can exercise
woman's rights to your utmost will
and find no one to interfere with you"
They have some brilliant examples.
The English Premier at last accounts
was found by n wandering interviewer
hewing down q tree at Hnwarden,
and Miss Anthony, roaming like Lady
Randolph, through the woods and
wilds Of Westchoster, would form
lovely cabinet companion TO the re-
cent picture of "Horaco and his axe"
In such healthy exercise they might,
too, while asserting their rights, cx-
change for somewhat roster tint the
E present rather buckwheat cake char.
acter of their compilations. They
prefer, however at present TO wheel
round and round like lot of rocks,
cawing incessantly with shrill cry for
their rights. They will however,
soon exhaust themselves. Leave the
little lambs TO fi5sk about awhile and
they will soon get their nails in each
others feeces The Sorosis has already
been washed by shower and bent
down its beautiful head.
The fact is, that even in the very
highest walks of womanhood the age
ofCleopatras, Elizabelhs, Mary Stuarts
and Medicis are gone by. In our age
the world honors Queen Victoria for
her home beauties as the good wife
and mother, and all her genius for the
graees of the toilet could not win for
Eugene the affections of France until
she was found at the bedside of suffer
ing in the hospital, and with her bas-
ket bringing comfort TO the dwellings
Of the poor. The conspicuous women
of the past even did not so much TO
challenge the admiration of the world
for great womanly qualities as they
startled 1t by their absence of woman.
~ qualities and by the unnatural
assumption Of masculine craft. Mod
erD civilization, in crowding woman
'out of the unnatural position into
which ieudal customs had occasionally
thrown her, admonishes her that TO
enlist the sympathics OF the world she
must be contont to adorn the sphere
for which she was sdesigned-the moral
sphere, the moral agent in the family
circle, and as such the most powerful
and graceful moral agency in the
world. Nature moulded and marked
her 10 be the gentle admonisher. the |
sweet friend of charity and love, the |
indeiatigable teacher Of her children
and The healer OF the sufciings of the /
widow, the helpless orphan, the impo- /
tent old, aud of all those stricken /
-down by the stern DEGREES Of nature
or OF fate, as far MS it is in her power,
without neglecling those who, by the /
music Of the blood and by the links Of /
sympathy aud friendship, arc entitled /
10 precedence Of affection.
For ourselves we know Of no sphere
in which woman can better exercise
her rights or which better exhibit her
nobest qualities of head and heart
than the foundation and direction Of
such charities and hospitals ms are
the pride and ornament of our city.
Such works are not, be il remembered,
mere missions 10 distribute They
noed the industry aud ability to origi-
nate, to organize, to develop and TO
direct They call for all those quail
ties which are most lovely and best in
woman-the richness OF soul to in
spire, the elasticity Of intellect TO con
ceive, the fulness OF heart to mellow,
the gentle frmness 90 control, the
genius oftact TO direct and the intense
devotion TO endure. 1t ia when
clothed in such beauties that the
small white hand OF woman waves
dominion over man. The struggle
against it is in vain. He is but Jacob
wrestling with the angel. Modcsty
and goodness ever travel hand IN
hand, and the many noble women in
our city engaged in these works Of
charity instinciivcly shrink from noto.
ricty and desire to do their heroic
task as n simple matter Of duty and of
love. The namo of Florence Night.
ingalc win flourish when those of
Nicholas and Napoleon arc half for.
gotten, and the bravost doiugs of the
Ciimca have faded into a misty dream.
Bu, for one Florence Nightingale,
whosc name rises up before The world,
how many hundred arc there In our
own, and, as we believe, in other
cities, who, if their unassuming gentle
uess Of nature did not cover them as
with q shield, would deserve some of
tho praise and admiration which !
Florence Nightingale so worthilv !
wearsl We never see such a woman l
90 round on her mission Of goodness :
hut our hand itchcs to clutch one of I
those coarse creatures who scream for r
womans rights and say TO her, aGo "
thou aud do likewise" n
Habit is like tho dropning of wntcr