Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-04-05
For the Spectator.
Nv oman's Reform"
BY Myrtle.

This is truly IN age of Progressive inven
tions,' one in which the minds Of men and
women are grasping for power, an erratic, un-
satisfying, insulating age, CRYING like the
horse-leech- give, give. !" Ne are as peo-
pie impetuous. initiative, liable to run into the
extremes of error. This is proven by the ten
dency TO fall in with every ism which is a.
bounding: it matters not how simple or SINFUL
however ridiculous in its belief, however per-
nicious in ITS influence, they all have their ad-
herents Heretofore these have been confined
to the Cheever- ranting, Beecher-quackery fol-
lowers, but In our seclusion the virus Is being
spread with its vitiating tendency; this We
must admit and admit dispassopatey. Even
the religion bought by the weary marching
over the hills ard plains OF Judea, by fasting
and temptation on the mount, by the suffering
by Kedron brook and Gethsemane's darkness,
is giving away slowly but surely to the simply
moral. eai.a
With every osber ism and reform of the age,
looms ur, in its strength from the shadow Of
tha. ~roiific Plymouth Rock, this reform of
womans-a reform against nature-"an at
tempt TO make sunhowers out ct vloets, and
trnmpets out of flutes" as DR.. Bushnell COM
plirnentarily expresses it. Would that We could
say the cry fell upon deaf ears and passed away
as thunder rolling in the distance.
We would advocate more thoroughly COM
prehensive education Of our sex, claiming that
woman intellectual powers are more capacious
than the present mode OF female education is
capable OF jnstifying, and willing to admit too
that perhaps there are fields OF occupation now
filled alone by men which could be hi'ed with
women without any detrlment to position,
neither deter;orating the least from woman $
gentleness. nodesty or refinement; there are
many amongst us who have suffered with, and
for us, looking. waiting, desiring anxlously po-
sitions for honorable occupation compatible
| with .woman's station. There Is no maD, the
true handigork of God, bat will accord mag
unanimously 10 woman all the extension Of her
intellectual capa cities she may desire but this
stepping out from her sphere TO meddle with
politics or polenlics will call down on her head,
| and Justly too, all the scorn the opposite sex
can manifest !; for this stepping out is against
| law both human and divine. we are peculiar
ly constituted this fact IS lmmutabiy liked and
| proven by the ,redominatlon OF much that is
characteristic cf our sex alone. Woman has
| her ambition as we'll as man, but Ewes desire
to be God Should teach us the falacy Of We
| mans ambition and teach us to nurture it care
fully. We are not of that class who think just
/ because we are women we are to SIT down lu
idleness TO be petted and played with just as
plavtbings: or spend our time il gossipiDg
/ over the derails of our neigEbors' business OF
deiving as deeply in the last sensation move
with as grasping vehemence as men of letters
do in the classics nor should We be vain evan.
ascent shadows living for dress just because
men. With brains so shallow that they DRIFT
amongst nothing but dregs muddy with black
! ness-sdmire us for dress alone History. sa
/ cred, ancient aud modern encourages differ
entity.
We are not all disposed alike. There are
Marys and Marthas, Leahs and RachelS
Ruths and Esthers, Lydias and Annas. :
There are those of US now who are careful ane
troubled about many things; others who 81
quietly learning meekly life's truths, content tt
send out their influence quietly; others wht
are bright burning lights in the literary world
Who would detract from the christian works o
a Moore Just because she was woman? or the
blessed lessons of woman worth, woman
bravery aid fidelity to country, as given by ihs
sweet suffering Hemans? Who could detrac
from Jean lngelow's Divided. p coming from
and falling in all its soothing beauty and conf
dence UPON many o sad womans heart. Who
of our scz can read Frederika Bremen beau
tiful home pictures and not feel proud she is
woman? our own Augusta Evans, with he
touching chaaacters of iwemaps struggles, al
ending in heart homes. Miss Muloch ''vh'