The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-09-01
A W0MAE's REPLY.
BY sLINNIE MYRrrE n1LLrn.

Before me lies an open letter, just re
ceived from a friend in Nevada, and
have just read therefrom these words:
rs il possible that you are writing,
eanyassing and working for 'Womanis
Rights paper? You who in my heart
OF hearts l have always called Evange-
line'-which name, with me. means
purest and best-What do YOU ask? Have
you not your dowry straight from the
hand of God? Were you not born to be
loved, and is love not all in all -? O,
b. lkvangeliner'
I can hear the tone of reproach. see
the fine, Shakespearean head shake
doubtfully, and the look of sad disap-
p0intment in the kind eyes. 1t is not
pleasant surely to be thought unwom-
anly. I dread of course to be called
"strong-minded," but, my friend, it has
come to my heart through disappoint-
me1t and real suffering that things are
not qs they ought to be. Not for myself,
now but-dO you forget the little gold
en-hsired darling that used to climb to
your knee, the child-eyes that looked
trnsuully into yours, and the lips that
you kissed without passion? Time is
passing, and by and by the golden hair
will crown a wOman's head, and then
what then?
In regard to the suffrage question: 1 do
not see anything better that can be done
than to give everybody what they ask.
There is now an unhappy element among
womenkind who ask certain privileges,
and let US judge them justly and kindly.
Victor Hugo says: at is not certain
whether we are happy because we are
good or good because We are happy.l'
Do you not kaolC-does not everyone
know-hOw much better we feel towards
the whole human family when we are
happy, successful, victorious? Let us
make woman happy-not setting our
selves up as judges TO determine ,chat
will make her happy-but let her have
her own way about it. God in His wis
dom has not made everyone alike. There
are, now ard always, men in the places
where women should be, and women
who are trying to fill mems places; they
do 1t, and 10iI do it; ; and they may as well
be allowed to do it well. And methinks
there might be fewer ruined and debased
women if those of a certain tempera-
ment and disposition had a sanctioned
outlet for their procsivities. Let us not
Judge even the unfC rtunates with an nm
kind judgment. Let us speak and think
of them as though we Were i'm the nres-
ence Of God. Who will deny that if the
political privilege could act upon this
class Of humanity it would do a great,
grand good-good to the wife. the sis
ter, the "Priestess," and to man if il
could take from and lessen the number
of the lowest class Of women under the
sun, or, If not regain those that are real
ly lost, at least save others. There is q
certain spirit in woman as we'll as man,
morbid dread of prescribed duties, an
overwhelming desire to be different
from others; from this nature comes
the "Priestess," who might with the
political privilege be an aspirant for Do
Iitical honors, public laborer, lecturer,
anything but what she is. / am speak
ing Of the unfortunate 'humanity,p as
Thomas Hood did, ''not of the stains of
her"
But leavingout this hope forher, there is
the lmportunate element before referred
to that the privilege of voting would
satisfy, and thus discordanee would cease
and something else begin. This class
not having talent, maybe, for makino
samples, embroidery, erotcheting an
ing, tatting, ruffiing, etc, ete.-tbis end
less variety Of nonsense that wears ont !.
woman's eyes and enervates her brain .
not maybe, having a genius for poetr,,
or the fine arts; or taste for elaborato
dress, parties, flirting, gossiping, etc
not having been employed in any Of
these legitimate ways, they have, fol
some time, been watching you men out
of the corners of their sybaline eyes
while you have taken from the depth o.