Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-03-22

of independence is absolutely essential to
womanhood, as IL Is also TO manhood.
What would be the character OF that young
man who never expects to earn his own
livelihood, but hangs around home doing
little jobs, and goes to his father even when
he Is twenty-five, and explains that he
needs few dollars TO buy a coat, or pair
of boots, or a little change for necktie2
Such beggary has precisely the same effect
upon woman's character as IL would have
upon mans; but we are so used TO the
effect upon woman's, we have come to
think it is Gods tinting, and not human
bungling. Every woman of any spirl, de-
tests this dependence-thi everlasting ask
ing for money. Any woman or girl who
has earned few dollars which she feels is
her own, to use as she will, without ques-
tion or criticism, is prouder and happier
than with five times that sum handed re-
luctantly from a fathers or husbands
pocket with the taunt, "Women use so
much money!
Then, the discipline to the whole charac-
ter which comes with self.support is, Of it,
self, liberal education.
I questioned a lady of a man whom she
had met. "He is an ordinary man." she
said "but II he had been a woman he
would have been stupid" I exclaimed.
She persisted, and with reason. "As he
hadn't much brains to start with, If he had
been all his life confined to the routine OF
| housekeeping, seldom coming in contact
with the world, always having to beg for
the money he must use, instead of making
it himself, he would have been a very in
ferlor person." If self-support can so de-
velop and strengthen the character in one
sex, why not in the other? The pettiness,
narrowness and unhappiness of women
would be greatly diminished If some
healthy, remunerative occupation filled
their lives.
But with this universal training of our
daughters for selfsupport, there must and
will come revolution in the prevailing
sentiment that it is dlsgracerul for women
to earn money.
1t Is respectable for woman to work
herself even TO death for the church, for
the heathen, for some society, for relatives.
providing there is no remuneration. but
the moment money is received 1t is dis
graceful Many single women consent to
drudge, without pay, in some relatives
family, and be snubbed in the bargain,
rather than learn some trade or venture
into business for the moment they do this
for self-support they close CASTE"
An educated woman, acquainted with all
sciences, PHILOSOPHERS, reading the great
poets in the original Latin and Greek, is
despised by fashionable woman who can't
spell English correctly, because the former
teaches to support herself, and the latter is
supported in ideness by rich husband.
American women should be ashamed of
this sentiment. 1t is un-American, un-
democratic. 1t is out of place in our re-
public. 1t is rag from the torn garments
| of Old World aristocraces. If we must
have an aristocracy in this country let it be
one of intellect and virtue, not of money
and ideness.
There is much less of this spirit among
men than women. Genuine American men
have respect for honest labor. About a
hundred years ago men laid aside their
gold lace and velvets, their plumcs and
frills, embroidery and buckles, and went
to work, respecting themselves and COM
manding the respect Of others.
They founded republic on the princi-
Piles of freedom and equality. One of its
farest blossoms is the idea that honest la
Dor is noble. As democratic ideas have
pretty thoroughly cured men of false no.
tions on the subject of labor, there is some
hope for woman.
When women have been made members
of this republic they will, perhaps, become
imbued with democratic principles, and
discover, among other things, that labor is
honorable, and that self-support is as noble
in women as IN men.-PHtSburg Leader.