American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-01
Women and Work.

II the intellect ola woman is cultivated,
! II she has any special gift, she will seek
work, for she finds the keenest pleasure
IN the exercise of her talent and Il just
pride in compelling the public to recog-
niZe it. She will work for reputation and
also for just compensation not from
weak vanity or mean cupidity, but be-
cause such return for her labor is the
most decisive recognition which the pub
lie can give of her real merit. Rosa Bon
heur would not rank half so high as an
artist If she were mere amateur, as now
that she commands thousands for what
ever she puts on canvas. Have we not
seen royal princess of France modelling
statues, and as anxious as any poor sculp-
tor could be, to have her work duly recog-
nized by the public Many women of
the aristocracy of Europe are ambitious of
literary reputation, and are not at all
satisfied with the praise of a fashionable
cOtcrle, If they cannot gain the ear of the
great reading world. Nay, the queen of
England herself writes books and receives
her copyright as much as any poorer au-
thor. To work, then, and to work for
pay. is no disgrace. No woman who feels
a true inspiration will work merely to
kill time, without object. without pur-
pose. But genius, even talent, is given to
few, and the idea that the work of the
brain is the only one fitted for a lady, if
she is obliged to work, has made ship
wreck of the life and happiness of
many women. But if she cannot be an
artist or teacher, why not follow the vo-
cations which naturally belong to her
sex? Because these are foolishly made
badge of social inferiority. A man how
ever well educated, can do any honest
work for a living, and not lose caste. a
foreign refugee who came to this city, Il
gentleman by birth, finding no other
means of support, was not ashamed to
go to breaking stones in the Central Park,
and all who saw him honored him for his
manly spirit of independence. Why
should not refined woman be a dress
maker or a milliner? Far better for her
happiness and for society, than that she
should be an incompetent teacher or
weak writer for magazines!
Young woman, never be dependent
on your friends, never live an idle, aim
less life; or, what is a thousand times
worse. marry to escape work, ''or to gain a
position" Work, and if you cannot work
with your brain, work with your hands,
and your independence! Work wars never
meant to be a curse or shame it is the
surest element of growth and happiness.
With woman rests especially the power
to right her own sex to this absurd
by working herself when gifted
with great powers, and recognizing with
a real sympathy the work, however hum
Bile, of other women. If che possess
wealth, merit, or station, let her greet
with womanly gentlen, IS the timid young
teacher, the obscure artist, the humble
sewing girl, quick to recognize with UNI
erring feminine tact signs of education
and Observation-Disclosures to the want of
it. No woman is free from responsibility
toward her own sex. All are to bear one
another's lurdens, and to share one an
others SORROWS. This is the true sister
hood of women. However widely apart
in station, they react upon each other for
good or for evil. The prizes of virtue
may be given to the humblest as well as
the highest. After the late terrible war,
the French government decreed three
medals to women who had served the
most faithfully in the hospitals. The first
was given to poor sewing girl, the sec
ond to an actress, the third to a woman of
rank and fashion, whose name had been
often mixed up with the scandals of the
empire. Who could but feel that the
spirit of that noble. Englishwoman, Flor
ence Nightingale, had been the inspiring
example of these women, SO widely sepa-
rated in rank, and yet all united in the
work of charity.-M 7. Paper.