The Portland daily press., 1873-04-14
"NeW KuighthOOd." !"


In discoursLg of the New Knighthood'
in the Independent, Miss Phelps gives a
vivid picture of the treatment generally ac-
corded to women in public conveyances-in
Massachusetts-and says her notebook offers
the following comments on the winters
trauel:
Pretty, healthy schoolgirls, well rufied
and bumped, perfectly able to stand and per-
fectly expecting a seat, receive it.
have thought that, after ALL there may be
subtle relic of masculine tenderness for
genuine need in this selection, when one
pauses to consider the amount of weight car
ried by these suffering creatures, in their
panniers, ehignons, and kilt plating. L
throw this out as well-intentioned attempt
to be as candid as the circumstances re-
quire.
Wash-women with bundles stand. Old
women, so frequently as to lead one to say,
at a venture, generally are seated by the
courtesy of their own sex.
young mother, who always goes down.
town with three children and bag, usually
obtains a seat, and usually by the prompt
pushing and plotting of another mother,
who espies her halt a dozen car-lengths
ahead. f
woman with very little baby In arms Is
never allowed to stand by either SEX
An old and feeble gentleman is more likely
to yield his right to seat than young and
energetic one.
Little Irish boys will not allow little lady
to stand; but do not offer the courtesy to her
expressed gratitude, slipping outside shyly in
the dignity aud delicacy of untbanked ser
vice.
A deformed dwarf whom wot of on sour
road is fond of assisting cripples up the
steps, and apt to be upon the platform 1T the
car is full.
The regulation number of passengers upon
side being nine, ten gentlemen viii crowd
one lady (she being among the earlier arriv-
ais, and there being no more agreeable seat
for her elsewhere) till for very decency's sake,
she is driven to stand and leave the field to
them. .
The passengers being divided on the true
Boston principle of separate education OF the
sexes, nine men will sit and expectorate
upon the dress of nine women (for the use OF
the straw as spittoon amounts to that) the
whole way into town; and neither the arm
of the law nor the soul of the cooperation
| will grant the clean-mouihed side of the
car redress. l intend no gloomy pun, gentl's
men. / have had too many dresses spoiled.
81 wonder what you would think" said a
young lady to me the other day, 'of what I
see every day OF my life. My sister and go
into town on the business train. They are
school-teachers.) Where we get upon it
there is no platform. We take the long
step from the ground to the car. Every
morning the gentlemen of Ginger Till stand
in file and push their way before us. When
the last man is upon the car and seated we
can get on; not before"
"Why don't you take your turn with the
rest? You are not so physically weak as to
be driven to submit to such treatment"
81 wouldn't touch such men. 1 wouldn't
push my way through such crowd. I'd
rather wait till l can get on without brush
ing SO much as my dress-hem against
them"
This happens every morning at a station
not many minutes out from Boston, on the
Providence road. refrain from giving the
| real name of the place only out of eonsidera-
| ton for the ladies, who object. These are
not "Woman's Rights women" it will be
| understood. They do not go into town to at
tend suffrage conventions. They have no de-
sire for the ballot. They have lett no neg
lected homes behind them. They pursue
their professions as quietly. as modestly (and
at such Disadvantage as woman may.
They have never petitiored in the green
room on a hearing for the consideration Of
the fact that one-eighth of the teachers in
Massachusetts,, being men, average half as
much again in salary seven-eighths, being
women. They do not ask for the nomina-
ton of female school committee, to avenge
them of their wrongs. They do not strive
nor cry, neither is their voice heard in the
streets. They do not in anywise infringe up
on those conditions on which the gallantry Of
men is supposed to rest. And this is their
tnefimonv tn IL