Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-01-18
Miss Dickinson's Lecture.


the privilege of listening to Miss Anna Dick
inson, one of the most distinguished lady
lecturers before the public. The audience
was large and appreeiative. Miss Dickin-
sons address was plain and practical, and
exceedingly incisiv0 and bristling with points.
She wastes no words in conveying her ideas
to her auditors.
Miss Dickinson's subject was the uhinteli-
gible question, whats to IInder?" But it
seems that the words are only part Of the sem
tence, whats to hinder any woman from
entering in, now that broad pathway lies
| open for women!" She began her lecture by
comparison between the opportunity which
women had twenty years ago, to labor, and
the estimation in which such labor was held,
and the avenues there are now open to them
to work. To-day there is no law recognized
in America that prevents q woman doing what
soever she desires. Twenty years ago people
said if a woman wishes to write, let her do so.
But What kind of writing was it? 1t was
pretty tales and novels, something to pass
away an idle hour. To-day there are three
ladies in New York holding the leading editor
ship of newspapers. Barriers are being bro
ken down, and doors opened and the pathway
broadened, and you will say what is there to
/
ness, brutality and oppression there are
enough Of in the world, but these are not the
barriers. The great obstacle to womans sue
cess in the new avenues of labor, the great
cloud on the old accepted methods of work, is
simply Of her own making. Many girls say,
81 have no work to do that satisfies my am.
bition. l do not wish to go over the old, ac-
cepted pathway, feel aspirations for some
thing nobler, better and broader" 1t is a safe
thing to say Of a woman's work, as of mans
work, if she has learned her work and knows
it through and through, whatsoever it may be,
she will find enough to do, with decent com
pensaton for the same.
Miss Dickinson gave many instances of wo-
men who are compensated as we'll as men, for
work which they do as well. She told of
man cook at Il side hotel, whose employer
was glad to pay him $4,000. How many wo-
men ever study the art Of cooking with view
to making it a permanent livelihood? Men in
that capacity frequently get $1,000 a year.
| Women get paid, serving in the same capac-
ty, from two to five dollars week. If she
had studied it as the man had as a trade, as a
fine art, she would get as large salary. The
! same rule applies in all branches of industry.
The clerk in the dry goods store who will con-
vince you that you want things you did not
| dream of when you entered the store, has in
view store of his own and is learning to sell
goods from a dtieren' motive than the girl be-
| hind the counter does. She only uses il as a
temporary means Of subsistence, and means
to drop it at her first opportunity. Teaching
| is q respectable vocation, and on that account
alone many second and third rate teachers fill
inferior positions, but there are many fine
openings to the woman who is capable of FILL
ing higher position. How many girls take
| up teaching with view to professorships
Ninetenths of the girls don't respect their
work, and think others do not respect them,
| and believe that men regard them as in a false
position. Four ifths of the misery in the lives
of women arises from their eXempting them
selves from work, believing there is some
royal road to fortune. There is meme such.
Woman from early childhood is taught to de-
pend upon others instead of herself Boys
are trained to self dependence from early boy
hood, and made TO stand on their own feet
He is strengthened for the struggle which
must come when he natures, she only weak
| ened as years roll on. His studies are cal
| culated TO strengthen the mind and individ-
ualize the character and to make him strong
to think, to act to do, and to decide for him
self Her education, instead of having these
attainments as its object tends to make her
accomplished at eighteen. The same public
opinion which stimulates and drives him on
ward, like the tebbng of tide, sucks down
her own exertions and drags her helplessly
and hopelessly to sea. Public opinion makes
it dishonorable for a man to be idle, and hon.
orable for him to work, but the same public
opinion deters many girls from doing honor
able work. Women want elegance, luxury
and refinement They want fine houses, ex-
quisite surroundings They want to go, to
see, to do, to spend to fling away as they
please. Yet while public opinion stimulates
this desire among men.it stimulates him to
satisfy this ambition for himself alone. Wo-
men are touched by this same public opinion.
They want wealth and the things it buys, and
it is perfectly legitimate desire. Cicero said,
''The time will come when people will wor-
ship these stones and pictures as they do the
gods" That time has come now. When we
say girl has made good match, do we mean
that she has married young man with a clear
head, an open hand, warm heart that loves
her with his whole soul? No; we mean if she
has married man who has plenty of money,
no matter who he may be morally, that the
match is good.
There is disease which is eating the hearts
core of American society. There is a grow
ing tendency of young men to grow away from
marriage, because they think they cannot af-
ford it. They can afford their elegantly fitted
up rooms, their equipages, their champagne
suppers, their presents 10 ladies on Christmas;
everything, save the extravaganza of mar
riage. The young ladies nova days begin
where their parents leave off. The young
man and the girl should marry for loves sake,
for the love that will grow with privation and
trials. Their fathers and mothers commenced
life in four rooms, but now the children ex-
pect to go on from where the old folks left of.
Miss Dickinson then spoke of the three
classes of women who have nancy to spend
freely, and according TO their own inciina-
ton. The tirst-class are those who are rich
in their own resources to acquire wealth; the
second class are rich daughters, and the third
class is the last class, who get money and
fling it away atterward. The women we call
good have very little money to spend. If
they have money in their hands it is money
they feel not to be their own, as the husband
feels his money to be his, as the sons and
brothers feel their money to be theirs.
| Miss Dickinson then told the following
story: One morninga person came running
to her with piece of paper, on which was
written request for her to go with the mes
senger, as her aid was needed She threw on
an outside garment and hat and at once fol-
! lowed, she knew not where. She was escort
ed to a house not far from her own and went
in. The walls were hung with exquisite pic