Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-09
why are women weak,
frs. Francis ID. Gage SAWS !:

Mrs. Francis ID. Gage says:
/ sincerely deprecate every sem
tence read or hear that is calculated
to impress upon the minds Of people
| the idea that women are weak natur-
ally, and that they must therefore,
he dependent. That women, as civ
ilized society now places them, have
less physical force than men, is true.
That nature intended they should be
in part protected by the stronger
Iimbed male, IL also apparent. But
girl and boy, born Of the same par
ents, clothed and fed alike, allowed
the same opportunities for healthful
play and rest, will grow into man
hood and womanhood, in most cases,
prepared to walk side by side in all
life's essential cares and duties, with
equal endurance. ease aud comfort.
A certain canal contractor Of huge
proportions, and noted for his health
and strength, once found it necessary
to nurse for q day and half sick
cross child, who weighed eighteen
pounds. found him at night. com
pleteIy exhausted, declaring that he
would rather work In the water up
to his neck all day lifting stone, than
10 nurse that fellow. 1t would not
tire him half so much" | saw
lgirl few years ago, five feet ten in
hight, finely proportioned and
weighing one hundred and fifty
pounds, and heard her call on her
gray haired father of three score aud
ten, to lift teakettle off the stove
for her. She had never practiced
| lifting teakettles, and the canal man
never nursed babies.
What / wish to be understood to
say is, that We need strong, well wo-
men, for the mental and physical
work of the race, and that, in order
to have them, they must be trained
to exertion and effort from the first
hour of life to adult years. Only
this will bring out the real power Of
the man or woman.
! Far be it from mo TO assert that q
weak, inexperienced girl, corset
bound, and flounce-hung, with sew
enty-fve dollars worth of hair or jute
piled on her precious head, to be puff.
ed and frizzled, braided and curled
every morn, noon aud night, can
compete with brother who has run
the streets, jumped fences, swan riv-
ers, aud played base ball, every day
of his life. But she will most likely
get on rs well as her brother who
has been delicate, been kept in doors,
wrapped In furs, petted and piled,
and worked into dyspepsia by can
dies and sweatmeats, etc. / have
known instances where she did bet
ter, so have you If you will think a
| little. IL women are weak, let us
enquire whether 1t Is natural or ac-
qulred weakness?
Do not statistics show us that girls
and boys are born in pretty equal
numberso DO the same statistics
show us that girls are more apt to die
in infancy than boys? Are their
numbers not aboutequal ut maturity:
Are women not often in this coun-
try found In preponderance at mid
die life? j ask for information.
The Ottumwa Courier says: "The
st. Louis, Kansas City and Northern
Railway Company, having greatly
increased their business have put on
in addition to the present local pas
senger train q through express train
for the especial accommodation of
passengers from off lines Of G. Il. a.
c., Des Moines Valley and Central
n. X. of Iowa, leaving Ottumwa at
4:30 p. IN. running through to st.
Louis without change. puliman
Palace cars accompany these trains.
The connection with other roads at
this point being good, we now look
for the entire north and south travel
through our city by this popular
rOute.D