The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-17
asUpERFLUoUs WOMEN. y


Scarcely a sensible woman in the
country but has been disgusted at the
remarks intended to display the wit and
discernment of their authors concern
ing women and their supposed sphere;
and not few of them have been headed
as above. "Superfluous women are by
these believers in the aristocracy of sex
treated to flippant lectures which dis
play in few sentences a combination
of bigotry, ignorance and ehrontery
which renders those who utter or indite
them supremely ridiculous, not to say
contemplate.
A state of public opinion that stigma
tizes any moral, intelligent, and indus
trious class as "superfuOus," should at
once shame to silence the impertinent
sticklers for "woman's sphere" that cry
''superfuous' if woman, either from
necessity or inclination, remains I'M
married. Does any one for a moment
suppose that the odious term "superflu-
ous' would be applied to large number
of useful and intelligent citizens of
commonwealth, if the old idea that
woman was made for man did not exist?
Because, forsooth, women in some To-
calities outnumber men, and hence can
not each be assigned to the haven to
which all women are pointed regardless
of fexpediency-matrimony-they are
commiserated, ridiculed, and voted "su-
periuous." 10000 women in Ma8sa-
chusetts furnish material for much su-
perduous coincidence, and many abor-
tive attempts at wit, while wives who
toll early and late to maintain juvenile
"superiuities," which sorely against
their will they yearly add to the census,
though much greater objects of pity and
sympathy than these, receive neither
the one nor the other.
When the time comes that women
are pecuniarily independent of matri-
mony, regarding it as men do, as an in
cident in their lives, instead of the aim
and end of their existence, we shall have
done with the stupid nonsense concern
ing superfuous women, and furthermore
shall have done with the mercenary
marriages that lead to so much unhap-
piness and disappointment in life.
Who, looking upon the good accom-
plished by Alice and Phoebe Cary, but
will say, though they never bore the
name of wife, they had glorious mis-
sion on earth, and well fulfilled it?
One of these sisters, after a careful re-
view other life, exclaims:
$50 let my past stand just as it stands,
And let me now as I may grow old.
lam what am, and my life for me
Is best or it had not been, 1 hold"
How many women, who have closely
adhered to "woman's sphere by mar
rage, however unsuitable, so it was le-
gal marriage, can thus peacefully and
contentedly sum up their lot in life as
they draw near its farther verge? Who,
marking the sublime courage and per-
sistence with which Susan B. Anthony
has pursued the even tenor of her way,
turning neither to the right nor to the
left to answer the calumnies with which
she has been asailed, because of her
earnest and loyal work for the elevation
of woman, can say that her usefulness
could have been enhanced had her early
love-dreams been fulfilled? And the
intrepid Smith sisters, of Glastonbury,
who have so valiantly fought taxation
without representation, have they not
made record which shall cause future
generations of our republic to rever-
emily repeat their names We might
continue the list, but this will serve our
present purpose. The names of these,
and many other women, though ac-
counted by would-be wits ''superfiuous,"
have become household words in hund-
reds of homes, and the embodiment of
all things lovely and of good report in
thousands of hearts. In addition to
these, who amongst US but can recall
the quiet acts of mercy, goodness, and
grace of more than one woman unknown
to fame, but not to deeds of loving kind
ness, whose daily lives are a constant
denial to the taunt of superfuity?
All! when the "great day for which
all other days were made" shall shed
the luster of its morning upon the null
titude assembled in the presence of the
Great Supreme to render accounts for
"deeds done in the body" these quiet
and unobtrusive ones shall haply re-
ceive crowns all the more glorious be-
cause their earth-life was misjudged,
their very existence mockingly called
superhuOus.