Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-12


great deal from the departments Of mcdi-
chi. legal and theological research; nor
from those of philosophy and statesmansbip.
Likely, as many volumes having enough vi.
tality to live century would be added to
these sections Of the worlds library rs now.
Perhaps, also, mechanical invention would
progress rs rapidly, the great streets of the
worlds commerce be Ms thronged and the
smoke trails Of ships and trains be MS nu.
nierous. Something would be missed from
| tho studios Of art, those laboratories of I'M
agination, feeling and taste; and much
would be missed from the purest, most heart
ful and onnobing literature of the age. But
how about those mental laboratories, vastly
more numerous than the combined factories,
stores and offices of men, dotted and clus.
| tered through the land as the stars IN the
| sky, and as ceasoless in their work us these
in their shining: how about tho homes of tho
| lawyer and scientist, OF tho manufacturer
| and merchant, of tho banker and farmer
would these be the samep Would men have
| the same inspiration in their daily toilp
Would the philosopher be rs real phloso.
| phor without the smile of his wife; or would
the defender of right and assailant of wrong
be rs brave and enduring were It not for the
little eyes that sparkle around the evening
tablep Would there be rs much truth, integ-
rty, virtue, courage, patience, nobility, rs
much of God IN the world? And yet these
things are worth something to humanity; us
much, perhaps. rs the logical tones, scien-
tfic icicles, or deeds. stocks and coin. These
things are woven by the mind and soul of
woman, rs are PHILOSOPHERS by men. II is
true that there never has been, and likely
never will be, n female Bacon, Newton or
Napoleon: but il is equally true that there
never has been, and will never be, male
Florence Nightingale, Martha Washington
or Cornelia. Because, forsooth, we cannot
measure truth with yard stick. let us not
deny that truth exists; and because we can
not measure wOman's mental work by the
same gauge that we apply to Bacon let us not
deny either its existence or value. Tho very
fact that we cannot, shows how greatly the
intellectual product of woman differs from
that of man. TO deny that the woman Is rs
much mental worker rs man, is to deny
the long, plethora years of wiGely tender
ness and Of motherly watchIulness, counsel
and prayer, without which the world would
become a lair of wild beasts. 1t is not so
much her physical work which most endears
and makes hallowed the memory of mother
that serves only rs goblet into which the
mental, moral and affectional forces OF her
whole life distilled II spirit nearest like that
of deity; and we Instinctively lift II to our
lips in moments of worship. when wealth,
fame and ambition seem rs proianities. The
greater our distance from childhood the
more clearly do we see now different IN its
nature is the mental worl: of the mother
from that of tho father. And the more thor
oughly we analyze the intellectual labor
performed by woman in all her relations,
the more apparent will be its difference from
that Of man. Men may fancy that they do a
given thing rs a woman would, but any bevy
of girls could easily demonstrate and epjoy
the absurdty Of the fancy.
Now, suppose the Creator to have acted
only rs wisely us do human inventors, it is
probable that he rs expressly designed
her mental organism for the performance o.
her distinctive mental work, us is her phys
ical organism exactly adapted to her phys
ical work Aud If her mental work differ,
in nature from that of man, II may be ante
cedently probable that her mind differs in
nature from his, just in the degree that tn,
work of each requires, for its best perform.
ance, either different faculties or different
strength of the same faculties. From this
stand point, the question whether her mine
is equal to his bears wonderful likeness I,
the question whether lark is equal to
trout. Both were made by the same hand,
out of the same chemical substances, though
in different proportions; yet, ms II swimmer
the lark is n failure, and rs flyer the trou
is fraud. Each has its own work, ant
each its own instincts adapted precisel!
thereto. And while we can more easily SCI
the difference between swimming and flynn
than between the action of wonlan's mini
and mans, yet It may really I've no greater
We are not asserting that tho substance, s
; to speak, or nature of her mind is difieren
from his, or that in quality or quantity it
either superior or inferior. No one knsws
D or can certainly know, whether either o
these suggestions be true or false. Nor ar
we claiming that woman's faculties have
different proportion from those Of man
though some facts may seem to confirm tn
antecedcnt probability.
But, If none of these propositions be col
: rect, then. IN order to account for the differ
: ence between the mental work performe
\ by woman and by man, we submit that th
action Of her mind is SO modified by he
: physical structure that, either it does II 10:
u | of nd inrp hat m N
same power, or else it works in way of II
own. All admit that the action of man
mind is affected by the condition of the body
= n fever, for example, wholly doranges men
tai action. 1t makes no difference whethC
the fever he the effect of internal causes, q
n malaria, or external causes, ms torture; nc
J. whether the causes be themselves the II
d suits Of physical organization, or Otherwis
20 In either case. the disturbance of the menti
NJ system will correspond to that of the physics
!, system, and the quality and amount of mel
,r tai work will DO in proportion to the degrG
e. and extent OF the disturbance. During til
"A greater part OF woman's life there Rre ply
O ical causes which inevitably must and actua
ID ly do affect the brain, and therefore, menti
er action. Aud the fact that these forces n
A organic and periodic so far from shown
I'd that they produce no effect, only shows mo-
lie clearly that they must inevitably exert n su
~ and proportionate effect, which cannot b
is appear in the action of hOr mind. II 1t
ly claimed that, AS these causes are naturI
I'd corresponding compensation has been ma,
O. in the structure of her mind, then, this is
nd say that her mind is organically diifere
or from mans. because physical condition q
mt ways affects mental action; and, if her me
ot tai constitution is different, her mental ed
or cation should be proportionately diiferen
or But, on the other hand, if it DO claimed tn
of her mind is constituted us his, then il mt
ny act in a way of its own, that is, under diil'
4 A | Al LOO.