The daily gazette., 1875-03-11
4 WOMAN,S VIEW OF 1T.
LECTURE BY MISS ANNA E. DICKINSON.
The Effects Of Different Codes for
the Sexes,

1t Is conceded that no man steps Off OF
the smooth. fair pathway OF virtue, OF
respectability, to go aside into by-paths
unless he goes with some companion and
his companion u woman. 1t is not true,
then, that man. act, or such walk we
will say, touches himself alone. He
takes some woman with him, and her
fate must be bound up more or less in
his deed. Conceded, then, that this wo-
mans fate is bound up in his action,
what OF it2 A young man taught that |
il Is but q trivial matter to 60 astray, /
taught that he can seek his pleasure and /
find his happiness whersoever he will in |
the world, what is to hinder him from |
| mounting steed at door to go his way
gaily through all the world, and find his |
| pleasure grounds where he may discover
them? He rides along the highway; he
looks out on the one hand and sees his
neigh boris carefully tended garden, or
his friend's pleasure ground walled and
hedged about, and he sees that it is dou-
bly, carefully tended and guarded and
| walled about with added security, be-
cause there grows within the ono or the
other flower, sweet, fair and stately
beautiful, its very weakness and its very
sweetness giving it over to the eye of
the spoiler. The young man has been
taught that he can find his pleasure
wheresoever he will in the world; it is,
after all, but wasting little time of the
morning of youth, and then there is all
noon, and afternoon and evening in
which to:do the work of man. What
is to hinder him from striking spur in
steed, and leaping the garden wall,
smelling the flower, breathing in the
, incense of the flower, and by and by
, plucking it to wear in his button hole?
No great harm done here! To be sure
the young man had better have been
engaged in the serious and earnest work
of life; but, after all, no great harm
could accrue from his dallying away a
few hours OF morning sunshine in the
pleasant garden. No great harm has
been done to the young mans life.
What has he done save to smell a flower,
pluck flower, leap again the garden
= wall and gone back again to the highway
among the travel OF men! And who is
to blame him for itP And so looking
down he sees this lily fostering smell
far worse than weeds. He sees that this
aower, plucked from its stalk, is willing,
| whitening, no longer sweet and beautl-
full thing. Who is to blame the young
man for plucking it out and dropping il
as he rides on? No great harm has be.
fallen the young mans life; he pluck.
ed his flower, it has faded, and he has
D dropped it on the highway. He is moi
L
condemned so slightly, touching himself
and himself alone, in such an insignih
cant manner. He rides his way ttrougf
the world.
As for the flower lying on the high
way, nobody takes the trouble to g.
and watch it where it lies, to see hov
,n u, it has died there, and not as u fiowe
dies, in an hour, but is dying through
DAYS and weeks and months and year
of time. Nobody need stop to conside
that the flower perishing through thi
&c. lifetime of agony exhales at least nc
ry the last perfume of the flower, but a
oi immortal soul. Oh, as for him, hi
"' act has touched no one but himself
10 and himself but slightly. He shall b
a free to ride through the world whel
Bile he will and as he chooses, the husban
l,r. of a good wife, the father of children
%e an honored citizen, u respected mer
les Der of the community, pillar in Il
by Church OF God. A nan's act touch
io1t 10, no one but himself, and himself b
ds, slightly. Which of us, wonder, Ii
" read the story that has struck in
.1 ;nd telling the eleventh hour over in o
raw sister city of Boston. But for its Gle
the ing and finishing, it has been parall
ed in hundreds of thousands of cas-
cast in this land, it being paralleled by te
of thousands at the present time.
young girl, fair, ignorant, innocel
&C. loving, and as she believed believe
Was this girl to fear the man W
came with the ostensible gift of
heart in his hand to her? Was she
E hEE fear this man Was she to prot,
p~ herself against him ? Why, all her
had taught her that that man was to
,eld her protector. Was she to arm hers
when she came near to him, put b'
s, rier and wall between them? WI
g to sentiment anu reason, poe'ly anu
Ond- llglOn, experience ana anticipate
avn had all gathered together to teach Il
pur' girl, subtly and impel ceptibly, Il
the man whom she loved and who \
n, fessed to love her shall be barrier
tween her and all of the dangers in
:. world. 1t is because she loved |
absolutely, she had faith in him al
rk. lutely.
Then this young man, taught
young men are taught, that if they
'egis trayed the trust Of friend or stran
who was man, if they refused
,rn stretch IA helping hand to Il brother
'H" ishing in need, if they shall br
IdlJU, UIcdh HOuOl, DEcdh ITutu db
with man, they shall be pointed
shall be thrust out from society of
. and their fellows who are honor
men-but this one supreme infam
winning faith only to bctray it
guarding trust only to fling it out
Ship trample it under foot, when faith
trust was the outgrowth of won
lheart, a confidence of woman's
'Ts, that to do this is manly sport
Iyoung man SO taught and trai
nali be simply as multitudes of others do,
of my out his lesson he had wasted
time of life better had been dow
his counting-house, had better be
GS ing from his law books or studyin
theological book, or working in
obs geon's room. OF course he had b
have been doing this, but after al
to- CON. had done no great harm, wasted
age. tie time, little manhood. and
son. bethinking him, went on his way.
m great harm done In tho meant