The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-03
A WOMANLY CHARACTER.
BY MARY SHANE SMITH.


What is it? 1t seems to be thought
that woman's personal purity is the
only virtue absolutely essential to her,
while man, it is assumed, does very well
without it, but must have, by way of
compensation, other virtues women are
not required to possess, such as courage,
fortitude, honesty, etc. Is it true that
some virtues belong only to women and
other different ones to men alone? Is
it greatly to be desired that man should
be brave, honest; faithful to his convic-
tions, outspoken in his utterances,
above mean, petty gossip, and con-
temptible innuendoes? Why then
should we not desire these cbaracteris-
tics for our daughters, as well as for
our sons? 1 say we should.
A woman has as much need to be
truly brave as a man. The world echoes
with heartfelt applause when Ida
Lewis or Grace Darling dares to brave
the fierce elements and rescue a human
life. 1t took courage as great as theirs,
though different, to face the scenes of
horror and suffering that hundreds of
women did as nurses during the war.
Every mother is liable, in caring for
her children, to need the brave heart,
the determined, steadfast soul, and
steady hand that can save life in crisis,
where help must be instant or of no
avail. Thousands of young lives are
lost every year because mothers have
not the courage and self-reliance to pre-
pare themselves to treat diseases or ac-
cidents in sudden emergencies. Every
person eau realize, on moments re-
Election, how different would be wom-
EMS condition if they were taught to be
ble, physically and morally; how
many tragic events would be avoided
that now occur, to make our hearts
ache.
AS to honesty, think it is generally
considered that while it is necessary for
boy to be told it is the best policy, it
| is not necessary to say much to girls
about it, for they will not have any
thing to do with business. Now, this
is ruinous morality for boys, as we'll as
utter neglect of girls. Honesty is not a
mere matter of money. IT is just as es-
sential that a woman should have a
keen sense of honor in all her relations
in life as that any man should have it,
in pecuniary affairs or in anything else
1t would save her from all those miser-
able little "white lies," subterfuges,
evasions, and devices which her train
ing and petty cares tempt her to de-
scend to, and which fashion and custom
enjoin or tolerate. One who is really
I honorable, whether man or woman, will
have consideration for the interests of
others, and will not merely refrain from
stealing and swindling, but will not try
to get the property or services of others
for less than their real value, no matter
what advantage one may have. The
truly honest will not spend money for
luxuries while debts are unpaid. They
will regard their word as sacred, and to
be kept at all hazards, whether
convenient, profitable, or otherwise.
They will be incapable of even the
mildest form of hypocrisy, of being
friendly to your face, but vindictive and
spiteful behind your back. In brief, no
one can be, in the highest sense, honor
able, who does not "do to others as he
would they should do to him." The
honorable person never conceals his real
sentiments, or processes to believe what
be does not, in order to catch votes OIL
secure business. The honorable woman
is not only chaste, bat upright. She
does not pretend to have youth and
beauty, fine figure, pearly teeth, fair
! blooming complexion, and soft, flowing
tresses, if she unfortunately has them
not. To any person having a high sense
of honor, all shams, great and small, are
, hateful, repulsive, and utterly intolera.
BILE. Listen to Wordsworth:
"Say, what is honor?
'Tis the finest sense of justice
Which the human mind can frame;
Intent each lurking frailty to disclaim,
And guard the way OF life from
, All ohense, suffered or DONE"
All! could a womanly character b,
complete without that?
If it is a disgrace to a man not t.
have a mind of his own, 1 can see n,
reason why a woman should not thinl
for herself, have clear convictions, def
mite opinions, and determined will.
these make man influential and use
ful, why should not woman have then
D also? Show me woman who think
e it unwomanly to do so, and will shOy
: you one who is dwarfed, morally an
r mentally; for the mind cannot groV
j without room and food any more thai
= can the body. You might as well en-
j case your little daughters feet in th
t shoes of a Chinese girl and expect then
J, to be full grown at maturity as to teac
e her that it is not necessary to thin
conscientiOusly for herself, and yet eS
: pect her to be a wise, careful wife an
# mother. AS we'll inclose her tende