Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-13
Personal Independence of Women.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

Harper s.Basar.
Personal Independence of Women.
From the Brooklyn Eagle
The drawbacks incident to woman's
successful career in literature or in art
are too often overlooked, and her failure
to attain great results is hence wrong
fully attributed to lack of brains, when
in fact it is want of time that limits
her achievements. It is the custom to
ridicule the majority of the efforts made
by the sex, and the partial recognition
given them is granted more as a conces-
sion than as right. The fact that she
is condemned to follow the dictates of
society, and live in the social world
altogether, is an undeniable cause of her
inferiority; and the fact that the ma
jority of the sex make no effort to release
themselves from the thralldom is another
painful evidence of their lamentable
lack of energy and education. Social
duties are the most irksome, onerous,
and to cultured people, the most dis
tasteful, save when confined to strict
limits.
Housewifery and maternal duties and
cares are not half as heavy, nor are they
to be compared to them, for the latter
are accepted as pleasure mostly, while
social exactions are endured because it is
the way of the world. To depart from
the custom Of society and firmly to resist
it requires the heroism of saint and the
strength of character that is rarely de-
veloped in the women reared under its
baleful influence. We have some
pioneers in the reform; we have always
had isolated cases, but the masses of wo-
men devote their lives to visiting one an
other, and going to and giving entertain
ments, as though it was the sum total of
existence, and nothing higher or noble1
could be desired. And this is the reason
that as women grow older, they are
shelved, and labeled cold women" and
are despised for that very superfciality
and ignorance, which they imagined was
so charming in them as young girls and
middle-aged women
Narrowed and confined in intellect,
intolerant and insincere in sentiment,
futter along the bright side of life until
it ceases to exist, and then they sit down
in the meridian of existence, helpless
aimless and unhappy, instead of rising
as the dignity of years is put upon them
and growing in strength and wisdom
until the perfection of life is reached il
DEATH
It is hard to attain individuality il
mediocre society, for your friends be
long to the commonplace class, and may
be your own family is i'll prepared tt
admit the possibility of personal indi
Yidualism. Then the tide is against you
no preparations have been made for al
aspiring ambitious nature. Churchill
saws, ''no crime is so great as daring t.
excel"
Your sex will condemn the exhibition
of any sterling quality that is likely tx
grow and develop into even partia
greatness; and the small fry Of botl
sexes will boot and deride wherever the
imprint of your strong, brave soul i
seen or felt. Suppose you are left t.
earn your own bread, and you have tn,
ability to be success. You find tn,
beginning hard, because it is almost i'm
possible to break loose from the socia
bondage into which, as woman, yo1
find yourself held The bars have beer
SO brightly gilded all your life that yo1
do not know until you attempted t.
widen your sphere that there were an
bars there at all. Do not, then, in tn
actual condition, beat against them
Study them patiently; learn of who's
make they are; who is responsible TO
them; why they are hedged about you
and for what reason they were forged S
tightly.
There is one thing needful to seve
them, and unless you have this do nc
pit yourself against them. A firm d.
termination, coupled with patient II
solve, will gradually release you. Th
exercise of will power means growth, an
in growing out of their reach you los
sight of their existence.
The hardest trial to a woman of ner7
GUS energy, ambition and occupation,
the daily demand made upon her time b
her acquaintance of the day. Wome
she may have met with accidentally, an
been thrown with for an hour or an evel
ing, who call upon her, ask favors of he
try her sadly, and then depart to con
again, seemingly with the intent to 9
the benefit of her diligence and effol
Men who in business dealings have lear
ed to know her, call to settle some trifil
point, and then come again because it
agreeable to them to do so-neyer sto
ping to consider that they are tax, al
oftentimes bore, and never SO necessa
to her existence that they need stay
hour to transact matter that Is OF
Importance to any one but themselves.
4 woman should early learn to ave
fayors; they cost too dear. A bouquet
flowers, an evening at the opera, or
unnecessary kindness, often is paid for
hours of hard service at entertaining,