The Portland daily press., 1878-11-02
III the Union was worth fighting for il is
worth paying for.
"LOst ArtS.n

Is sometimes seems as though the preach
ing business was overdone in this world, and
unfairly done. 1t has long been said, and re-
peated so often men have come to believe it.,
that women are the chief support of preach
ers. Perhaps it is so, and the French proverb,
''Those who make themselves asses D1ust bear
burdens" applicable. Men are restive under
sermonizing, object to having their faults
proclaimed. desert the prociaimer and go to
those who tell them what fine fellows they
are. Women, on the contrary, seem to like
to be scolded, and admiringly gather about
the scolder. Even writer's or takers of their
own sex win favor by calling them to ac-
count
These remarks are suggested by an article
now going the rounds of the newspapers,
which speaks of the "lost arts of women"
''the almost forgotten employments Of darn
ing and mending," in which the burden OF
the argument is that our sisters should all be
darners and members, and that those of them
who seek other occupations have missed
their proper calling and ought at once to re-
turn to it. This is of piece with the other
demand heard many times Of late years, that
all women should be housemaids and cooks.
The arrogance of the demand, however much
garnished with fine talk of household queens
and the domestic virtues of our grandmoth-
ers, ought to be offensive and exasperating to
women, for it is cant.
One wonders why somel woman does not
preach to US about "the lost arts of men,"
why she does not quote Jack Cade's song,
and remind masculine audience that Adam
delved while Eve span; why, when some up
start who is just beginning to feel easy in
trowsers upbraids women with inability to
cook or darn, she does not ask him if he can
make load Of hay or hoe row of corn;
why. when he suggests that she cannot man
age household, she does not ask him if he
can manage farm. If we are to have Ele
ct Lui let US in justice have Lui ct EIle.
There is much talk of perfect maternity.
Let US hear something, if only for change,
of perfect paternity. When the woman is
reproached with neglecting her children for
the delights Of the ball room and the social
reunion, let her retort and call the man to
account when he negects his children for the
dissipations of the club-room or the idle frip-
peries of the lodge. He has duty to per-
form as well as she. If he would stop preach
ing and fall to performance she might do the
same. Supposing we try it. The chances
are great that when we get to the post OF
duty we shall find that she has been there
sometme-and that she will outstay US.
There is great deal of cant in this con-
tinual talk of the proper vocation of women.
The kitchen and the sewing-room are no
more the proper places for all women than
the farm and the workshop are for all men.
AS there are still enough men to till the
fields and tend the furnace fires, so there are
enough women to ply the needle and handle
the spit. Men recognize for themselves the
minute division of labor, the great variety of
occupations, that result from our advance in
civilization. Why can they not see that the
change has come to women also?