The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-09
American Women.

The men Of nation inevitably make
the women what they will, and the
women in return impress upon their
children what they have received from
their own fathers. Hence it comes that
the existence of the American woman
has become almost as purely objective
as that of the man. Her ideal of life
from the cradle has been associated with
the maximum of exertion. There is no
quietude among Americans, and wonder
fully little egotism in their social life.
1t is never-ending series of sensations
and mental shocks, which keeps the
whole nervous being in culver, and
allows no time for any quality save that
Of energy to develop itself symmetrically.
Ihe American woman is as unquiet in
her thoughts and enslaved by her duties,
however light, as the man. Even when
she visits she has no air Of repose. Her
conversation is not thoughtful, but
actful. She tells you what she does or
suffers, not what she thinks or feels.
There is no reverie about her, no sug-
gestion of that brooding spirit which
indicates a capacity for impassioned
Affections capacity which to bachelors
is always ideally seductive, however
little the married man may appreciate
or return it. Yet, generally speaking,
undemonstrative as the American girl
may be, she will wear her life out in
working for the man she loves. She
forgets all about being for him in that
merciless energy which always drives
her into doing for him. 81
There is, again, another reason why
the American girl seems cold to the SUI
perfcial observer. It is because she is
free. She is educated to repress emotion,
because her Independent movements ex-
pose her to contact with men of all
classes, among whom there are many
very "vile persons" Her GOODNESS of
demeanor, therefore, is her armor against
imperdnence or even worse things. She
passes, Diana-like, through crowds of
men every day, not one of whom for
one instant suspects her of being other
than she is, because her manner shows
her at once to be a free-born, spotless
American woman They never dream
that because no one is watching her she
means to go astray.
The defects Of the American girl may
be done away with by giving less promi-
hence to the purely Intellectual or pure
ly practical side of her education. For,
while one class Of men is trying 70 solve
the problems of life by educating women
intellectually, there is another class
which is shouting for education in do
nestle matters. While the professors ct
Harvard are rejoicing over some girl
who can take in their philosophers
or their mathematics, the newspaper
editor sings the praises of her who can
roast turkey, bake bread, or make her
own dresses. Neither gives the poor
girl any chance to exist, but only to
work, with either hand or brain. No
one says to her, "You are not only your
self, but possibly the future mother of
other beings. Do not, therefore, allow
yourself to be driven by either school of
apostles beyond what you may do easily,
comfortably or pleasurably. The healthy
balance of your nervous system is far
more important to you and your future
family relations than all the mathemat-
les and dressmaking, or even roasting of
turkeys. Occupy yourself steadfastly,
but without strain, without hurry, and
without emulation. As the apostle said
(and it must have been meant expressly
for Americans), Avoid emulation Find
out first what you can do best, and, even
If it does not comeup to somebody else's
standard, learn to content yourself with
that. atlantic Monthly. .@