The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-08-05
American Women.

The men of the nation evidently 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 exists that
the American woman has become almost
as purely objective as that of the man.
Her ideal of life from her cradle has
been associated with the maximum of
exertion. There is no quietude among
Americans. and wonderfully little egot-
ism in their social life 1t is never
ending series of sensations and mental
shocks, which keeps the whole being in
nervous culver, and allows no time
for any quality save that OF energy to
develop itself symmetrically. k'rhe
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
actual. She tells you what she does or
suffers, not what she thinks or feel.
There is no reverie about her, no sug-
gestion of that brooding spirit which in
dicates a capacity for imprisoned affec-
tion---a capacity which, to bachelors, is
always ideally seductive, however little
the married man may appreciate or re-
turn it. Yet, generally speaking, I'M
demonstrative 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 merciess
energy which always drives her into
doing for him.
There is, again, another reason why
the American girl seems cold to the
superficial observer. 1t Is because she
is free. She is educated to repress emo
ton, because her independent movements
expose her to contact with men of all
classes, among whom there are many
very "vile persons Her coldness of
demeanor, therefore is her armor against
impertinence, or even worse things.
She passes, Diana-hke, 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 free born, spotless
American woman
The defects of the American girl may
be done away with by giving less prom
inence to the purely intellectual or
purely practical side Of her education.
For. while one class of men is striving
to solve the problem of life by educating
women intellectually, there is another
class which is shouting for education in
domestic matters. While the professors
at Harvard are rejoicing over some girl
who can take in PHILOSOPHERS or mathe-
MATES, the newspaper editor sings the
praises of her vile can roast a turkey,
bake bread, or make her own dresses.
Neither gives the poor girl any chance
to exist, but only to work, with neither
hand or brain. No one says to her
You are not only yourself, but the
future mother of other beings. Do not,
therefore, allow yourself to be driven by
either school or apostles beyond what
you may do easily, comfortably or pleas
uraoly. The healthy balance of your
nervous system is far more important to
you and your future family relations
than all the mathematics or diessmak
ing, or even roasting of turkeys. DC
cupy yourself steadfastly, hut without
strain, without hurry and without en-
ulation. AS the apostle said land it
must have been meant expressly for
Ameaicans) 'avold emulation. Find
out first what you can do best, anc even
if it does not come up to somebody
else's standard, learn to content Yourself
with that. Atlantic.