New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-30
MRS. OLIPHANT ON THE GRIEVANCES OF
WONEN.
From Fraser,s Mana.ine.


do not pretend to understand either Man or
Woman in capitals. only know indlviduals. OF
two of whom could say hat thIhK tnoH ar
Lafore the world (which IS made up OF tnenl 10 dc
Judged according to their works, and upon these
works wish to AJAX the reader his and her opinion.
This is mine to start wlth-that when God put
two creatures into the world Il hope that persons
of advanced intelligence VIII forgive the Gin1
fashioned phraseoOgY, which perhaps Is Dehnd
the agel it not That one should he the servant
TO the other but because there was for each Ger
tain evident and sufficient work TO do. IL Is need
less TO inquire which work was the highest, Judg-
ment has been universally given IN favor oil the
mans work. which Is that of the protector ana
food. producer-thOugh even here one cannot but
feel that there something to be said on the weaker
side and that it is possible that the rearing OF
children might seem in the eyes of the Maker who
is supposed To feel special interest IN the human
race as noble an occupation, IN lis way as the
other. To keep the world rolling on as u mas neen
doing for all these centuries, there have been
Deedfu two creatures, two types Of creatures tho
one an impOssibility without the other Aud 1t Is
curious thought, when we come 10 CONSIDER IT, Ihao
much of himself, would after all he complete non
entity without the woman whom he mas hllftIed
about and driven into corner ever sInceHhe began
10 be- Now it seems that tho first and largest
and most fundamental OF all the grievances OF
women is this: that they never have since the
world began got the credit of that share of the
work of the world which has fallen naturally 70
them. and which they have on the whole, faithfully
| performed through all Vioissltudes.
| scarcely remember any writer who has ever ven
tured to say that the hall of the work OF the world
|
| husbands who would DO otherwise than greatly
start led and amazed, il not indignant. II not de-
rsive at the suggestion Of such idea as that the
work of their wives was equal to their own. Ana
vet for MY part think II rs. 80 lar as can Sec tho
workingman's wife who has tn cook and clean and
wash aud mend, and do all the primitive services OF
! life for her family, has harder and moro constant
| work than her husband has and rising upward IN
the ranks Of life think the same balance goes on
at least until that level of wealth and leisure is
reached mt which the favOrte' of fortune, like the
lilies, toll not neither, do they spin. =, But
| l am not concerned with those hciRhis What
| dukes and duchesses do. and which OF them
| work the hardest will scarcely tell upon the argu-
ment; nor am deeply yersed in the natural his;
tory of milliOnaTOs. But 80 far as am acquainted
with the facts of existence, tho wOmans hands are
everywhere as full of natural occupation AS are
The mans work lasts n certain number Of hours,
after which he has his wcllearnod leisure his even
ing to himself, his hours of recreation or of loung-
ing; but his wife has such privileged amount Of
exemption from toll. Her work is never done" She
has the evening meal. whatever IT may DO, to pre-
pare and to clear away ana the cnlluIen 10 get 70
bed and the mcndinR TO do III the hours when nc ~
altogether free, and considers himself with justice
| to have night to his freedom. In very fow cases
does 1t occur to the woman to grumble mt this OF to
| wonder why her lot shOuld be harder than ms. 1t
is natural; il is her snare. The whole compact OF
their married life ~ based upon this That she should
| do her work while nc does his; aud hers is the
| share which is never done" do not say u word
| against this law Of Nature; but object that while
this is the case, the poor woman who works so hard
is considered as passive object OF her husbands
bounty indebted 10 him for her living, and with no
standing-grOund or position OF her own. She ~ 80
considered ~ the eye OF the law ana though the
fOOliahneas of the sentiment Is too manifest III her
individual case to be insisted upon yet she IL implied
i'm tho general sweeping assertion which includes
| all married women. Men must work and women
must weep" SAYS the ballad. / would like TO know
what the isherwomon of our sea-coasts say to this
lugubTiOus sentiment or now much tlmo Jney hnd
to indulge IN that luxury.
| Which of the two does the reader suppose has
most to do: the merchants clerk, for instance,
| who earns his salary by six or eight hours work In
his Off 90 or his wife, who has to pinch and scrapO
early III the mornings. in order to keep neat and
| cheerful house, and turn out tho children IN such
puige as TO do no dsCredit to their fathers black
| cOatR If | had to choose between the
| and not tho wifes The man ls moro
I exposed to outside risks and discOmtorts; but the
! moment he enters his home he is privileged to rest
| and be waited on much aB II NO were Sultan,
| The Same rule exists everywhere Among shop
keepers of all but the highest class the wife, in adj
dItiOn to her natural work, takes her share III the
business and such is the III great many other
occupations. She keeps the books; she makes out
the bills; in one way another she OvertlOws from
| her own share of the work INTO his.
| Usually wealth means - cessation moro OF less
| of labor. But great lawyer, or great doc
| tor for instance, may have reached tho
| very height of success without having his
| actual toll diminished: and his wife in
that case may be carried high upon the tide of his
success to position of ease and luxury which bears
little proportion to the labor with which he must
still 20 on keeping up the reputation and the career
! which he has made. Even in that case she viii
| have o great establishment 10 MANAGE servants TO
rule and social duties 10 perform, and always, the
first and most sacred duty OF ALL the children to
| for which makes her life anything but an unOCcu-
| pied one. But the wife of professional man who
is struggling into work and celebrity has as tough
| n task as her humber neghbOr.