St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-03-18


They have quite quarreled with those
who insist that those disabilities inhere
in the nature of women, and can never
be removed. There are those who say
that woman has right to do anything
she can do. There are women who in
sist on this right. This goes without
saying of course, provided they will
qualify the claim little.
A woman has right to do every
thing she can do, provided she does
nothing which will unfit her for bearing
and raising healthy children. The fu
ture of the nation and the race depends
npOn the mothers, and any woman who
consents to be Il mother has no moral
right to engage in any employment
which will unfit her for that function.
We speak, of course, of women whose
circumstances give them the control of
themselves. 1t is pitiful to think that
there are multitudes who have no choice
between emplOyments that unfit them
for motherhood and want. 1t is piliful
to think that there are mothers who
live their whole married lives in condi-
tions which utterly unfit them foI the
functions and responsibilities of mater
nifty.
We have theory, which, we regret
to say, is not only unpopular amemg a
certain class of women, but exceedingly
offensive to them, viz, that every one
of them ought to be the mistress of
home. Women have fashion in these
days of rebelling against the idea that
marriage is the great end of woman's
life. They claim the right to mark out
for themselves and attain an independ-
ent career. We appreciate the delica-
cies of their position, and we bow to
their choice and their rights; neverthe
less, we believe that in the millennium
women will all live in their homes, and
that men will not emily do that which is
now regarded as their own peculiar
work, but much of that which is now
done by women. There has been in
these late years great widening out of
the field of women's employment We
have been inclined to rejoice in this
''fOr the present necessity" but we are
sure the better time is to come when
man, the real worker of the world, will
do the work of the world, OF all of it
| that is done outside of home, and that
woman will, as wife and daughter and
domestic, hold to the house and to that
variety of emplOyments which will best
conserve her health and fit her for the
duties and delights of wifehoOd, and
the functions of motherhood. Quarrel
with the fact as she may, w0man's
rights must all and always be cOndi-
toned ON her relations to the future of
humanity. She has no right, as IA wo-
man to do anything that will unfit her
to be mother. She may be compelled
to do some things for bread that will
initiate against her in this particular,
but this will be pitiful, and the Iegiti-
mate subject of all the ameliorating in
tluences that practical humanity can
command.
We understand, appreciate and re-
spect that pride of independence which
moves women to desire to achieve the
advantage of self-suppOrt, as Il release
from the necessity of marriage. We
give assent to her demand for the pri-
vilege to develop herself in her OWL
way, and to do those things to which
she finds her powers adapted, but we
must exceedingly lament that degree
of independence, and even that love oI
it, which interfeIes with marriage. Any
thing which renders the sexes less nee
essary to each other, or renders then
less desirable to each other, is much tC
be deprecated. Now there is no ques-
ton that some of the pursuits which
have been adopted by women in these
later days of freedom unfit them il
many ways for wifehoOd and for mater,
nifty. There is perhaps no better tes
for the propriety and desirbleness of ;
woman's calling than the marriage test
A woman can say, if she chooses: g
will not marry. | prefer the life of :
maiden. | will take the liberty it give
me, and live the life that seems best t.
me, and cut myself forever loose from
all responsibility foT the future of my
race" We say she can say this, if SD,
chooses, and then settle the matter will
Him who made her a woman but i
: she holds her heart open to men, anC
: considers herself a candidate for low,
and marriage, she has no moral right t.
} touch any employment that will de
2 tract from her modest maiden delcacy
2 or that will in any degree unfit her 70
domestic life, and all the responsible
ties that 90 with marriage. Furthe
t than this, she positively owes it to tia
world, to herself, and to the pOssibl
] husband and children of her future, t.
+ seek for that kind of employment ant
D that variety of culture which will ii
her for marriage and maternity. If pub
d lie or professional life furnishes thi
: employment and culture, they will b
= legitimate for her, and not otherwise
S and the same may be said of all the EN-
f ployments of men to which women ma
e be attracted. Alas that there shOul
= be so many whom circumstances max
] impotent for any choice in the matte
o of their lives and destines.