River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-07-07
EMANCIPATION VS.. SLAVERY.
BY ELLA WHEELER

EMANCIPATION VS.. SLAVERY.
BY ELLA WHEELER.
Little Violet Gray, curled up on the
lounge in her room, resting after her
hard days work in the ward schools,
heard a knock at the door, and lazily
answered, Come She fancied it was
Jessie, the boarding mistresss daugh-
ter, whom she often helped with her
arithmetic lesson in the evening. Jes-
sic was overwoked and hard pressed
for time, and it was little chance she
had for study. During Miss Gray's
wear in the house she had learned
more than in ali her life before.
The door opened slowly, bat 1t was
not Jessie who entered. 1t was, in
stead, a lady of imposing height and
appearance. She was elegantly attired,
and held herself with an air which
seemed to say, Behold. comet
Violet rose with more haste than dig
nifty from her reclining posture, and
with flashing cheeks stood before her
imposing guest. Pray be seated, 3"
she said, "and pardon me. | fancied
it was little girl who often comes in
my room about this hour"
The imposing presence slowly seated
herself, and settled her elegant draper
les gracefully.
''You will pardon the intrusion of a
stranger, | hope" she said in measur-
ed accents and with great deliberation,
as if she wished her nearer not to lose
a syllable of her speech, 'and allow
me to present my card. Ii may be
that my name is not wholly unfamiliar
to you
Violet took the handsome card and
read thereon in bold, free letters, Mrs.
Odessa Nottingham Smith" \ flush
of pleasure rose to her cheeks as she
extended her hand. ''Do l then find
myself honored by visit to the well
known lecturess? 2" she asked.
Mrs. Odessa Nottingham Smith gave
very limp hand to the extended one
as she replied, II am no other than
the lecturer whose name you seem to
be familiar with. Pardon me for the
correction, hat, as you konw prehaps
bv my lecturers, | am in favor of equal
rights and equal freedom for both sexes.
Therefore, / object to the terms doct-
ress, lecturess' poetess, etc. Those who
adopt a profession are alike doctors
and lecturers irrespective of sex. Sex
has nothing to do with the matter, and
should be ignored so far as the profess
sion goes. Not that ! want women to
loose their individuality-far from It.
No woman need to adopt masculine
,,ttire or masculine vice, simply be-
cause she follows a profession hereto
fore deemed masculine, but let her sex
speak in her dress, in her voice, in her
sweetness and grace of manner, and
not in any 'Gss' tackled upon her profess
iOnal name"
She paused and looked at Violet II
understand YOU" Violet said smiling,
land will remember your injunction in
the future"
"And now" proceeded Mrs. Odessa
Nottingham Smith, II must proceed to
the object of my visit. l am in the city
for the purpose Of forming an associa-
ton of intellectual women, sort of in
ter-state convention, for the purpose of
broadening woman's sphere of thought,
and widening her range of vision, and
enlarging her opportunities of culture. F."
"a very excellent undertaking,
commented Violet, feeling the need OF
saying something appreciative.
so we. who have undertaken it,
think" replied Mrs. Odessa Noting
ham Suith. Our cities are tceming
with girls and women; who, like your
self, are possessed of much crude'tatent
hut have no opportunity to use 1t, and
no real COMPREHENSION of their own
powers. What we want IS to bring
them all together, and by the contact
Of mind with mind, and the broader
light poured upon them by minds OF
higher cultivation. to break down the
social barriers that now block their way
to fields of greater influence, and means
of higher culture. We want you 10 at
tend our meetings, and give us your
aid"
But can do so little" objected Vic
let. really nothing at all in such a
place. | am afraid | must do my little
part in this world very quietly. | fear
| am not meant to shine in any great
assemblage of talent
''That Is owing to yOEr Cramped
mode of thought" responded Mrs.
Odessa n S, with superior smile.
You are used To this narrow, contract
ed mode of existence and labor, you
shrink from a larger field. You fancy
yourself doing your duty, when you
are simply throwing away your tai
ents."
Violet flushed and her eyes sparkled
NO" she said, Il am not throwing my
life or talents away. am using them
daily for the benefit of unfolding minds.
There is no higher, no greater calling
than to be an instructor of children.
If. to the best of my abilities. and ac-
cording to nay highest impulses, | lead
and direct them, | am not throwing
my talents away"
Mrs. 0. n. ). smiled again her supe-
rior smile.
But if your manner of thought is
contracted, as it must be with your
limited advantages. and your impulses
those of the ordinary trammeled mind
on which the light of emancipation
has not vet shone, then you cannot bt
doing your whole duty by the children
Woman's mind is full of narrow aims
and ambitions at the present time
what We want is to get upon the broad
er platform and reach Il higher hte
A few of us have attained it, and We
are anxious to bring others up to our
heig' IS, to free them from the
trammels which society and false ed
ucation have imposed upon them, to
teach them how TO be as free as THEN
fellow-men in their mode of life and
their choice of career"
Il am already in favor of woman's
enlarged sphere, and l believe
in her right to any trade or profession
she may choose" answered Violet
quietly. "But l do not think we are
all fitted for public life"
We are al fitted for something bet
ter than these surroundings of yours,
said Mrs. Odessa Nottinham Smith, a: