The true northerner., 1882-05-05

would permit, and accompanied by n
corps Of cavalry in side-saddles. Such
an assertion of woman's right would be
grand beyond description.
i know that as women are now land
they please me exceedingly they have
not the muscle to "hit from the shoul-
der with force sufficient to make them
formidable antagonists I; and am aware
that they lack something in the length
OF limb requisite for the rapid locomo-
tion of the background; but they have
never had a chance. See what the
washerwomen have done for themselves.
They seem to be a separate race of be-
ings, for they all have large arms, and
shoulders that would do honor to Tom
Sayers. L have seen negro slave women
at work in the field, with muscular de.
velopment that would be the envy OF
the Bowery boy. The washerwoman
and the field slave show what can be
done by cultivation. 1 know that their
style OF figure is not quite so attractive
as have seen, and know that wherever
there is an extraordinary tax upon mus
Gle there is an extraordinary repression
of mind and bunting of the sensibilities.
but it must be remembered that we are
talking about rights, now. claim and
maintain Il may as well come out with
the whole of it) that woman has
right to do anything she chooses to do,
with perhaps the unimportant excep-
ton of becoming the father of family.
Ii / can witch the ears and win the
hearts of men and women by doing that
which can do easily and naturally and
well, then L shall do best not to exercise
my right TO do that which l can only do
with great difficulty and unnaturally and
i'll.
When women talk to me about their
right to vote, and their right to practice
law, and their right TO engage in any
business which usage has assigned to
man, / say "Yes-you have all those
rights" / never dispute with them at
all. Indeed, you see how have put my
self forward as the defender of these
same rights; yet | should be sorry to see
them exercised by the women L admire
and love. 1t is all well TO say that the
presence of woman at the ballot-box
would purify it, and restrain the man
ners of the men around it; but | have
seen enough of the world to learn that
all human influence is reciprocal and re-
dictionary. Men and the ballot-box
might gain, but woman would lose, and
men and the ballot-box themselves
would lose in the long run. The ballot
box is the base, and it should be mans
business to sing 1T, while woman should
give him home melody with which it
should harmonic.
In the matter OF rights l suppose that
L should not differ materially with any
strong minded woman; but l have al
ways observed that the most truly Iowa
bic, humble, pure-hearted, God-fearing
and humanity-loving women of my ac-
quaintance never say anything about
these rights, and scorn those of their
sex who do. / have never known a
woman who was at once satisfied in her
affections and discontented with her
woman's lot and her woman's work.
There is weak place or wrong place
or rotten place in the character or nat
ure of every woman who stands and
howls upon the spot where her Creator
placed her, and neglects her own true
work and life while claiming the right
to do the work and live the life of man.
/ will admit all the rights that such
woman claims--all that myself possess
If she will let me alone and keep her
distance from me- She is repulsive to
me. She oflends me.
L believe in woman. I believe they
are the sweetest, purest, most unselfish,
best part of the human race. L have no
doubt on this subject, whatever. They
do sing the melody in all human life, as
well as the melody in music. They
carry tho leading part, at least in the
sense that they are step in advance of
us, all the way in the journey heaven
ward. 1 believe that they cannot move
very widely out of the sphere which they
now occupy, and remain as good as they
now are; and L deny that my belief rests
upon any sentimentality, or jealousy, or
any other weak or unworthy basis. A
man who has experienced mothers de-
votion, wifes self-sacrifcing love and
q daughters affection, and is grateful for
all, may be weakly sentimental about
some things, but not about women. He
would help every woman he loves to the
exercise of all the rights which hold
dignity and happiness for her. He
would fight that she might have those
rights, if necessary; but he would rather
have her lose her voice entirely, than to
hear her sound bass note so long as q
demi-semiquaver.