The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-03-29
Hon. VIM. l. Bowditch said in his
-,

| Hon. VIM. i. BOWdltch SAID IN his
opening address at the Massachusetts,
Woman Suffrage Association that the
average pay of working women in Bos-
ton was $2S4 per anhum, which, after
subtracting the necessities of life, left
a surplus of 81. Such facts are less a
commentary on the proverbial inhu-
mainly of man to woman than they are
on the lack of trained abilities. indus
try and perseverance on the part of
working women. 1t is, in a majority
of cases, less their fault than their mis-
fortune. These women are the victims
of false conditions of society. Her.
bert Spencer has much to say of the
persistence of energy in the forces of
the universe. 1t is no less needed in
daily life. But this persistence of en-
ergy is largely an intellectual charac-
teristic. In proportion as the will and
the reasoning powers are developed
will be the power to not only obtain
and undertake work in any employ
ment, but to advance in it; TO become
the master rather than the slave of its
mechanical force, and to bring to it
that trained skill that secures and in
sures adequate compensation. 1t is
complained that all avenues of women
work are over-crowded by competent
women. Such women are still the en-
ception and not the rule. Society is
rapidly recognizing this, but the true
force must be the inner sentiment as
well rs the outer plan. While wo-
mans labor is regarded as, at best u
necessary evil, drudgery rather than
dignity, thing to be endured while
it must be, and escaped from when it
can be-wnile This sentiment pervades
society, so long will women regard
their employment as a transitory con-
dition and one that does not call on
them for serious preparation. Boston
Traveller.
BEAUTY AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN
There can be no doubt that Americans
honestly believe their women to be the
most beautiful in the world; nor to
them would there appear any extrava-
gance in the remark of the New York
Sun on the audience which attended
Irvings's first performance, ''in respect
to the beauty it contained, far surpass-
ing any audience that Mr.. Irving ever
bowed to in his life.' But the opinion
of foreigners do not speak of En-
glishmen alone-is very different; and
| have never met one wao has lived
long or travelled much in America who
did not hold that female beauty in the
States is exceedingly rare, while the
average of ordinary good looks is I'M
usually low. More pretty faces are to
be seen in a single day in London than
in month in the States. The average
of beauty is far higher in Canada, and
the American town in which most pref
ty women are noticeable is Detroit, on
the Canadian border, and containing
Western States beauty is conspicuous
by its absence, and in the Eastern
towns, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York and Boston, it is chiefly to be
found. In New York in August | hard
ly saw a face which would be called
pretty. In November New York pre-
scented different appearance, and
many pretty women were to be seen,
the number was comparative
ly small, and at the Metropolitan Opera
House even American friends were I'M
able to point out any lady whom they
could call beautiful. A distinguished
artist told me that when he first visited
America he scarcely saw in the streets
of New York a single face which he
could select as model, though he
could find twenty such in the London
street in which his studio was situated.
The American type of beauty is ex-
tremely delicate and refined, and Lon
don and Continental society will always
contain some American ladies who may
rank among the lovelest in the world.
Such are known to us all, but are more
common in Europe than America
London FortnightU