Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-08-26
SUPERFLU0US WOMEN.
AS THEY ARE TO BE SEEN IN OlF-
FERENT CIRCLES IN BOSTON.
tics Observation-Disclosures Feasts.
How They Become SO Great-Literary
Buntbornes-AP Problem for Sociologists.

Especial Correspondence
Boston, Aug. 9.-The superfuous woman
In Boston is fact-a grim, realistic, numerical
fact, which can neither be ignored nor
properly adjusted in the social economy. She
Is pervasive to point that ought to interest
legislatures in her behalf. 1 don't mean that
she is careering through the world at any
startling pace, soaring unprotected mascu-
Unity into apprehensiOns of matrinony. On
the contrary, she is, for the most part, =
modest person, and a most worthy person.
She pervades solely because of her numer-
osity. She can't help it. She is everywhere.
The atmosphere is dense with femininity.
Every time l come to Boston / notice it more
and more. Travellers who land here for the first
time, firm in the belief that the superfuity Of
women in Massachusetts, Is a newspaper joke,
generally haul down their flag and surrender
at the end of the week. 1t all means some
thing if We could only read the signs Alright.
Yesterday a man was telling that his sisters
family had just been increased by pair Of
twins. unfortunately they are girls" he
said, and he sighed as he spoke.
A sensible woman spoke up: "Don't you
| think the Creator knows what he is about!
Would he create women, supertiuous or other
wise, for any but a wise purposel"
To which the sigher nothing replied
will say it. an excess of femininity is as
bad for society as an excess of masculinity.
1t is mentally enfeebling to both men and wo-
men. In many boarding houses rows of hus-
bandless women, maids and widows, young
and old. surround the tables much to their
own disgust Here and there consumptiye
youth or shaky old man relieves the petit
coated monotony and feeds his own vanity at
the same time. That's the worst Of it! What
men there are pass for twenty times their
worth on account of their scarcity, till they
grow 50 great in their own estimation that
they become insufferable to everybody save
those who are obliged to endure them.
Like the backwoodsman who praised his
sweetheart till she wouldn't speak to him
she thought she was SO much his superior
the superiiuous women Of Boston get paid for
their homage to men in much the same coin.
They are lorded over, snubbed, put down and
otherwise made to feel their insigniicance in
the presence of q creature born to pantaloons
and command. The creature may be-fre-
quently is--little in body and mind, narrow
of soul and feeble as to brain, and with a
face as unhandsome as an Aztec god. All the
same, he believes he is most satisfactory
piece of the creators handiwork. He hasn't
enough rivals 10 keep MN humble
MARRY that old man!' said young lady,
when a recent May and December alliance
was being discussed. "Why shouldn't shei l
would marry ybody-mark you, anybody
to get out of my present environment" The
young ladies of this city talk good deal
about their environments. What was her
environment: The routine work, the drudgery
even. of home that was only kept together
by keeping boarders. There industry waged
a spirited and rather hopeless battle with
poverty in its genteeler aspects. Her imagina.
ton was active, and by reason of her sen
vironment" rather depressed in tone, and she
saw herself growing old, neglected, disheart-
ened, and virtually imprisoned-for you are
truly imprisoned when you know you are in
a place which you can only get out Of by a
miracle For this reason she drew her con-
clusons rather strong. Had she been grade
hi cher in brain she would have taken to
"careering," and would have succeeded, too;
for the Boston woman Of good executive brain
knows 10 such word as fail