The examiner. (Hartford, Conn.) 1881-188?, 1886-06-26
WOMAN'S COLUMN.
Edited by JUsTITIA.

Edited by JUsTITIA.
Making my best bow TO the readers of
THE EXAMINER, am under the necessity
of introducing myself to them as the Ed
itress of Woman's Column in that ably
conducted journal, and hope our acquain
taince will be mutually agreeable. In fact
we have occasionally met before but not
having been formally introduced, of course,
it could not be expected that we should
recognize each other. To be sure, one
column does not afford very extensive
ground for literary exercise, Tut then,
considerable truth, if we'll simmered down,
can be packed in even that small compass.
My gentlemen reader will look at the
caption, ''Woman's Column" and probably
with a contemptuous curl of his lip, will
turn over the paper to avoid seeing what
he mag ines its contents to be, as some
thing like this;-"kilt skirt with bouffant
back drapery, cut bias, panier draperies,
full plastron vest, with pleated postillion,
demi-train, and, but he eagerly scans the
paper to find the column containing more
sensible and instructive matter like this;
''Tom in the third inning went out at first,
Dick struck out and Harry got to first on
Smiths tumble but was left there on Jones
flying foul to first''-but he is disappointed
in his search for such intellectual reading
in THE EXAMINER, just as he would have
been in looking for the first mentioned sort
in the Woman's Column, for that is not
intended to convey instruction in the
vagaries of fashion, nor even in the fine
arts such as working in worsted nondescript
animals as red cats with white eyes, and
blue lambs with each leg bigger than the
body, or any of these works of genius to
which women are wont to devote their time
time and talents. Neither will it be
altogether filled with instruction in house
wifely duties, such as the best way of
making buildings, pickles and pies, for
literary ladies who never made a pie in
their lives have impaired ia numerous
cook books all the theoretical knowledge
necessary in those arts.
Though this is called woman's column
+ it will be occasionally devoted to the inter-
est of men, with occasionally friendly adj
monition and suggestion to them for theil
watchful kindness in setting mp the exact
boundaries of woman's field of activities
and for the volumes and volumes of advice
they have SO generously bestowed upon us
wOmen,-hoW we must make home so com
Portable, and ourselves so amiable, lovely
aud attractive, that we can coax and cajolt
husbands and brothers to stay at home
and keep from bad company and bad hab
: its, leaving us to infer that men have no
f the strength of mind and moral principle
+ to keep out of temptation without som
- extra inducement.
: We do not like to be weighted down b.
such load of obligations and will some
times endeaver to repay the debt in kind
and advise men how they can contribute
! to the store of household happiness as vel
g as women; for if imam does not live b,
r bread alone" much less do women; ant
q though bread is indispensable, there i
= something more required than we'll flle'
u larder and good clothes to make HON
- happy. Moreover, the writer will try t.
II show that the interests of the two sexes al
! one and indivisible, that each is the com
plement of the other, anc that the hes
/ good of the race demands chat there shoul'
u, be no inequality in rights and privilege
r. between men and women either socially o
!, industrially, morally or politically;-il
:, faet-Mhen it is affirmed that this is COY
[, be recognized as people also, and be Above,
o to participate in it. Quite possibly, jus
n here, some one of my readers will ventur
guess that the writer is horrid old maid
. soured by disappointment, and regula
o man-hater. Nothing could be farther from
e the fact; for old maids are not horrid, blu
i are usually the most cheerful, amiable, ant
- useful of womankind; and so far from
{ being man-hater the writer is most de-
d voted admirer of men, individually ane
:: colIectively,-th is when they keep il
:, their ''proper sphere,'' as the kind, gener-
Gus and equal companions of women but
: when they leave the place that God and
r nature designed them to fill, and arrogate
to themselves the UNI inst prerogative OF
! governing and taxing women without then
consent, and prescribing for them half pay
for equal work, then she admits that in hel
, eyes, ''their charms vanish and' her sad
miration turns to disgust.
This column will never be made the vehi-
Gle of any ones personal pique or private an
imosity, but from woman's point of view.
public men and measures will be criticised,
and the faults, follies and fashions OF
society may be subjects of animadversion
while injustice in any place or form, where
J ever seen, will not be secure from attack