The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-06
LITERARY woMEN's ENEMY.

iSVllIe C0Erter- /0NrT1E. Inc following
 is reply, written by Miss Carrie Mo
 Ayeal, and published by the Des Moines
 Saturday Mail.
 The editor of the Louisville Courier.
 Journal, in dyspeptic article la Thom.
 as Carlyle, has come out in railing de-
 nunciation against women writers, which
 IS intended to strike terror to the femi-
 nine heart all over the land. He little
 knows how some of the women writers
 have been grinding their teeth, nor how
 many more have been laughing in their
 sleeves at him, while a few kind souls
 have ptled him in his affliction of man.
 uscrlPt floods from Paducah and Mlnne-
 sota. He may well say," "Alack the day
 aye, and the hour, and for the matter O
 that, the minute" in which he took up
 hls editorial quill for such an ungallant
 effuslon as the one i'd question. Truly,
 to adore all that is beautiful and good in
 woman is commendable but to fall short
 of pity for all that IS weak or faulty is
 abominable. However, it is but another
 chapter of the old story. Ruskin, on
 being asked by a young woman what
 theological works he would commend to
 her attention, replied that he had no in.
 terest in any lady who read theology. A
 womans duty is to be gay and soft and
 innocent like a purring kitten, to nestle
 into the masculine heart and wind wooinp
 arms about his neck when he is tired and sleepy. Let the man, this knightly,
 princely creature be the brains, the
 muscle, the nerve, the soul of her small universe. Then, if the liege lord, pardon neg moi, should for any reason fail to come up to his duty, and the woman be obliged to make money to feed her chil- dren and keep fire in the stove. why. rather than to write, let her roll up her sleeves and go into the wash-tub. That IS more in accordance with a woman's mission upon earth. A steamy kitchen, a wet floor, a tubful of dirty clothes. a dish of soft soap, and ten hours work for dollar IS 50 much more refining and ennobling, so much more in accordance with woman's "illusions" (which she must never lose, by the way) than quiet parlor, pencil and paper and a few books, and perhaps six hours work for dollar, but more likely, if she have any adaptation for the work, one hour for a dollar, and perhaps more.
 Grant that women do not write so we'll as men, and this is true in general. Can they be expected to do soH The world does not expect wonders of the recently liberated colored people of the south, be- cause it VI ill take many decades of cul- ture to raise them to the intellectual level of the white race. Women have been prevented from mental growth in like manner with the slaves. Give them A chance and see what they will do Grant, that, at the first blush, women have much in their favor as writers. Al the second, third and fourth, aye, even up to the twentieth blush, they have ev- erything against them. Especially is this so in regard to humorous writing. Who could expect women to cultivate an ap. preciation of wit, or to ever be the least bit humorous, when each effervescence IS greeted by grizzly bear growl? Al woman's wit passes for foolishness, while some of the silliest things "Mark Twain" and "Artemus Ward" ever wrote have been considered awfully cute and killing.
 No other American writer has ever created a character equal to that of" Sa- mantha Allen" Marietta Holley stands head and shoulders above all the humor- lsts of the country, Burdette not excepted. And yet, she is only a woman. Let the pressure be lifted from woman's shoul- ders, allow her to laugh as loud as she pleases and to emphasize it by bringing her hst down on the table, and she will soon appreciate FakshaE Her life has been too serious thing, as is attested by the fact that most of the tombstones are inscribed "Wife of" George Eliot's " Silly Novels by Silly Women" might be duplicated with different heading, Silly Novels by Silly Men," if somebody only dared to do it. A hundred foolish books are written by men to one by wo- men. One reason woman fails in plot is that there has been so little variety in her own life. One iron-clad plan is laid out for girl. Be born, cultured, taught housework, sentiments cultivated, mar ried of to highest bidder, rear a family and die. But" dash and danger and life and love-" and all the glorious universe palpitant with divine life is open to man But the check-string must not be loos. ened for women or they will lose some of their illusions. Better put them in glass cases. It is so easy 10 rub off the bloom from such delicate creatures. No writer has ever possessed so keen an insight to human character as George Eliot, with the exception of Shakespeare. Charlotte Bronte, because she was woman, fought her way with set teeth into the place i'm mortal which she now holds. Her brother was given every aid imaginable and died a wretched inanity. The idea ot sex in intellect is too absurd te be dis cussed. Genius is not a reason for our passing the prescriptive barriers of sex because there are no barriers in regard to intellectual work. All the best peri odicals of our country have among their contributors women writers. Some of the best reporters on large journals are women. And even the editorials which | excite most comment in political papers q nE q Nk~. A..