, 1889-02-14
CHAPTER XII

n 1880 A~ 49,
reux Blake, the chief OF tho movement-a
middle aged lady, of a fluent, agreeable con.
versation, who has declared war to the knife
against the tyrant man
You must excuse me- / said TO her, "f /
ask questions l am anxious to learn have
submitted 50 many times to the interviewing
process In your country that feel as II | had
a right 10 interview tho Americans n little in
my turn. The American woman appears to me
ungrnteful not to be satisfied with her lot
She seems TO rulo tho roost In the United
States.n
NO" replied Mrs Blake, "she does not,
but she ought
"But she certainly docs" l insisted.
DO facto, perhaps, but de juro, no."
What do you want moreT'
"The right to mako laws"
What do you mean by thntr'
"Tho right Of voting for candidates for
congress, and oven the right to a seat in the
house Of representatives"
This appears to me a little exacting, and
almost unfair" / observed timidly. "You
probably already mako your husbands vote
Us you please; If, added to this, you are going
To throw your own votes into the electoral
IA ~ ~ llAAlA III t1lAllCllOu Ol uliD, ntlInGI
more nor less, and as Leon Gozlan says; 1T
is perhaps as we'll hat there should DO two
sexes, for some timo longer at all oventR'
My dear lady, you are spoilt children, and
spoilt children arc mover satisfied
A lady, who enjoyed TINT most esteemed OF
woman's rights, tho right TO DO pretty, gave
mo somo very curious details on the subject
OF Now York life. We were speaking Of tho
security OF women In tho largo cities, and of
tho risk they ran in going out nlono after
nightfalL
Il have been struck with tho rdspeotablity
OF your American Streets" | said TO her.
'Onc never sees vice Haunting by daylight,
and in the evening, whenever / have been
through tho great arteries Of your city, |
have seldom seen anything that could shock
tho eyes Of an honest woman. In Paris tho
boulevards are infested with street walkers
from s O'Clock in tho evening, and tho evil is
much worse in London, where from 4 or 3 in
the afternoon a whole district Is given over
10 them
You arc right said tho lady; ''but II tho
streets OF New York arc respectable, 1t is
thanks to us II we had vuitod until the
men swept our pavements, wo should have
had to wait n long time. We cleaned them
ourselves"
"What do you meanT'
"a few years 6 several young women,
among whom ! might name members of our
best society, resolved upon going alone in the
evenings, and Of striking tho first man who
dared to accost them. They perscvcred for
n long while, and finally succeeded in accom-
plishing the disinfection of tho main streets.
Vice still exists, but It keeps within doors,
and hides instead OF parading itself. If you
arc ublo TO 60 out at night with your wife,
or even your young daughters; If q lady can
90 to tho theatre alone, and, II 1T please her,
return homo on foot, 1t is TO us that thanks
arc due And do you not think that women,
young, good looking and well bred, who
could master their disgust so far rs to do that
which the authorities were too cowardly to
undertake, are not worthy to hnve n DELHI
crate voice in tho councils OF tho nntionr'
/ could not answer this.
am going 90 launch a rather dangerous
assertion.
1t seems TO mo that the American woman
does not render to man a hundrodth part of
tho alteration ho renders to her. If love
could spring from gratitude, Jonathan would
bo the most beloved OF men.
But does love ever spring from gratitudei
In the eyes Of the American woman man
has his good points He insures her a good
position when he mRrries her, he works hard
t~osatisfy her smallest wishes, and so long as
his signature has any value at the foot OF q
check this will DO an extenuating circum-
stance In his favor.
This spirit Of Independence in woman pro
duccs excellent results, it must DO confessed
You lind in America women who by their
tabsnt hate won for themselves positions
which numocrs of men might envy. And do
not imagine that l am speaking of blue
stockings, spoctacled s~pinsters, disdained of
Cupid Not at Ill The American woman
has always tact enough to remain womanly.
Even among the heroines OF the platform /
have always noticed a little touch of coquetry,
which proves to mo that man is not In immi-
nent danger Of being suppressed In America
Only a few days after / set foot In New
York, a friend took me TO visit the offices of
the principal newspapers of the city. Pass-
ing along a corridor in The Worlds offices, i
remarked a lady writing In one OF the rooms.
My friend led the way in, and presented me
TO her found her to be n pretty brunette
OF about twenty or twenty-five, delightfully."-
piquante, and with most distinguished man.
ner was struck with her simple bearing
and her Intelligent expression, and, on leav,
ing the room, naturally wanted to know &c
whom ] had had the pleasure of being intro
duced then learned that this young Ameri.
can girl did all the literary reviewing and
gossip for Tn New York World, and took up
as large a salary as one Of the best writers on
the staff Of Tho Paris Figaro.
The St Nicholas Magazine Is conducted by
"a lady. Mrs Dodge.
Since her husbands death, Mrs Frank Les
lie has carried ON. under her own manage
Hosscan parents allow their children tc