Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-06
The Position of Women in America.

Prof. James Bryce.
A European cannot spend an evening in an
American drawing-room without perceiving
that the attitude of men and women is not that
with which he is familiar at home. The aver
age European man has usually slight sense of
condescension when he talks to a woman on
serious subjects. Even if she is his superior
in intellect, in character, in social rank he
thinks that as a man he is her superior and
consciously or unconsciously, talks down to
her. She is too much accustomed to this to
resent 1t. unless it becomes tastelessly palpable
Such notion does not cross an American s
mind. He talks to a woman just as he would
to a man, OF course with more Difference of
manner, and with proper regard to the topics
likely to interest her, but giving her his in
tellectual best. addressing her as a person
whose opinion is understood by both TO be
worth much as his own. Similarly, an
American lady does not expect to have CONVEX
sation made to her. 1t is just as much her
duty or pleasure to lead it as the mans is and
more often than not she takes the burden from
him. dartlnS along with gay yivacity which
puts to shame his slower wits.
1t need hardly be said that in all cases where
the two sexes come into competition for COM
fort, the provision is made first for women. In
railroads the end car of the train. being that
tarthest removed from the smoke of the loco
motive, is reserved for them Though men ac-
companying q lady are allowed to enter it,,
and at hotels their sitting-room is the best and
sometimes the only available public room lady
less guests being driven to the bar or the hall
In omnibuses and horse-cars (tram-cars) it was
formerly the custom for q gentleman to rise
and offer his seat to lady if there were no va
cant place. This is now less universally done.
In New York and Boston land l think also in
San Francisco) have seen the men keep their
seats when ladies entered: and / recollect one
occasion when the offer of seat to q lady was
declined by her, on the ground that as she had
chosen to enter q fall car she ought to take
the consequences. 1t was q was told in Bos-
tom feeling of this kind that had led to the
dscontinuance of the old courtesy. When la
dies constantly pressed into the already crowded
vehicles, the men, who could not secure the
enforcement of the regulations against over
crowding, tried to protect themselves by refus-
ing to rise. 1t is sometimes said that the priv
ileges yielded to American women have dis
posed them to claim as a right what was only
a courtesy, and have told unfavorably upon
their manners. l know of several in
stances, besides this one of the horse-cars
which might seem to support the criticism. but
cannot on the whole think it well founded
The better bred women do not presume on
their sex. and the area of good breeding is
always widening.
1t need hardly be said that the community at
large gains by the softening and restraining in
fuence which the reverence for womanhood
dffuses. Nothing quickly incenses the peo-
pie as any insult offered to woman Wife
beating. and indeed any kind of rough violence
offered to women is far less common among
the rudest class than it is in England Field
work or work done at the plymouth of mines
Is seldom or never done by women in America:
and the American traveller who in some parts
OF Europe finds women performing severe
manual labor is revolted by the sight in a way
which Europeans lind surprising.