Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-03
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
MORALS MANNERS
WRITTEN ron THE DrsrArcH.l
BY A CLERGYMAN.

WRITTEN FOR THE DIBfATChs4
A very interesting broadside was printed,
not long ago, by cotemporary, Of answers
made by famous women to the question
what they would and would not do if they
were men.
The strange part Of it is that there should
be SO many more women who are anxious to
be men than there are men willing to be
women. 'Tis fact-though, fortunately,
physiology bars the realization Of the wish.
An Eveless Edenl what that would be We
partly know from the sacred record, and can
partly surmise without the aid of much
Imagination. From the male standpoint,
woman is conundrum-which no man is
willing to give upI
If we turn to the broadside above re-
ferred to, and try to classify the answers, we
shall find that the women lay their fingers
with emphatic frankness upon the limita-
tons Of their own sphere, and upon the re-
missness Of mankind. Around these two
themes revolves their whole complaint. On
the one hand they urge that. while the arena
Tor men is broad and enticing, and holds forth
honor and fame to women the arena is closed.
or, II opened, then so narrowly thar they are
only suffered to compete in two or three lines.
under the irown Of Mrs. Grundy, without en-
couragement, and with the distinct understand
ing that they are to be deprived at last of Co
eaual recompense. Speaking Of the freedom Of
men. Louise Chandler Moulton says: Were
one could 60 alone to Delmonico's in NeWYork
OF 70 tne Cafe Anglais in Paris. and no one
would stare at me in wonderi could start OF
II the fancy seized me, for Russia, for Aus
IIalla, Tor the Pyramids, round the world IL
nked, without waiting, IS now l must for
suitable companion who wants to 90 in the
same direction. could go to the theater with
out waiting to be taken or bribing some
amiable old lady TO accompany me. could
indulge sudden fancy for a midnight stroll
under the stars: could tell woman loved
her. In short, could live free, natural, un-
fettered life Men are ungrateful for their
privileges, think. I wonder that they are not
thousand times happier than they are. To
be sure, never heard of one yet who wanted
TO be a woman. Did your
On the other hand, the fair responders to the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS question
affirm that they would do to women what men
do not. On this point listen to Mrs Frank
Leslie: "If were man would try to under
stand women as very few men seem to try to
do. l would study the comPlexity Of their
tastes, loves, dislikes, gensitiveness and in
tuitions, and try to raise my simpler and clum-
sier masculine perception TO level with what
most men despise because they do not eompre-
hend. would like to be man for a little
while that might make love to at least two OF
three women in a way that would neither shock
them with its coaTsenees nor starVe them with
its poverty. As it is now, most women deny
themselves the expression of the best part Of
their love because they know that it will be
either puzzle or terror to their lovers. And
what would not do il we're man would be
ever to let 60 the curb-rein Of my own propen-
stiles. / would never let any woman know me
for just what was by nature, but having dis
covered her ideal OF me would try to live mp to
1t, or rather copy It as best could. No man
yet has ever been all that the woman who loves
him tries to believe him. If were q man l
would take care that she never found out her
mistaken But where is the man wise enough
to do this7
But perhaps, after all, the best remark called
out by the discussion is that which Western
journal puts into the mouth Of . shrewd femin-
inc judge Of human nature: "If were man
suppose would make fool of myself Just
like all the rest of 'emE''