Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01
THE WOMAN QUESTION.
A Common Error to Assume that Women
are Like Men.

From the Boston Transcr.pt.
The woman question has long since, at least
with the saving remnant who think about the
essential philosophy Of things. developed out
OF and beyond the phase Of glittering generali-
ties and superhcialities. People now begin to
consider that the matter is 70 be thought Of
not from the mans standpoint as il used TO be
thought OF altogether. nor from the woman's
standpoint, as a great many have since insisted
that IT must be thought of. but from the stand
point OF men and women. The mistake which
conservatives used to make when the agitation
for ''women's rights" first began. Of assuming
that women were so utterly unlike men.
and so much inferior to them that they
weren't TO be considered on the same
plane at all, was the greatest mistake which
could be made about women. except the mis-
take OF assuming that they are like men. This
latter is an error which is very common nova
days. According TO that very interesting and
valuable book, Mr.. Brownell's French Traits. .
1t Is a sort of mistake which most Americans
are making. Even at the very moment that
they are insisting upon the essential unlikeness
of women to men, American society is exacting
from women a continual exhibition of mason.
line qualities. We require of women. not
'strong- mindedness" but certain compan-
condolences which is essentially masculine and
We cultivate in young girls this quality to the
characters
istics. Says an unnamed French oracle to Mr..
Brownell
French women are essentially less masculine
in avoiding strictly all competition with men.
In conserving all their individuality of sex and
following their own bent. Nothing is more
common than to hear American women lament
their lack of opportunity; envy the opportunity
OF men. Nothing rarer with us. IL never occurs
TO French woman to regret her sex. Ii is
probable that almost every American woman
with any pretension to fine mentality feels. on
the contrary, that her sex is limitation. and
wishes, with that varying ardor and inter
mittent energy which characterize her. that
she were a man and had a mans opportunity
In thousand ways she is the mans rival. which
with us she never is.
WHEN AN AMERICAN WOMAN Is MARRIED.
this same French authority insists her fellow
countrymen will not permit her TO be a
married woman. They insist upon her remain
ing married young girl as long as she can. In
France woman frankly accepts her femininity
which does not mean girlishness. but feminine
maturity. With us, the state of glrlhood is the
summit of womanly attainment. An American
woman looks back to her girlhood and seeks to
carry as much of it into her after life as she
can; whereas in France the young girl is con-
stantly looking forward TO becoming and en-
joying the condition of a woman. The result
Is that the sentimental side which
Americans subordinate in women to the
serious side, or else to the mascu-
hne-llke quality of comradeship. receives
in France, an harmonious and natural develop
ment. The French woman does not go in for
criticism of life" as the American women do
and on the whole she is happier and freer.
She has freedom, with her frank acceptance
OF her sex-and not necessarily mischevous
freedom-which even woman suffrage probably
would not bring to American women. Mr.
Brownell quotes a remark by Gouverneur
Morris in his Paris diary in 1888: This is the
woman's country" Jules Lemaitre said the
other day that if he could be just what he chose
to be he would be first of all beautiful woman
Mr.. Brownell thinks, and no doubt truly. that
only Frenchman would agree with him. Ex-
ceedingly few American men. with all their
worship of the young girl would care to be a
woman, even a beautiful one