Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-17
WOMAN'S SPHERE.

However much it may be regretted by
those who are disposed to ''giye woman
a chance" in business life, it is true that
the commercial development of women
is not in harmony with the best interests
of society. 1t is an unpleasant fact that
people who discuss this question do not,
in many cases, get at the essence of the
subject.
That women are or may become
physically able to perform nearly all
the business duties of men, provided
they are entirely relieved from their
natural duties, is readily susceptible of
proof. They have both bodily and
mental strength already fora beginning,
and few generations at outdoor labor,
office routine, and laily toll at trades,
would develop thes ability III every
quality of mind ans1. oily that business
demands. It is bt:.;ause woman is not
accustomed to business care that she
seems so unfit for IL
This kind Of reasoning, however, does
not reach the vital element involved in
the question of Woman's participation
in commerce and trades.
The perpetuity of our present civili-
zation depends upon the seperate and
distinct maintenance of two relations in
life, viz, the commercial, and the
domestic-the public and the private
the world and the home-the strife and
rivalry Of life on one side, and the
sweet peace of domestic concord on the
other. Man never approached
civilization until he began to recognize
the necessity, the value, the glory Of a
nations today are those which are
founded upon, anG lend the force of
the government to prepare invioIate,
the homes Of their people. The great
ness of America is due more to this
source than to wise craftsmanship or
great military achIeT 5ments.
If, then, the hone. is sueh necessary
and noble institution, is it not entitled
application Of as much genius, as that
other factor of og civilization-the
store or workshop?
Admitting that woman is the equal
of man in mental qaalities, what could
NC i1AO1C pIOpCI lliftiI bAi6tl SuC SlltllIu
have the sphere Of home for her
especial care and responsibility? How
could greater honor be conferred upon
her than to make her the presiding
genius of one Of the two foundation
stones Of our civilization? 1t is a
recognition Of her superior virtues, her
innate refinement and gentleness, that
to her care is committed the shaping of
the domestic life Of both sexes, and the
unfolding of character at its tenderest
period.
Which stands in the more honorable,
nay, the more glorious attitude toward
the communicative man who has had
q successful business career and has
gained fortune, whose check is always
hOnOred, anc whose aame is a synonym
for Integrity and upTightness, or the
woman who has trained up a family of
children in the way Of honor and
virtue? Which Of them has conferred
the greater and more lasting benefit
upon the community? The man simply
reached out and drew to himself of that
which other men had possessed. The
woman CREATED something in that she
implanted in the breasts of the little
ones given her the seeds of truth and
righteousness, and then nurtured them
until they had blossomed into splendid
manhood and WOmanhOod. The man
acquires cash, the woman builds
character. While the man engages IN
the struggle with his fellows, the woman
is laboring in the service of heaven
itself when she is bringing up a
generation of men and women who will
be better than their predecessors. The
nOblest ambition of any generation is
ia lri,,cr +hnir, OH lI1,o3, To J,or
conception of life and its purposes than
they themselves possessed. Have we
the right, then, to neglect the Younger
members Of the human family, that the
older ones may be made more comfort
able?
Now, let any intelligent person
consider the probable fate Of society it
the young women of our day should be
encouraged to abandon the purer
influences, the shelterof home life, aud
engage in the strife for gain, during the
| formative period Of their lives. Their
inevitable DESTINY is to become wives
and mothers. Do the gentlest, the
tenderest, the most devoted wives and
mothers graduate from the store and
workshop? Is not the very atmosphere
| antagonistic to the higher sentiments of
womanhood? 1t is written that "no
man can serve two masters" Neither
can man or woman develop their
qualifications for the hottest purposes
of life in an atmosphere wherein
selfishness prevails.
| There are isolated cases where the
young girl must enter the arena of
commercial life, but these cases are not
so plenty as many people imagine. The
ma aiority of girls and women who
engage in lucrative pursuits do so for
the sake of the added comforts and the
independence afforded by the possession
of little cash-and not because
! necessity forces them to earn hvel1-
hood. in very few instances do they
experience greater difficulty than the
other sex in securing positions.
It would be immeasurably better for
the morality Of the country if those
who are so inGustriously engaged,
through mistaken zeal, in opening the
doors of commercial life to the young
women, would seek rather to instruct
them in their higher duties, and
through such wise and benefcent
mln1strations assist in making the
homes Of this land the moral bulwark
of virtuous and honorable nation.