The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-13

failed to fnd them exhibited by adult women
| in any conspicuous degree. The inference
which many mon proceeded to draw from
the consequences OF an educational dlscrimi-
nation against the other sex, was that the
| brain OF females is conRenitally and ire
| mediably different from that Of males, and
| that women, while strong in the az
| feotions and to lesser extent In
the imagination, are lncorrigibly deficient
in the capacity OF sustained mental applica-
ton and In reasoning power. Nobody seemed
to notice that this deduction ran directly
counter TO an observation of the physiolo-
gists that a male child commonly inherits
the cerebral outfit OF his mother, whereas o
fathers salient characteristics are apt to be
transmitted to his daughters. From such
empirical data 1t would be fair inference
that, given an appropriate training In the
period OF adolescence, the daughters rather
than the sons OF a man distinguished for
mental concentration and analysis would
be likely to reproduce the fathers talents.
This Is, of course, precisely what has hap
pened in the case Of the daughter OF Post
master-General FAwoETT.
But, it may be asked. Of what use is 1t to
young woman In the present state OF society
to have outranked the Senior Wrangler In
the Cambridge mathematical triposp II the
primary end Of woman Is what 1t undeniably
was when Miss AUSTEN wrote her novels,
namely, to get married, we may as well admit
that the coveted distinction won by Mise
FAwoETT would be OF no practical utility.
The possession OF such attainments as are
attested by her academical triumph, might
repel the great majority Of marrying men,
whose vanity could not brook the notion
OF q wife VIGOROUSLY mistress Of q much
better intellectual equipment than their
own. 1t must also be acknowledged
that the habit Of severe and incessant con-
centration needed to master the infnitesi-
NAL calculus and the science OF the fourth
dimension may not tend to qualify young
woman to capture q husband by trick and
device, or by any Of the arts which women
during their long term OF sfranchisement
have borrowed from the slave. It Is pos
sible, however, that some sensible men may
understand that marriage outlasts the
honeymoon, and that the possession OF
sound, well-balanced, energetic, and thor
oughly trained brain on the part Of wife and
mother, would be OF inestimsble service In
the upbringing Of children and In solving
the innumerable problems OF life. Nor should
1t need much discernment to perceive that
the caHbre Of intellect required to produce
Senior Wrangler has nothing in common
with the hysterical weaknesses Of the liter
airy smatterers, who we're known as blue
in the days Of our grandmothers
On this head we have suggestive piece Of
evidence in the report telegraphed from
that the friends Of Miss FAw- |
CETT, who went to visit her In her rooms on |
the morning after her unparalleled achieve |
ment, found her plaoldly engaged in busting |
The furniture.
The truth Is that In the new view OF wo-
mems rights and duties. marriage occupies
place no larger than 1t does In the career OF
men. In the case OF both sexes marriage
Ind the rearing OF children are tending to
% recognized as incidents Of existence, but
ls neither the exclusive nor even the pr1-
nary aims OF life. A state Of things Is near
It hand when the notion that a woman has
achieved the end OF her being by persuading
man to support her under the sanction Of
or, as Punch has expressed 1t, to
Jay her board. will be generally regarded
With undisguised contempt; when, on the
women will cultivate for the same
and self-respeoung purposes
he same qualities Of intellect which insure
masculine success. Those are the qualities
4 which Miss FAwoETT has laid the broad
nd deep foundations by her remarkable
victory; and there is no field Of
study or Of professional effort in
which she cannot turn them to account.