The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-21
WOMEN OF TODAY.
What She MAY Yet Achieve in the
world.

what she MAY let AchleNt III the |
world.
J.J. Fitch. i'm the Contemporary Review. |
SAYS: I'm some future age it may become !
possible 90 map ont tho whole field Of Human |
knowledge. and 90 say what part Of IL |
should Doe cultivated hy one sex and what |
part hy the other. But at present the ma |
ierial. for a decision DO not exist, and any |
assumption that we are in "a position to de- |
eide viii serve only 10 make tAc future SO |
luton of the problem in wise and satisiac-
tory way more difficult Meanwhile. wO-
men have a right 90 say 90 all i'm authority !
MAKE your own schemes Of instructions
and your tests of scholarship for men as
perfect as YOU can. Devise As many new
and effective forms OF mental discipline and
courses OF instruction as You think can Dee
wisely offered 90 men of various aptltudes
and careers; and then permit us, # we
fulfil Tine same preliminary conditions,
tO exercise the same choice. and to
avail ourselves OF just so much of your sys-
tenn as YOU feel VIII be helpful 90 us. We
40 not want YOUR ideal OF liberal educd-
ti0n % bee lowered or modified 10 suit rs
But we want to know how far our aims and
achievements correspond 10 that ideal, and
we ask leave 20 be measured hy the recO-
uiZed tests" Men will Doe helped u
giving wise and generous response to thls
appeal i'm just the proportion I'm which they
view it in the light of their own personal
history and experience. If a man who i
destined. for example, To the Law or the
Church were 10 take up some subject, such
as botany or chemistry, were % write
treatise ON Grimm's law or on the fourth
dimension. and any public authority were
90 interpOse with a reminder That such
studies had no relation 10 the proper busl-
ness of his life, and ought, therefore. not 10
be- pursued, he would regard such interie!-
ence as Impairment
lie would claim 10 be the best judge of
his own interests. In like manner we are
not entitled to affirm respecting any one de-
partment of Intellectual efforts that II Is un-
suited 10 tine nature or 10 the probable des-
TIM Of woman. There is no KIND OF
knowledge. if honestly acquired, which may
not be found available in unexpected ways
for the enrichment and the adOrnmcnt OF
life. whether the life Dee that of man or OF a
woman. And even though the knowledge
or power which are the product OF liberal
education may seem 10 have no bearing at
all upon the special business or definite
duties of woman, vet If II be felt Dy It's
pOssesser 10 make life more full, more
varied. and more interesting, and better
worth living no other Justification Is needed
for placing the largest opportunities Wllhlh
her reach. She has a right 10 exercise
free choice and % solve the problem FOR her-
self.
Neither the professional duty Of man
nor the domestic duty of "a woman occupies
the whole of life Beyond it lies wide
region Of activity, Of honorable ambition.
aud OF possible usefulness. There IS leisure
u be hlled. thought and taste TO be nuriured'
influence tO be- eXerted, ana good 10 De
done. And il il the business Of man ana
woman alike 10 recognize the claims OF TINS
Larger life, and TO become qualified to make
"A right Use Of such occasions as fortune
NAV Oner for meeting those claims. lhere
is no more familiar fact IN human eN-
perience. nor one which suggests more pa
thetic reflection, than the large store of I'M
used canacitv in the world. Hundreds of
men and thousands Of women carry with
them down TO their graves gifts when are
well-nigh wasted. noble aspirations Whlcn
are unreaiZed. powers Of usefulness Whlch
are unsuspectcd by the world, ana hardlY
known 10 their pOsscssOrs, simply because
the right means for development and en-
couragement have not been supplied, ana
because opportunity has been wanting.
II cannot be doubted that in the inteill-
gence Of many women, in their desire for
truth. in their high aims, and in their power
10 render service % the world in which they
live. there is a great stone OF wealth, which
has never been adequately recognized or
turned 10 profitable account. The world is
made poorer by every whether
imDosed by authority or only cOnyentiOnally
nrescribed by our social usages-wbich
hammers the free choice OF women in rela-
tion 10 their careers, their studies, or their
aims in life II is probable that IN many
WAYS. vet undiscovered, IN certain depart
ments of art, Of scientific research, Of liter
ature. and Of philanthrOpic work. the con-
trihuiions of women 10 the resources OF the
.orld will prOye 20 be- of interesting value
IN mankind. And yet it NAV also be that
experience will prove certain forms OF men
TAI activity 10 be unsuitable.
Nature we may be sure, may DE safety
trusted 10 take care OF her own laws. Inc
snecial duties which she has assigned to one
bsit al the human race will always be para
mount. but of the duties which are common
IA the whole human race, we do mol Know
and cannot vet know, how large snare
,Vomen NAV be able % undertake. III IL
nrobably larger than the wlsest OF our
CONTEMPORARIES anticipate. II there DC ma
tural disabilities. there Is AL the less reason
for Imposing artificial disabilities. hitherto
every step which has been taken in open
inc out new forms OF active work ana IN
creased influence % women has been clear
cain ID society, aud has added much 10 the
Lanniness of women themselves. IL n.
therefore. not merely the chiNalry, nor even
,t,e sense of Justice, bat also the enlightened
sslf.inferest, Of man that ar" concerned III
the solution Of this problem.