The Iola register., 1890-08-15
3p- - S~ts7tt-r-stt rF-l
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
"OuR MYRA..

| The Success Which Has Crowned the Ef-
forts OF One Bright, Perseverine Woman.
| 1t is interesting TO note in the prog
ress of events that the success of women
| in walks OF life outside of the fami-
ly circle has not interfered at all with
that sweet domesticity of nature, about
which men of every age have had so
much to say. A woman can sit all day
| in rocking-chair at home, reading a
novel and holding q pet poodle, and no
one will censure her. But le. her elect
to sit in an Office chair, and fulfill the
duties of profession, and she will be
Immediately target for criticism.
However, it is pretty well understood
now that a woman who espouses pro-
fession need be no less womanly in
voice, style, manner or dress than if she
sat at home in a rocker. The tailor
made suit was not the outcome of pro-
fessional need, but was instituted by the
girl who friyels, and adopted by her
business sister. The art of expression
has taught woman that she need not
use squeaky voice as an emblem of fem
ininity, and modest unassuming man.
ner is dover in any profession. These
last were the attributes pertaining to
the first woman who ever applied for ad-
mission to the bar of the United States
and was refused.
James" said Mrs. Bradwell to her
husband, who was at that time a Chi
cago Justice, what do you suppose
they mean by refusing to receive me
at the bar on account of legal disa-
bility?"
''My dear" said the good-natured
man, ''you are woman and are disqual-
flied or might say disbarred-eh?''
81 don't believe it, James This is
not one Of the dark ages. l know just
as much about law as that little whip
per-snapper s., who was given the
right to practice his profession. l have
done a great deal more legislative work
than he, and all those prominent jurists
and Legislators listen to me with the
greatest respect and adopt my measures,
but they won't give me the only right
that / demand and which they claim
/ am fitted for, the right to practice be-
fore any court in the United States"
81 will look into it." said her hus-
band, gallantly; and he did. He went
to Springfield to the Illinois Legisla-
ture, to Washington to the Supreme
Court, and when he returned he said to
his wife:
"Well. Myra, I've found out what the
disability is
Have you?"asked the little woman ca
Arnn ,tho
James, I've waited years for this. What
is the disability that prevents me from
succeeding in my profession?'
81 am," said Judge Bradwell, meelSly.
"You are married woman instead of q
femme sole, and so you can not be a
lawyer. 1 never thought of that, did
you?"
No, and shall call you my disabil-
ity now out of revenge, until l repeal
that stupid old law, if there is one, "and
Mrs. B was as good as her word, but
it did not disturb in the least the har-
mony of their united lives or of their
beautiful household.
As Chicago's first lady lawyer, Mrs
Bradwell was soon well-known, and she
had rich fund of anecdote to tell con-
cerning those days when she wore her
hair in shower of abundant black
curls and dressed sweetly in lady-like
silk costumes and edited the Legal News,
her own law paper. All the lawyers
knew '0ur Myra," as she was always
called, and they admired her pluck and
go-aheadativeness and her singleness of
purpose.
Mrs Bradwell filed a printed argument
in which her right to license to prac-
tice before the bar of the United States
was earnestly and ably maintained. Mr..
Justice Laurence delivered the opinion
of the Court and denied the application.
Then it became apparent that there was
really no established law forbidding a
woman to practice in the Courts,
whether she was married or single.
There were certain technicalities easily
removed by the Legislature if that judi
cial body choose to exercise its author
ity, which it would not then do, under
the old idea that it was not advisable
for women to leave their domestic
sphere for legislative halls.
Mrs. Bradwell. like the clever woman
she is, finding she could not become
queen of the ermined throne, was satis-
fed with being the power behind the
throne. Busy with her legal newspaper,
which was taken and read by the most
astute of the lawyers and judges, she
found her time filed with an actual
practice which brought her both money
and fame, and at last, when she had
ceased to labor for it, the coveted honor
was granted. She was permitted to
practice before the bar of the United
States law courts as an honorary men,
Der, and there the matter rests.-Mrs.
NJ. L. Rayne, in Detroit Free Press