The Jersey City news., 1891-11-23
GIRLS. Be INDEPENDENT.
That Is the Advice of the
Rev. Dr.. John L.
SCudder.
SWEET SIXTEEN AND UPWARDS
Women in America better Off Than
Their Foreign Sisters-All
Should Learn Trades.
SWEET 81 xTEEN AND UPWARDS

The Rev. DR., Scudder preached in the
Tabernacle last evening acontin uation o.
his previous sermon, styling it 1.-THE
other side Of sweet sixteen of the indus
trial woman of today" He based his
discourse on Nehemiah iv.. 6: THE people
had mind to WORE" Among other
things the preacher said:
"When young woman has passed her
sixteenth year she is supposed to have
given up large part of her girlisn
thoughtlessness and frivolity, aud settled
down to serious and sensible view oi
life. She is on the threshold of her wo-
manly existence. The days of her min
ority are almost gone and the
question How shall l gain n
livelihood Is constantly pressing itself
upon her. Like man. woman must eat,
wear clothes aud be sheltered, and all
that costs money. Fathers and mothers
cannot last forever. II she possesses an
independent disposition she looks at her
ten fingers and says, L can use these. '
Some young ladies stake their chances OF
obtaining livelihood upon catculug
husband, instead of fitting themsel yes for
some useful. honorable and luc rative oc-
cupation in life.
MARRIAGE IS NATURAL.
"Of course it is natural aud proper th at
young meu and women should marry
and establish homes. A willingness on
the part of woman to marry, if the right
kind of man presents himself, is deslr-
able, but an oyer-anxiety to marry is
compromising to womadnood and self
respect, and the source of immea3urabIe
ills. Tne woman who marries thus and
casts herself upon some man to be sup
ported, forges her own chains. The most
satisfactory marriages are between
equals.
t'Among the novelties of this remark
able age we fluid new creature which
has been evolved during the past twenty
five years--tke woman who supports her.
self. Iu almost every corner OF the earth
woman has been the slave of man in the
past. and traces of this slavery are still
found even in civilized lands. America,
fortunately, has less of it than any other
couutry.'
Mr.. Scudder there cited many instances
in which injustice was done woman in
the courts, aud In private and public life
in other countries.
1.-The cause of the modern degradation
which many women undergo" the
preacher continued, sis due to their lack
of independence, while the improved con-
dition OF women in America in due to her
independence.
ALL SHOULD LEARN TRADES.
"FOr The happiness of women, there
fore, whether married or single, am in
favor of some trade or occupation for
each and everyone. I pity the woman
who starts forth to earn her own living
and relies upon possible marriage for
lifelong support. Ii her husband dies,
like all poor women who have no special
ty, she takes to sewing at starvation
prices. It she fails to marry, afte all her
artif1ces to attract u man she considers
her life a failure, and in nine cases out of
ten becomes Grabbed and NOR ose.
1.-THE proportion of unmarried men and
women is growing larger and larger, and
the girl who sallies forth with the delib-
crate purpose of catching a husband, is
calculating upon q very formidable un-
certainty. What u man wants in these
days is a real helpmeet-a woman who
can bake loaf OF prea1 as well as paint
piacqne, busy bees rather than gilded
butterflies"
In concluding Mr. Scudder said:-"This
Is Il woman'5 century. Her sphere has
broadened and never again ctn be COM
pressed into the narrow limits of the do
mestic circles. Woman has progressed
from slavery into self-rule aud self-sup~
port. And what she has done in America
she will do the world over. The latter
part of the nineteenth century has
brought forth a NV women and
she has come to stay. She is
a business woman. au independent factor
in the world of industry. She earns her
own living; she is her own master. II a
man wants to marry her, he must take her
AS an equal, not as II subordinate. She
will not consent to be a mere moon re-
volving around masculine earth. She
will be twin star or nothing"