The evening world., 1891-04-14
Nell Nelson Interviews the PFleSteSS
Of TheOSOphy.
Marriage, She Says, Is Not
Essential to Woman's
Usefulness.
Causes OF Poverty and How She
Would Remedy Them.

tnat was not aware OF her approach until
very soft voice said ~ am pleased to see
you"
She was dressed in a robe of black merino,
draped In the full lines OF the Greek dress,
but wholly without trimming, her only Or
nament being an old seal ring with the
Talmudc snake design.
Her bearing, dress. voice and manner
proclaim the gentewcman, and she has
that sad, rostful repose about her peculiar
to those who nave suffered much.
The softness and sweetness OF her voice
were beauty itself. 1t was the sort of voice
that would charm birds and wooslittle chill
dren. Altogether perfectly distinct, It was
so low that a dreamy old Theosophist
twenty feet away did not hear word of
her remarks.
~ am pleased to see you, for IL saves me
the trouble of writing note OF exception
to one passage recently printed about me.
| l did not write or publish Elements OF
Social Science work detest because 1t is
an advocate of free love. | have preached
and written free thought, but | never
gave utterance to the doctrine of free
love In my life, although my enemies
always have and still continue to con,
fuse the two. am firm believer
in marriage, but not rs practised by mod.
ern society. think marriage for money
or position base and the marriage of boys
and girls physiologically mlschievous as
well as morally bad. What do children
know Of the obligations and Importance OF
marriagep They cannot even choose in.
telligently their own food and clothing,
much less life partners, and in their unde.
veloped state what sort OF children must
they haveS Marriage between people
under three or four and twenty l think
should bo prevented for the benefit Of the
human race II for nothing else"
Mrs. Besant does not think that marriage
Is essential to Iomen's usefulness, as many
OF them are not fitted for domestic lives,
either In q physical, moral or intellectual
sense. Nor do the sex need husbands TO
lean against for support and protection.
Marriage for anything but mutual love
is detestable to me. think only the most
perfect friendships between men and
women should result in marriage.
"The causes OF poverty are numerous
Drink Is not one. 1t is result. The main
cause is due to the ignorance which leads
people to bring into tho world more chill.
dren than they can support. Two or three,
four at most, are quite as many as the aver
age working parents can raise properly.
Instead OF that the average is seven, and 1t
is not unusual amid the squalor Of London
and New York tenement-house life to
find eleven and thirteen starving, Ill
nurtured and neglected little ones In a
family. ! consider 1t crime for parents
to have more children than they can pro
vide for. Mothers in early life break down
and are either untitled to care for their off
spring or else die, and they are thrown on
the mercy OF the world.
"Anohher cause of poverty is ignorance.
Children at the tender age of ten and four.
teen are put TO work undeveloped and ali
as they are and compelled to live under the
same restraint as adults. The result is
many are dwarfed and stunted, and all are
robbed OF the priceless benefits OF educa-
ton, which is every child's brthright. II,
as many argue, the rudiments OF an cduca-
tion can be had between the ages
of six and fourteen, and the child is
apprenticed | hold that he should be
livelihood, and that all his earnings between
childhood and manhood should be reserved
for HIM, and the work be made optional
instead Of compulsory. Childhood cannot
stand the strain, the incessant strain OF
labor without detriment to health or growth
The child has no voice in its creation, and
some recompense, some defense is due II
for the awful struggle life imposes.
"By education do not mean necessarily
a college course. 1t may be mental ant
manual combined, or the industrial afte
the scholastic, but / protest against tn,
factory work which takes hold OF the child
machine fashion, and grinds 1t to skin ant
bone from morning till night at pittanc,
reward. Childhood is the time in whicl
, the man grows, physically, mentally
morally. He is entitled to provision an,
support while the parents live. In case o
death he must look out for himself, unles
the public takes up his interests
"ln London we have upward OF 1000
school children, tender little creatures, VIII
come to school daily unfed. Their condi
dtion led to the establishment Of the Chill
dren's Dinner Association, which has sta
tions in every school district. Teacher
distribute the tickets, and every noon thi
great army OF famished infancy is fed. Il
. some schools we provide the poor children
. free breakfast OF warm milk and brea
anl butter. believe it will not be lon
before the public will clothe and teed a
well as educate the school children VIII
are neglected at home"
Mrs. Bcsant had much 10 say about tn
t working girls that was interesting.
Who can best help the working
women ?" asked
Society women, women of fashion
4 leisure and wealth"
DO theyH'
:, "No."
"Wnyw
"They are too selfish. The only thing I
be done in their helflessness is to combine