The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-11
WOMEN THEN AND NOW.
Vast Changes for the Better Since
the Lamented "GoOd Old
Times"

II any creature on earth has reason
for exultant, fearful, heavenward-
rising thankfulness, it is the modern
woman Never in all the worlds his
tory has she been so free from bur
dens. so exalted in privileges as today.
This nineteenth century is the era OF
her coronation. Today she stands
queen OF herself and of the world. In
the palmiest days of the good old
time the only woman who was allow
ed any privilege or culture was the
courtesan. The wife's home was a
prison, and her hands alone were OF
value.
Whether or not she had any brains,
she was not permitted to discoSer;
and this has held substantially true
the world over, until within the last
hundred years; and the most convinc-
ing proof of this is the character of
the books of the best society. You
would not dare to read aloud ia mixed
society any book of the last century.
Books were not made for women; and
so whether they were decent or not,
was a small consideration. Even the
old preachers INDUCED in eoarseness
of language that would not now be
permitted in a political harangue.
Some of Martin Luther's sermons
could not be read in a modern
school.
Swearing in the drawing room and
in the 'best society" was no neon
mon thing ninety years ago. Even
the ladies themselves not rarely in
dulged in it. Dean Ramsey tells an
anecdote that well illustrates how 1T
was regarded. A sister IA speaking
OF her brother as much addicted to
the habit, and she said.-"Our John
swears awful, and we try to correct
him for it; but she added apollo
g~etically, mae doubt 1t Is a great set
off to conversation" The double
extendre'' and indelieate illusions,
such as now no respectable company
would endure. were then quite COM
mon in mixed society.
Eighty years ago eminent lawyers
would use language in the court room,
in the presence of ladies, for which
they would now be arrested by the
Sheriff. Then women were punished
by being publicly whipped on the
bare back. Prisoners in pillories were
pelted with eggs and jerred and taunt-
ed by the bystanders. The whipping
post, the stocks, cropping and brand
ing were common. 1t was no very
rare sight to see a man and his wife,
from the first society, sitting on the
gallows for an hour with ropes round
their necks.
And those who favor the harsher
forms of punishment might profitably
take notice of the fact that milder
councils, fewer crimes, and the gener-
al elevation of society are invariably
accomplishments OF each other. To
be poor and insane then was worse
than torture or death.
The poor were sold" at public auc-
ton, their board and keeping were
knocked down to the lowest bidder,
who was left to treat them very much
as he pleased. Almhouses we're al
III ost unknown.
The common school girl of to-day Is
better off, in all that makes life de-
sirable, than was any queen of 200
years ago. More comfort, more purity,
more intelligence, more refinement,
more everything worth having-these
mark the advance of our social life.
Never were houses so good, never was
furniture SO convenient and abund-
ant. never was dress so comfortable
and healthful, never SO sim
pie and sensible, never the means of
all enjoyment and development S
common and so universally accessible
as today.
And yet in spite of these facts, there
are large numbers of people perpetu-
ally bemoaning our degeneracy, and
signing over the departure of the
good old times of our early Ameri-
can life. The reason of the present
distressing state of affairs | heard ex-
planned not long ago. One man
thought it was because the good old
doctrines were not now preached at
all, and the other was equally sure
that it was because they were preached
all the time. Never was a grander fall
lacy than this whole idea
Never was more ignorance OF the
past displayed than by those who talk
of the falling away of modern times.
Never was the church so bright and
fair as now, and never did the sky of
the future redden with a more glori-
Gus promise Of the coming day. In
those good old times" men lived I'M
der the horrid shadows of frightfui
superstitions. Now it is the modern
science only that we owe our emanci-
patton from the yoke of this awful
tyranny.
Scientific explorers have been over
the earth; and finding no mouths of
hell, that is gone. Science has ex-
planned earthquakes and volcanoes,
and now devils fight no longer in the
bowels Of the earth. Etna and Vesu-
vius are no longer vent-holes OF the
pit. Astronomy has shattered the fol-
lies OF astrology; and people have
found out that the stars are minding