The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-18
TO THE wOMEN WHO MISUNDER-
STOOD Us.

| line spirit OF our DrleI Ou6 good natured
diatribe, headed women and Boys and
Men ard Women" in Thursday morning s
EAGLE, was misunderstood by at least two
or three ladies, from whom we received
notes, one being from mother whose
wall almost makes us sorry that we wrote.
1t was not intended to in any way discour-
! age any effort in behalf of the welfare of
those brave and self-reiant, innocent
hearted though rough little men in NINA
| ture who find no less of delight than of
misery in their struggles with life, and in
| battling against the world. We admit,
however, in our talk back" that women
and their heart-relation to boys and men,
were only referred to, but nevertheless we
were all the while thinking of the girls
OF the sisters of those boys. the daughters
of those men, and that is why we
wrote in the spirit that we did. 4 man
may so love womankind, that his idealza-
ton becomes alteration, if not ldolatry.
Such man must be. neces-
sarily, clean. But the attitude
of such man, towards women, is,
nine times out of ten, wrongfuliy inter-
preted by both men and women, his
motives and sentiments being by both
assigned to the bad Knowing this we
are not without charity for the woman who
fluids so much for solicitude in man and
his little prototype. Still when it comes
to all that is exalting pure and unselfish
in this world we look to woman. That
being true woman should not ignore the
fact or prove unmIndful of her own
naturally superior humanity. The con-
victlon that wrung our conscience. while
writing that article, was that many a
woman who is always so willing to make
public sacrifice-public sacrifice, mark
you-for men or boys, will secretly turn
her back upon an unfortunate woman and
shut her doors against the girl who
has been wronged by some boy
or ruined by some man. God
cannot be successfully worked, and be or
she who sows wind for seed will reap
cyclones. It's the motive which inspires
the soul which counts, and it's the charity
in secret which helps the giver as much as
the receiver. The women who band to-
oether to visit bawdy houses, in company
with police, in the dead hours Of the night,
to pray for fallen women, are mocking
God, Whom they know can hear their
prayers at home just as well, and more
acceptably.
It's not the poor unfortunate victims Of
"the animal in man" so much that they
were thinking about, as it was of them
selves. IT'S the publicity Of the act, and
its publication on the streets. next day,
which is dreamed of; stimulated, mayhap,
by woman-curiosity
The simple presence, the atmos-
phere of some one. woman, will
beget the spirit of worship in some ore
man who, however corrupt his life, will
SO long as in such presence have the spirit |
OF child and incline only to the good, |
while any public effort such woman might |
make in behalf OF such man would ut |
terly fail. Those women who desert home |
auu It's treasures, UHelf cnliQren ana ali |
for the stump, for instance, are |
not inspired by any expectation that they |
ere going to rescue humanity aud save the |
state, SO much as for the money there is in
It., but more than humanity, state or
money to these is the precious publicity of
ths thing. Women should be women for
they can becope masculine only at the
expense of both manhood and woman.
hood.
Now, because we thought of the poor,
neglected girls in her struggles with her
more obscure enviroDments-of the deli
cate and unassuming buttercup in the
hedge in juXtaposition to the self assertive
strong young sunfower thrusting his head |
above the wall for all the world to see-we
did not mean to disparage any effort that |
women might put forth to make good,
clean and strong men Of such boys as have |
no homes or mothers, and of others having
such and yet denied the opportunities of |
schoo j and church. All such efforts always
have had and always will have our warmest
support and sympathy. SILL we beg leave
Tor the privilege of remembering the more
Trail and neglected buttercups and violets
of humanity so often blasted for the want
IF little protection by the matured of her
OWN sex