The Portland daily press., 1893-04-12
GfRLHOoD IN-ANctENT GREECE.
somewhat Restricted and Eminently Re-
Hgtous a1ad Practical.

Somewhat Restricted and Eminently Re-
HStous arad Practical.
1t would seem, Judging from Miss
Emily Penrose's lectures on early Athen-
ian customs, that the women of ancient
Greece, though they were fair to look
upon and inspired the sculptured ideals
that have ever since set the standard OF
womanly loneliness, really had very
prosaic and stupid time Of it among all
the old poets and philosophers. And
that it is great deal nicer to live now,
even with hoop in your skirt and
stiff derby on your head, than In those
days Of poetry and high art, when a
woman had no clubs or leagues, no So
cial science sisterhoods, no sewing CO.
teries with nice men drifting in at the
tea hour, no literary guilds or sanitary
classes, no street cleaning organizations
OF hygienic fraternities, no nervous pros
tration, no crinoline, no careers and no
stockings. ne
Little Athenian maids were kept close
ly in the women's apartments until they
were married and very rarely appeared
in public. They were taught reading,
writing and dancing as accomplish
ments, but their real education consisted
in learning to spin, to weave, to en-
broider and the treatment of simple i'll
nesses among their slaves. They must
also learn great deal Of elaborate rit-
ual, as women took q prominent part IN
the family worship. In the courtyard
garden in the center of the women's
apartments the girls played among the
flowers with their pet animals, the live
playthings taking the place of the me-
chanical toys and talking dolls and small
firtations of today. At Z years old
girl might become an Arrephoros most
envied post-and take part in the festi-
walls Of Athens.
At 10 she might engage in the exciting
operation of grinding the corn to make
votive cakes for Artemis; after that take
part in certain high festivals and process
sions. Girls were frequently married at
Is, the husband being chosen by the
mother. Marriage was looked upon as
both civil and religious duty, and it
was thought desirable that the husband
should be much older than the wife, but
there could be little suspense or romance
in 80 prosaic a wooing, and after the
wedding wife never went out unattend-
ed, but spent her time in looking after
the house, experimenting the slaves and
preventing waste.
She was responsible for everything in
her house, where all the food was pre-
pared and all the clothing worn and
made up. Her chief recreations were
religious festivals and weddings, her
only outside duties taking part in funer-
al ceremonies. Possibly this is the source
of the inherent love of women for the
mysticism Of religion, the joy of we'd
dings and the tragedy in death, for some
women seem to enjoy the narrowing de-
tails of deaths ceremonies as well as the
melody of wedding bells. Still those I'M
emancipated women inspired the poets
to glad bursts of songs and gave to the
artist exquisite models Of womanly
grace and to the. historian examples Of
heroisrn and self sacrifice which justi-
fed by facts the noble conceptions of
the great poets who sang the charms of
woman's virtue and beauty.
And they didn't have to fret because
men wouldn't let them vote or worry
because their last seasons skirts would
barely make sleeves for this seasons
gowns. So perhaps they were happier
after all, and happiness is, next to beau
ty, the chief virtue of womanhood.-,
New York Sun.