New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-28
,cTRONG-MINDED WOMEN.
THE MOST wOMANLY AND MOST Iowa
BILE OF THEIR SEX


one other ways in which the woman question -
startnclv brought before the public. JUSTIFY one III
agreeing with Victor Hugo that THIS nineteenth
century belongs TO woman. And II this be true II
seems only right that the other side. the conser-
vatlve side OF the question. should Occasionally 'e
brought 20 the public attention
Tho ep,thet Of strong minded applied to woman
has come 10 signify everything that Is most ter
ribe 10 the superficial and hasty judgment OF man.
The fear Of being dubbed strong-minded woman
and thus conveying an image OF unsishtly com
nlexion awkward gestures and iil-assorted colors'
has checked many a student on the path OF mental
i,nnrovement But II by means necessarily
follows that cultivation OF the intellect should en-
tail carelessness OF the person. hdeousness III 'he
dress or rude abruptness In speech an"
manner On the contrary. woman VIII be none
the less feminine because she has some serious
interests in Nfc none the less graceful because
nor tastes have wider range than mere super
fetal accomplishments; none the less ATTRACTIVE
because she sympathizes. and to some extent
shares In pursuits OF a graver Kind IL is not DC
cause a woman Is beautiful that she need DE
stupid nor because she IL good that she need De
IGNORANT with education-meapng the cultivation
OF intellect and character-instead OF losing lowell
ness and womanness, II we may trust the les
sons of past experience. women would gro" more
and more lovely and worthy OF love, become more
truly feminine and be no longer the toys ana pay
things but the equal helpmates Of men. woman
s called masculine and strong minded oftener be-
cause she lacks womanliness and refinement thah
because she possesses manlIness and nerve. Inc
reallv strong minded woman is right thinking
clear sighted. but. most OF all patient iorsNl"b'
refined. sympathetc-in a word womanV
Idling Is quite as fatguing as activity, the mt
terinr Of time is more nervously cxhaustinG than
the steady employment OF II. II is among those
who have no part In the occupations ana dutleS
OF the rest Of their that one IL most apt 10
find that morbid in,roversIon, those restless cray
ngs that vague but torturnG sense OF destihes u'.
fulfilled and activities without an object "h'h
rarely receives much pity but perhaps deserves
II as much as any OF the more positive woes.
There IS no misery like the misery OF vacuum
Everything which lowers the mind To primary
consideration OF its own personal feelings CIT
cunstances and emotions. or which sets II specu-
lating on the individual emotions. circumstances
and feelings Of its nelghbors. is In the end proc
ess Of debascment Where the condition OF
woman is bad there the nation IL nearly nan
unhappy" SAID the scntcntious Aristotle am
surely the condition OF woman IS iar from so"l
or happy where. In the absence OF a''''D'"H "N'
Ties or interests she il reduced to idle. aimless
hours OF noyel-rcading or fancy work. OF morbid
repnlngs or Infinitely worse. OF vicious preSIhs
upon the lives Of her ncighbors
A. regards the education Of woman. the batue
may be said 10 be- won; won In principle tho'bh the
applications Of the principle are stu opposeH ana
confused by conflicting views. But this is Of little
* satisfied ~ length In this latter part Of the nine
teenth century OF Christianity that the mental CON
dltion OF half the human race and OF that nan I"
which early training OF each fresh generation j
Inevitably committcd-realy Is Of some nat'iA 'I"
portancc and that Is enough TO make the advocates
for the education OF women feel that the difficulties
are herceforih a matter OF detail \ writer quoted
IA recent article IN The Contemporary R"Fle"
makes some strong points when he SAYS y woman
has as much right 10 her own fullest development
maj H4a
motherhood and Wifehood IN them VIII axe car" ~
thcmscives without any special fostering A woman
{. g. he eorn.thing for her.ef as well a. for her
children | do not believe that women are l" "e
/ eeucated TO be wives and mothers ln any sense Ia
! which fl is rot equally imperative TO educate men
TO be husbands and fathers. believe that each
most VIII most perfectly fuln the duties that God
may appoint IN each case. Moreover WIN tha
don a. Spencer puts H. that the hrsi requisite TO
success IN NE Is - be a Fool ANNA "1 '', ~,
brain ls found 20 be- - little ser'l'e th"i' IN ho
enough vital energy 20 work 49, and there 3 con-
cal culture. IN the d'N'i"i'nk "i 4" SCUM n''g II
the sound mind. Finally. for those who look on me
hone and family ne There Is abundant food fos re-
nection ia Spencer clear sighted declaration MAJ
/ man and woman is to bc reached only through the
| proper discharge 81 the parental duties
day is born inheritance ~ power ana privilege
| such her ancestors never dreamed Of There has
! What they conceive to be their righ's as by men
! cnnceruinE what they conceive to be women's du-
! ties There is no doubt tina, whatever plans or
! changes be shown TO be for the clear and GER
! tain adyantag. Of women ana are temporarily and
! fairly placed before the minds Of such men have
IL In their power 70 promote them. VIII III The long
/ run BE- carried II Is the interest OF men m gen
eraI that women should reach their best develop
rnent lust as II * n" interest OF individual men
that those with whom they associate should be re-
fined instructed Intelligent ana high minded. There
/ T. universal law Of growth and achievement
J and fortunate nnd IT, Equality is The mightlcst Of
/ humbugs there T. no such thing In existenee Coz
/ has ordained visbly, by All the nrrnnHeinrnts u
nature and OF Providence one sphere ana kind OF
/ work for man and another ior woman lie mas
! given them different CONSTITUTIONS, dltlricnt or
| Plantations n perfectly distinct and uamstakahl e
| Identity. Yet above all and beyond and underneath
all their differences. He has made them primarily
human creatures answering In the unity OF an indi
moved by the came emotions. bound by the same
obligations, under all the diNersiues OF detail one
creation Between the life for which men alone are
/ ~ ana that Tor whlch women hlon' are NJ thcIe
lies region whore both may prosper. They may
the same way with exactly the same results We
do not mean to consider the relative intellectual
power OF the sexes II is enough for our purpose to
remember that the faculties OF the two are cxcr-
csed under different physical and moral conditions,
a noble woman noby planned is the most lovable
Of the Creators works on earth. perhaps the one
Women too often forget that II is on their sex that
everyday life depends FOR all thar II has OF grace
or beauty or inspiration. They have untold pow ers
In their hands II they use them rightly Ihcy can.
/ II they will. create and maintain higher standards
OF thought and purpose raise the tone or national
life, and give our civilization the fuln-ss that II
| libby raise the men with them. But they viii not
/ do II by frothy declarations on platforms. by
flooding the book stalls with sensational stories.
Nor will they do II by trying 10 forget that they
|
Most intelligent men have felt the stimulus and
refreshment OF the faculties that spring from the
| companonship Of intelligent and congcnial
| woman and which Is unlike anything resulting
from the contact Of the male mind. II Is fructify-
Ing power with which neither the world OF thought
the world OF action could well dispense; many
men recall az an epoch In their lives that wonder
| full awakening OF energies ambitions and aspirin
tons which come with the first consciousness OF the
Influence OF the other And women feel the same
inspiring. invPorating IN the society of intel
/ lgent and congenial men; under such influence she
is OF clearer vision of great truths. be-
fore but dimly seen: for there Is Just that physi
cal difference in man and woman necessary for the
preservation OF the race there Is just that psy-
! chical difference necessary to the vitalizatOn OF
! thought. God seems TO have appointed that the