Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-08-30

ties which differ and yet supplement
each other. But we only claim for
women recognized equality; an
equal share in the management of the
world as well as of the house. The
greatest fool in the eyes of the law
is man whose civic rights are equal
,, to those of the wisest man. Assure
legal equality to woman-she will
herself take care of the rest"
Francesca shook her head.
IF the man is stronger and the wo-
man loves him he will prevail"
"You need not consider love at all,
Francesca, unless"
There is no unless, mother. My
love chapter is closed. Since | can
not accept Harold's courtship / can
think of no other man. That is why l
am free to tell you what | have dis
covered-what love would mean to
me-
Her mother groaned.
''You have got all this out of
Harold's proposal? Oh, what fools
women are! How can we make them
stand up Tor themselves"
"Well, mother, that IS my case-I
am one of the fools. But, of course,
there may be marriages where people
don't love each other. Then it would
be easy for each to go his own way.
Neither would care"
Good heavens cried Nine. Elveda
''Ilad | known what mischief that
young man was going to do, he should
never have entered my house.
But, my dearest mother, won en-,
you say, must be the equals of men;
otherwise - otherwise - well - but
given the case of Il woman who loves
a man greatly her superior. Equality
in that case is impossi BILE, and sub
mission is JOY. viii you grant the
possibility of such a case?"
"Whcn the woman is fool-yes. +"
Let me go on confessing, mother.
Since have been thinking of these
things | have begun to feel kind of
repugnance to the whole question.
You say that | have sat inattentive at
your meetings. 1t is because the sub
ject seems altogether altered. The
speeches of your friends have become
Il flow of meaningless words-words-
words-words that | know by heart
words that have no meaning. There
is a voice within me that keeps on
asking the same question: If women
are the equals of men, why don't
they prove it? They are, you see, as
well educated they will become lead
ers in every thing if they were mans
equals. Yet all leaders in every thing
are men-always men. And if we
score u little triumph of degree at
Cambridge, we rejoice as much as if
Huxley were a woman or Darwin were
in petticoats. Why don't women
prove their equality? And why, when
woman loves man, does she cheer
fully become his servant? Why do
not women who love their husbands
assert their equality?"
No. But think seriously about the
questions-the great questions-at is
sue. Put aside this nonsense about
love, which is only an incident-an
illusion "a pleasant, short-lived
dream. Suppose you have had it; let
it pass. Consider the great question
| of woman's condition. Perhaps you
might with advantage read my book
again"
Il know it by heart-except the
| figures; the degradation of wome n,
their hard lot their miserable wages
/ know it all. When we discussed the
| position and condition of women at
Newham | used to employ your facts
and your arguments. ] had the great.
est success with them. They con-
vinced everybody; but somehow, they
moved nobody. How Is it that argu-
ments never move anybody? The
poets and novelists move the world;
| logic never moves. We all agreed
| that we were the equals of men; we
would never, never show submission
| to any man. And now l hear that
they are all marrying in the usual
way, without any heroics about sub
| mission"
THAT means that under existin g
social arrangements they only obtain
a certain amount of personal freedom
by accepting the authority of hus.
band"
Il read once of a person who
preached himself into intidelity.
Some times l think that is my case.
My arguments no longer persua de
me. They are sounds and words car
rying no sense. Woman is mans
equal. Oh. you have proved it il
your book and in your articles and
pamphlets. And all the women in
the world except one or two take the
lower place without revolt or murmur.
They have never, in a single line o
intellectual work, proved themselves
his equal. And they only love mar
when they feel him to be greater AND
stronger than themselves. All tina
proves nothing. And yeti say thes'
things, mother, because they explain
my present condition. Perhaps it is
passing cloud"
"You make me more unhappy, child
than | can say.
81 am very sorry. But 1 hav
nearly finished. In my present fran
of mind you sec that l cannot possibl
help you in your work. l am quit
out of harmony with it. understan
just through considering how it migf
have been had l allowed myself t
! Iowa HaroId that the Sr bmiSSiye wit