The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-06-14

in society that, though our young wo-
men may embroider slippers and crochet
and make mats for lamps to stand on
without Disgrace, the idea OF doing any
thing for livelihood is dishonorable. 1t
Is shame for young woman belong
ing to large family to be Inefficient
when tho father tolls his life away for
her support. 1t is q shame for daugh,
ter to be idle while her mother tolls at
the washtub. II is rs honorable TO
sweep house, make beds or trim hate as
it is TO twist watch chain.
AS far as L can understand, tho Jino
of espectabllity lies between that which
is useful and and that which is useless
If women du that which is OF no valus,
their work ls honorable. 1t they do
practical work, it is dishOnorable. That
our young women may escape tho CEN
sure of doing dishonorable work / shall
particularjZe. You may knit tidy
for tie back of an armchair, but
by no means make tho money,
wherewith TO tny tho chair. You may,
with delicate brush, beautify mantle
ornament, but de rather than earn
enough to buy marble mantle. You
may learn artistic music until you can
squall Italian, but never eing 'Octon-
Vile" or "@ld Hundred" Do Dothing
practical, ifyou would, 10 the eyes of re-
fined society, preserve your respectable.
ty. scout these tinical notions. tell
you no woman, any moro than q man,
has q right TO occupy q place in this
world unloss she pays rent for it.
In tho course Of a lifetime you con.
eume whole harvests and droves of cat.
tie, and every day you live breathe 10
ho.sheads of good pure aic. You must
by some kind Of usefulness, pay Tor all
this. Our race was the last thing Great.
ed-the birds and fishes on the fourth
day, the cattle and lizards on the fifth
day ard man on the sixth day. If geol.
ogists arc right, the earth was million
of years in the possession of the Insects,
beasts and birds, before our race came
upon it. In one sense, we were inno.
vators. The cattle, the lizards and the
hawks had preemption right. The ques.
ton ls not what we are to do with the
lizards and summer insects, but what
the lizards and summer insects are to
do with us.
If we want n place in this world, we
must earn it, The partridge makes its
own nest before 1t occupies 1t. Tho lark
by its morning song, earns it's breakfast
before it eats it. The Bible gives an
intimation that tho first duty of an ldler
ls to Btarve when it says if he twill not
work neither shall he eat" IdlenesB
ruins the health, and very soon nature
says: "Ths man has refused to pay his
rent. Out with him!''
Society is 10 be reconstructed on the
subject Of womau's toll. A vast 1lio icr.
ity Of those who would nave woman in.
duatrious shut her up to q few kinds o
work. My judgment in this matter Is
that woman has n right to do any.
thing sho can do we'll. There should
bo no department of merchandise, me-
chanlsm, art or science barred against
her. If Miss Hosmer has geniuc fol
sculpture, give her a chisel. If Rose
Bonheur has fondness for dellneating
animals, let her make "The Hors'
Fair" If Miss Mitchell will study as
tronomy let her mount the starry lad
der. lfLydia will be a merchant le
her sell purple. If Lucrecla Mott viii
preach the gospel tet her thrill with hcl
womanly eloquenco the Quak or meeting
house.
1t ls said ii woman is given such op-
portunities she will occupy such places
that might be taken by men. L say, if
she have more skill and adaptedness for
any position than 4 man has, let her
have II! She has as much right TO her
bread, to her apparel and TO her home
as mon have.
But it is said that her nature is so del.
icate that she is unified for eXhaustinp
toll. ask in the name of all past his.
tory what toll on earth is more severe,
exhausting and tremendous than that
OF the needle, to which for ngos she has
been suhjected2 The battering ram,
the sword, the carbine. tho battleax,
have made no such havoc as the needle.
l would that these living sepulchers in
which women have Tor ages been buried
might be opened, and that some resur-
rection trumpet might bring up these
living corpses to the fresh air and sun.
light.
Go with me, and l will show YOU
woman who, by hardest toll, sup.
ports her children, her drunken husband
her old father and mother, pays her
house rent, always has wholesome food
On the table, and when she can get
some neighbOr on the Sabbath 10 come
in and take care of her family appears
in church with hat and cloak that arc
Tar from indicating the toll to which she
s subjected.
Such a woman as that has body and
soul enough TO fit her for any position,
She could stand beside the majority of |
your salesmen and dispose of more
goods. She could 60 into your wheel |
wright shops and boat one half of your
Rorkmen at making carriages. We talk |
about woman as though we had resigned
% her oil the light work, and ourselves
lad shouldered the heavier. But the day
'fJudgment, which will reveal tho suf. |
erings of the stake. and ir quisityon, will
marshal before the throne of God and
he hiorarchs of heaven the martyrs of
Yashtub and needle.
Now, I say, it there be any preference
n occupation, let woman have it. God
lnows her trials are the severest. By
ler acuter sensitiveness to misfortune,
~ her hour of anguish, l demand that
10 one hedge up her pathway to ]iveli-
lood. Oh, the meanness, the despica-
,llity OF men who begrudge woman the
a. H. 4