Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-15


plc to worship, although there arc several
goddcsses, and ono woman saint has crcpt
into tho Buddhist calendar. Her namo Is
Chiu.Jo- Hime, and sho IL COMMUNICATED
with an idol. AS near ~ l can ascertain
her history, she was nun, and they made
her saint because sho discovered tho USE
fulness OF tho fiber OF tho lotus root and
wovo 1t into tapestry for altar decoration.
But from birth u woman Is taught that
she is "the weaker vessel" that sho Is an
inferior being, created to minister to the
will and tho fancy Of men. Her marriage
IL nm affair with which sho has nothing to
do. Her husband IL selected for her, and
when no tires Of her he can put her away.
There AFRO seven causes, according to
Confucius, for which man may divorce
his wife. They arc disobedioncc the fail
ure to bear children, unchastity, jealousy,
an incurablo disease, dishonesty and q
sharp tongue. In other words, ho can got
rid Of her whenever he likes and by very
simple process. All no has To do Is to
writo her IL lottor declaring that everything
IL over between them and advising her to
return TO her parents. Such u letter ad
dressed to hor father or her eldest brother,
II she has no father, will answer tho same
purpose. Thon no must go to tho regis
trar's Office and report himself NJ u di-
vorood man,
A wifo may get rid Of her husband IL she
desires to do 80 for similar causes, but she
will lose hor social position, II sho has any,
and Is much moro likely to be respected
and make u second marriage II she Is the
defendant instead Of the plaintiff in the
case, This Is somewhat of II paradox, but
II throws u searchlight upon tho social sys-
tom Of Japan. What Is required above all
from women Is obedience. That Is the
highest of virtues, and no obcdient woman
would ever seek divorce from her hus-
bnnd for any cause.
When vito wishes to bo divorced, Rho
writes letter to her husband announcing
that fact. packs up her things, notifies tho
registrar of vital statistics md goes bnok
to her fathers house. If there are children
Of immature years. tho couple dispose Of
them by agreement or by tho arbitration
Of mutual friend, Chicago Record,
Woman the Prime Factor In Progreas.
ROY. Anna Howard Shaw claims every
thing for women. She declares that won.
an has beon tho prime factor In civiliza-
ton. Az first mans occupations were war,
fishing and tho chase; everything else was
woman y work. Woman broke tho food up,
cooked and served 1t. They ilayed the ami
nal, cured tho skins and made them into
garments for cold weather. Even M far
back rs that timo she displayed artistic
tendencies and ornamcntcd tho savage APP
parol with feathers, fringe, unoouth ON.
kr, n,..l N1
terms. She was tho first cook, tho first
tanner, the first ourrier, the first artist.
She discovered that clay baked In tho fire
became hnrd liko stone and applied her
discovery to tho manufacture Of pots and
bowls, plates and sauoers. Hero again her
art instincts displayed themselves. As
soon as she could make pot that would
hold water sho began to decorate II, first
with scratches and dots and circles and
iriangles, and not long afterward with
colored patterns.
There Is no doubt that tho development
VI languages, mythology and religion came
from the mother, and not the father. and
that there Is n profound truth IN the
phrase "our mother speech" The savage
father gave little or no attention to his
savage brood, They were only Of use to
him when they grew up and could aid him
against wild beasts and equally men,
In childhood and In youth they " y with
the mother and learned from her how TO
talk, how to play, what TO believe, how to
fish, swim, run and climb. 1t will thus be
Keen that tho prehistoric woman was tho
first teacher and the first inoralist. When
the warrior was sick, II was tho squaw
who nurscd him, who put rude poulticcs
on his wounds and made teas and soups
for his diet. She put on tho first bandages
and invented and used the first twcezers.
According to Chinese tradition 1t was n
woman who first disclosed the secret Of
the silkworm. They never stopped In their
labors until they had produced the muslin
and lawns OF India, the lace of Asia and
aftorward Europe, and the silk and satin
OF China, During this long and cventful
period man remained the fighter and the
hunter. The biggest names were those OF
war and tho chase
The great names ot the world, king and
emperor, sultan and raiah, Nil refer "a
bloodshed and destruction, to battle and
carnage. and never to peace, affection and
industry. And yet u WAS those very quail.
ties which were developed by necessity III