The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-11-22

world of new life as regards social, in
dustrial, political and educational
surroundings; al age of new demands,
conditions, etc. which calls forth new
duties, and hence brings forth a diff
ferent woman as well as man. AS a
mass ne thought that women were as
far from the ideal put for them, as is
man.
Until this century her name has
been rare upon the pages Of history,
and rarer as a doer of great deeds or
writer of books. Hers was the hum
bleI place. Now her name appears in
half the books, magazine articles apd
among the moving forces of civiliza-
ton. In the past she lived in forms,
fashions, etfections-even in slavery.
rather than in thoughts and things of
the world as now. She now has new
mental food, and the age will be great
er because it is nursed by greater
motherhood The idea Of the world
in the past has been that woman
should be a demonstrating creature.
She might enter in neighbOrhOod
charities, but not in public service of
of church, state or council. Ridicule,
caricature and cOnventionaliSm have
all combined to keep woman from
high progress, and her separation
from rnol hIlci,1ncS nf fnir No
her, as rule, intellectually narrow
and ditrustful Of her ability. The
past has wreathed her as Venus,
soon it seems The world shall deck
her as a Minerva with .khelmets The
road to opportunity is open to her and
she is now entering all our uschools,
every profession and occupation and
field of influence, SO that Josh Bill
ing's saying that "wimmin is every
where" is really true.
He referred to how women were
treated in the past, and to Boston
scene in 1885, when the women held
a meeting to discuss the iniquity of
slavery, and the men headed by the
mayor attempted to drive them home,
but failed. This, he said, was one of
the pangs of conservatism in the
birth of new womanhood. He then
spoke of the broadened sphere of
womanhood and of womansas a teach
er, and her influence there, show
ing that she is now teaching so per
cent. of the schools of the country,
and so occupying the most COM
handing position in the land. Her
tact as teacher of little ones is SUI
perior to men.
In other lines he thought that
much she was trying to do does not
fit her for her real work. Much of
this covers the field in factories,
stores, ETC., where she continually
grows away from preparation for the
best womanhood, because our facul-
ties, tastes, abilities and pleasures
have mighty tendency to develop
in the lines of work we do, knowledge
we gain and thoughts we think.
Business environment materially
change her as it does men and not al
ways to her advantage. In Europe
she is doomed to do the heaviest and
most mental work, because opportu-
nifty and education have not fitted
her for the finer forms of labor, and
her condition in many parts of
Europe as well as in some places in
America is little better than in
Pagan times. In these places the
spirit and touch of the new woman is
needed. The fight for her sex is a
battle for the race all around the
globe, and he thought that 'if the
past with all its slavery, passion, mar
rowness and brutality has brought
her forward with all of the noble
qualities she today possesses, surely
this broader life of today will only
bless the more"
Speaking of her refining influence