The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-08-29

knowledge and teach us that we
have neither souls nor brains, veil us
in harems, make us beasts of burden
and this earth goes back to the dark
ages. The nineteenth century is
closing over a world arising from
bondage, and it is the sublimest
closing of a century the world has
ever beheld. The last half century
has gained for women the right to
the highest education, entrance to
all the learned professions, and to
every occupation and business. As
a result we have wOmen's educa-
tional, industrial and christian un-
ions, the moral, educational societies,
women's clubs, associations, hospi-
tails, colleges and co-educational in
stitutions. The Harvard Annex
and medical and training schools,
open to women-women in the pull
pit, in law and in medicine, as engi-
neers, architects and in almost every
business position. In art, science
and literature, women are at the
front. In beneficent and all reform
atory work, they are largely in
terested, and hold positions as prison
and factory inspectors and police
matrOns. They are on our school
boards and in Colorado in the legis-
lative halls, filling every position,
with strength and dignity, and never
failing to bring u certain grace and
purer atmosphere, wherever they
are. Fifty years ago women were at
a disadvantage in regard to their oc-
cupations, the idea that thier sphere
was 1T home, and only ut home,
The new woman is no longer con-
tent to accept u sphere in life, any
narrower than is her brothers. Her
sphere like his is worldwide. In
dustrial changes put aside forever
loom, spinning wheel, and knitting
needles as home implements for wo-
man. The sewing machine has re-
placed sewing by hand, and the man
at home, has been superseded by
machinery, SO that many hours once
filled with work are unoccupied, and
must be filed by study or some other
kind of work. Then came the war
taking bread-winners from their
homes, fathers, husbands, brothers,
over million men, never to return,
and of those that came back, many
were disabled, and untitled for hard
labor, consequently those who had
depended on them, were thrown up
on their own resources, a vast army
of helpless women and children
wholly untitled for the battle of life
before them, and teaching every
thinking woman the great lesson the
necessity of being self-supporting.
The statement is made in the Chau
tauquan for June, 1895, that there i,
today a million and a half more wo
men in the United States than men
showing that even after more thar
thirty years, the effects of the grea
war is still felt. Beside all this mel
are more exposed to perils by lane
and sea than women are. More mel
meet death by violence, and variou
calamities; more men commit suicid,
/ than women. 1t is thought womeI
/ observe the laws of health more care
/ fully, because less addicted to tn
] g Il 1.ar~arurragr .
leaves women in the great majorit.
in our population. a great man.
women do not marry-in the oil,
Pennsylvania city we came from
seventy unmarried women-maid
and widows-lived on one street, an,
that not a very long street, either
Others are left widows with familie
to care for, and young girls are lei
orphans. All these women being dc
pendent upon their own exertion
must earn living, consequent
woman's appearance in the busines
world wds a stcrI necessity, an
those who believe there is no here
i,m in the everyday life of this min,
teenth century, would do well Ici
haps to study some of the problem
the new woman has 10 face. Ii
common to say woman's place is j
the family, and that she should d
her work there. While this is tru,
and ever will be,-no change in W,
mans work will effect a change
her position as queen of the home
there woman is forever established
But what of the vast throng of NJ
many in this multitude with familis
: dependent on them for food and she
= ter? Not from choice, nor from Ii
realization of broader opportuniti'