The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-08-22

One Of the pet phrases of our day is The
New Woman" No definite meaning Is at
tached to it. BY THE New Woman" some
are complimentary. and mean bright. pro-
cressive woman, home-loving, childreu-loving.
book loving and favorable to all thought
and work that tends to make life n joy. Others
use the phrase twitsingly; meaning slangy,
cigaret-smok ing, loud voiced creature, who
mimics mans worst qualities, and makes both
sexes ridiculous with her andre mania" as
Parkhurst calls it.
The New Woman" as n conversational
topic is only second to tho weather III ire
dncncy now In hammocks. drawIng-rooms,
railway cars woodland walks, by tea-tabIes,
and over the farmers dinner plates tho ques-
ton is continually being asked and answered,
Do you believe in the New Woman 2"
few years ago it was, =" Is marriage failure? "
and babes and spinsters matrons, Grandfathers,
debutautes and eldest sons were all interro-
gated as TO their conclusions on the subject; but
now it is changed.
The question, unless one has violent preju-
dices for or against the individual under dis
CUSTOM is a hard one to answer. Suhragists re-
ply promptly Yes" To their minds the
new" woman is so because she wants to vote.
ti-suiTragists are equally prompt to say No"
for the same reason Some folks mean bicycle
girls when they say "new woman, others mean
woman doctors, lawyers, or electricians. But
after all, There is nothing new under the
sum-" not even the end of-the-century woman,
despite all the hub-bub about her.
1t is not new for women to be students, doc
tors, rulers, philosophers, writers, or laborers.
The arts and industries have always been to q
certain extent open to her. But there are
more women of learning now than there have
ever been before. Society is new. Women are
stronger mentally and physically, because So
cic;y knows the value Of their intellectual and
moral force and gives them chances for devel-
opment. 1t must be because there are so
many more OF her that she is called the " New
Woman ," for in our grandmother's day there
wore powerful women-women of intelligence
and learning and history is continually telling
tales of women warriors, philosophers, rulers,
and workers.
believe in the "New Woman" when it
means a woman interested in the hygiene of
her house, and of her city streets; in the health
of her family, and of the city's poor; in the
books that her children read; in the questions
that her husband or she herself may vote upon;
in the professions that her or daughters
may choose, and in the life OF the city and
country wherein she dwells She will not be-
come despiser Of homo. nor will she try to
take maps place. Nature has given her her
own work. aud it is ridiculous to think she
can continuously disregard it; besides, man will
probably look to his laures for himself. and
not let woman Guido him everywhere; he
deserves to be outdons for all time unless he
does.
In every time there have been women whose
love of being conspicuous led them to extremes.
Ssch women nowadays must be the ones who
give the unpleasant meaning to this phrase; for
surely woman was never wiser, sweeter,
pretticr stronger. more loyeable than now.
Colleges increase her learning, science helps out
hor household. economics has Taught her new
charity, and, IL eventually Providence put the
vote in her keeping, she will surely use it for
good.