Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-06-20
THE WOMAN OF ODAY.
Graduation ESSAY of Miss Leta KInney

There was a time not a century ago,
when were considered alto
gether different from men. when nc
woman could sharpen a pencil. tie a
parcel. or sing base, when about the
only out-of-door game,-it was called
a game in bitter derision.-in which
young girls between the ages Of twelve
and forty-two were permitted to in
dulge. was a melancholy performance
called .'grace-hoops." But now wom-
an can do ANYTHING she tries even to
singing base in her own quartette OF
girls.
Women are in almost every branch
Of trade and commerce. They hold
professorships, are in finance and
politics, Manage vast stock farms in
the West, make fortunes and lose
them and manage vast philanthropies.
IN fact one man has declared. There
are only two trades in which women
are not busily engaged and those as
tailors and telegraph-line men is
it to be wondered at then to quote
from one of the most honored lady
discoveries, ..that women should be
engaged in celebrating as more inn
portant than the discovery Of Column
bus, the fact that the general Govern
ment has discovered Woman. -
Miss Willard describes their present
activity as '.lifting the sex out Of mere
sexhood into woman-hood.
Familiar as re have all grown with
the appearance Of women in positions
associated with men, not many of Us
are quite aware to what an extent
they seem to be replacing men in the
conduct of private and public affairs.
Look for example at New York. 1t
has originated and guided many OF
the most important experiments and
movements in which the New Order
Of Women has been engaged from the
outset. They have made marked
progress there in medicine. The first
medical diploma ever granted to
woman was given to Elizabeth Black
well at Geneva in 1s49. The first
woman'S hospital in the world was
founded in New York City in 1857.
and the first medical society to admit
women, opened its door there ten
years later.
The facilities for woman's medical
education, hospital practice excepted.
are better in New York than in any
other state or country on the globe.
Women have been conspicuous and
have rendered invaluable assistance
there in philanthropic enterprises. co.
operating fully with the men; have
done much to simplify and amend
social problems and to care for the
unfortunate classes. The Consumers
league. the Training school for nurses.
the Working Girl Club association. the
kindergarten educational system are
among the organizations established
by women.
In some respects the state has been
much less progressive than the newer.
more enthusiastic West. Few women
practice law although the bar is open
10 them and opportunities for legal
education are ample. Chicago claims
more women lawyers thar anv
other city in the United States,
Not the least among the things that
have developed in the 10th century, is
the comparative appreciation of the
81 VIM = y lew lilt
marvellous industrial institutions of
the civilized word a. they exist TODAY
with wonder and when we pause to
trace their dey elopment back to their
infancy. we invariably find that their
creation, their first strength was the
loving and patient work of the in
dustrial mothers Of our land
Women are increasing the dominion
ct philanthrophy and reform yearly.
The half paid labor Of women is a
social abuse. In BOSTON there are
over 20. 900 women who work for less
than an average of $500 a week. III
New York i25. 0O0 working women are
reported whose average paw is no
higher. A similar condition of things
exists in all our large cities. This
phase OF the industrial system has
been developed within the last quarter
OF n century. Ii is not possible that
il shall always remain as dangerous
and disasterous to hosts OF women a.
it is today.
But while waiting for the industrial
spirit TO abate its greed and for politi-
cal economy to become Christianized.
various institutions have been formed
by omen to meet the emergencIes
arising in the army of unpaid work
ers. Temperance homes for women
offer cheap shelter and food
when out OF employment. woman's
Exchanges have been opened in nearly
all of u large cities, which find sale
for articles manufactured by their
poorer sisters. The Woman's Educa-
tional and Industrial Union is a most
beneticent organization.
II the abandonment Of self 10 a
class can render one worthy to wear
4 crown. Lady Aberdeen wears a
crown of numberless stars, Her first
work was an association which began
on a small scale among the domestic
and poor people ON their estate in
A~berdeenshire, and which has spread
until they have about 5000 members