Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-12-30
WOMAN IN BURMAH.


The nun Der OF the Journal Of the
MahG Budhi Society, issued in Calcutta,
lately received in Europe, brings, we
are informed, the following from Mr..
ID. Fielding in regard to the Burman-
csc woman.
No country in the world has accord
ed to its women such absolute free
dom, such complete control over
their life and property, as Burmah.
In card to law, religion, and morals,
woman stands on an equal footing
with man. Boys and girls inherit an
equality of rights. Woman manages
her own property; and if she marries,
it belongs solely to herself. The
husband has no authority therein,
and no legal power over her. From
childhood up she is unfettered. The
chivalry which represents her as a
divine ideal, and treats her as a slave,
has never appeared in Burmah. No
Burman lover extols the loved one as
super terrestrial creation, and
treats her later as being infinitely
inferior to himself.
The religion of Burmah has not
labelled her the source of all evil, has
never warned man to beware of her
as Of serpents which would lead to
perdition; and no pope has designat-,
ed her the ''sole hope of the church."
No mediocre literary efforts have in
culcated in woman false ideas
about themselves, men, and the
world. They have always been re-
garded what they in reality are, and
have had freedom to fulfil the duties
of their position, untrammelled by
conventionality and rules. Men, as
we'll as their own sex, have always
accorded them ample room for ac-
tivity; and they have been esteemed
the best judges themselves of what
would degrade them. There are no
more womanly women in the world
than the Burmanese, none possess in
higher degree than they the indefin-
able charm of womanhood.
Whether married or single, every
woman, from her sixteenth or seven
teenth year on, has an occupation be-
! side her domestic duties. In the high
| er classes she manages her own
property, in the lower classes she
conducts some industry. In Burmah
there are no special fields of employ
ment which woman is dlIoi0ed to en-
| ter, or forbidden access. AS there is
no caste for men, so, also, none exists
! for women. Freedom has been
granted them to attempt anything in
which they believe they could excel ,
without fear of public opinion. This
! freedom in a choice of vocation has
been of profit in appropriateness of
selection, and each sex has left to the
other that which it felt incapacitated
for itself. Strangely enough, we find
that in Burmah sewing and embroid-
cry are special occupations of men,
Women are mostly shopkeepers. The
retail trade in Burmah lies in their
hands, and nearly all are in trade on
their own account. AS the men Gull
tivate their own land, so the women
conduct their own business. They
are not the agents of others, but in
dependent tradeswomen; and this ac-
tivity does not interfere with their
domestic duties. Those of business
take three hours OF the day. Ac-
cordingly, they have ample time to
devote to their housekeeping, after
the daily business is over. Domes-
ITCHY is the central point always of
woman's life,-on no account would
she ever neglect this; but the effect
of this tutorship-that every woman
conducts her own business-is a great
influence on her life. Her outlook is
enlarged. She learns things she would
never acquire in the narrow sphere of
home life, thus imbibing a forebear-
ance and understanding which i'm
presses every one with whom she
! comes in contact. She learns her own
strength and weakness, and re 'kons
accordingly. Divorce is easy to OBJ
/ tain as the most advanced reformer
could desire, but one case in a hum
dred marriages is rarely to be found.
Exchange.