The San Francisco call., 1895-05-22

10 ABOUT every n1ty women dt Cne
Woman's Congress there is one man. He
is usually very old or very young, gray
haired or boy. There are occasional ex-
ceptions but whenever one sees the coat
and vest and can tell it from the mannish
woman's severe imitation-which isn't al
ways easy-the wearer is almost sure to be
at the end or at the beginning of life.
1t is interesting to watch the men at the
congress-. Their attitude is either wholly
respectful or uneasily skeptical. A white
haired man with flowing beard sits with
his benignant old face turned toward the
stage, a wrinkled hand curved behind his
ear to catch the sound from the speaker s
lips. A young man with dark down upon
his upper lip shifts uneasily upon his
feet-for the women are ungallant enough
to permit men to stand-a half sneer upon
his face, an air of embarrassment; but in
his eye the longing to fight back, the de-
sire to express his contempt of the logic
and the wisdom of the new woman. But he
never does. Miss Anthony told proudly
how she spoke out in meeting when men
only were allowed to speak; but no man
has appeared who is brave enough to beard
the new woman in her hall. Ii a man
rises in the audience to discuss question
it is only to agree with the speaker or to
suggest some extension of her thought.
The men who have addressed the congress
from the stage have said nothing which
was not complimentary to the sex. Mayor
Sutro told them that nature had endowed
them with finer quality of brain power,
an intuitive knowledge of character and
correct judgment. The Rev. J. K. Mclean
f,,li hot IL pn+ II for
that he had not been born a woman.
The atmosphere at the congress is
wholly pleasant, even complimentary.
The president speaks of this beautiful
paper" this interesting and excellent
contribution" this thoughtful and beau
tiful address," So far Mrs. Stetson has
been the only fault-inder, and as she
speaks Of women's faults almost as if she
included herself among them, they listen
to her very good naturedly.
1--WE women don't know our own bust
ness" said Mrs. Stetson Monday. "If the
Americans are Nation of dyspeptics it is
American women's cooking which has
made them so. The great cooks have been
men-not women.
That a woman's touch is beautifying
and that she has natural taste is one of the
myths women are fed upon. We dom t
know beauty when we see it, and the way
we decorate our homes and our dresses is a
refutation of the popular idea that women
have superior artistic sense"
Mrs. Stetson laughed as if in apprecia-
tion of a great good joke, and her audience
laughed with her and applauded her senti-
ments and the graceful way in which they
were delivered. Mrs. Stetson is one of the
easiest speakers of the congress and she is
very popular, but the women who dared
not discuss publicly the principles, artistic
or otherwise, upon which they adorned
their homes and themselves. made sarcas-
tic comments upon the last speaker as they
moved toward the door.
The day before, gray-haired grandmoth-
ers and dignitied matrons had listened re-
spectfully to a paper upon the early years
OF childlife from one who had no expert
ence as a mother. 1t did not occur to
them to resent the speakers assumption
OF superiority when there was talk of ba-
bies, but matters of fashion are sacred,
evidently, like questions of faith. Discus
sion does not affect them.
1t is clear, too, that taste is an elusive
thing not to be taught from platforms or
shaken by ridicule.
"And over the mantel," said the Rev.
Charles Wendte of Oakland yesterday, in
describing the old New England home,
There hung picture done in human hair
of a grave and weepingwillow over it."
"And it was pretty, tool' stoutly main
tanned the slight, silver-haired woman
with gold-rimmed spectacles who sat be-
side me.
The new woman is composite. At
present she is in transition state and her
conversation shows a queer compound of
housewifely interests and congress topics.
She has learned the patter of clubs about
art, morals and political questions; and
she is merciless in infiicting her secold-
hand stock upon her unfortunate neighbor,
who is herself bursting with newly acquired
impressions. But pity is out of place at
the Woman's Congress. You must be
either lamb Or wolf-you must talk OF
some one else will talk you to death.
From all this babel of heated discussion
which precedes and follows session of the
congress significant phrases are dropped:
ats woman's duty to know these
things. was saying to Mrs."
II like the way she talks. She's easy
and she's natural and she talks sense.'
mo, couldn't get here yesterday. II
was washday and"
'Tell me frankly, don't you think men
are prejudiced against women suffragists
and not against woman suffrage?"
''Look at the one in red with the big
black velvet sleeves
"Well, for my part 1 intend to be fit fol
it when it does come"
'She came in to dinner, you know, and
was so fustered at really having her in
my house that l forgot to put any of my
pretty things on the table. It's good
didn't remember about them during the
dinner, for then l should have thought
Oh, dear, dear, dearp'
''The Woman's Congress will please come
to order" said Mrs. Cooper.