The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-28
Facts of Interest
To Women. Readers.
Symposium of Information, Partly Grave,
Partly Cosby and Partly Gay.

covered herself and is particularly anx-
ious that that self-evident fact shall
not be forgotten. At the same time.
like all novelties. the market Is al
ready flooded with limitations, with ma
turally unpleasant sequence. These
initial tions. born in the brain of would
be humorlsts and caricaturists, are In
a normal state OF male attire and az
gressive, eyeglasses. But when these
very original jests are consigned to the
waste basket and the new woman her
self looked for. failure attends to some
extent. Unprejudiced and impartial
eyes see only an old friend In a newer
garb. The morning star of new era
beams palely above a brow that has
serenity and thought. Dignity clothes
her as a garment. Intellect surrounds
her as halo. philanthropy and
benevolence rest upon her lips. SYM
pathy and understanding for world
that suffers increasingly shine In her
plying eyes, and will and strength and
endurance have curved and nodded the
chin and throat. Behind her are the
weakness and indecision of weak and
illiterate age. Before her stretches
path pregnant with possibilities.
o.
This woman OF the nineteenth GEN.
tury does not want to usurp. But she
does want to assist. Masculinity. with
its usual courtliness, would still spread
the cloak Of Raleigh beneath her feet,
but beyond she seees the mute figure
Of justice bowed and shamed beneath
its burden Of bribery and cOrruption;
she sees the wheels within wheels of
great nation turn upon pivots of per-
sonal ambition and private greed; she
sees the white. pinched faces of a starv-
ing poor. and the silent. beseeching
hands Of the lame. the halt and the
blind Through iron gratings and steel
bars she hears the sullen curse and the
smothered moan Of the down-fallen and
the hopeless. And she says to the in
suited and aggrieved gentleman before
her: "Verily, thou art a willing SER
want. perhaps. but thou hast failed in
thy task. Thou art weighed and want
ing" And she puts the cloak aside and
walks In the alleys and the byways
and the tenement and the cellar. where
walked the Nazarene 'of old. And the
great army Is slowly rising In little
companies and coteries and bands and
clubs and lodges and societies. And
the strong and gentle hand of this new
woman gathers the homeless and
friendless little ones to her knee; her
eyes grow tender and pitiful as they
rest upon the haggard despair of our
Magdalens: her zeal Is unfaltering in
clothing shiverlng limbs and carrying
flowers and dainties to sick rooms that
are bleak and barren and dreary with
the hopeless dreariness of-abject pow
erty. She has faults, perhaps. Why
not? Were she faultless herself she
could understand less clearly the fail
ings OF Others. But II she have faults
she has also strength and Integrity and
pity and benevolence. She Is a mother
of all charities and has nor sect, nor
creed. nor race, nor belief. She does
not claim throne or rostrum or office
as her own. But she does claim the
right to occupy each at times. And she
will insist that under puppies and chair
there be cleanliness and no wires,