The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-10
KATE FIELDS WIT.
NJ ePEEcH SIZE MADE At A DINNER
IN LONDON m 1879.

Af0XOo0<0
IA Clearly Estabiished tho Right Of
usr Sex to Mako Addresses In Public
I WAsn There Was Occasion.
II a quarter of a century ago a speech By
n vonan at public dinner was a rarity,
IasA when made always attracted atten-
n. But thcre were giants In those days
kAffnient unto the task of attracting at
Ipntion and holding It, Kate Field was
Men at the dawn of her best period and
occasionally graced n public dinner with
her presence and wit In 1872, at biep-
HAL FESTIVAL" of the London Hospitsl Of
Whroat Diseases held at Wills room, the
Earl of Clarendon presiding, Miss Field,
ssponding to the toast, 1.-THE Ladies'"
when one Of England's most dietin.
,euisAed physicians first urged me 10 re-
kurn thanks for the toast last given, i de-
kiined. never had done such a thing
land thought that never could. Tbdh |
nenembe bered that to the skillful treatment
bf the same physician owed the restora-
ttion of that most excellent thing in won-
Iap,' voice--which, II not low at pres
lent, will be shortly-and it seemed un-
grateful not to make some slight return
for so signal a service. The claim was
Aone the less valid for being indirect; and,
hs this is the age of revolution, as human
ATTY is stronger than caste or sex, as royalty
khakes hands with democracy, by acknowl-
kedging allegiance TO the republic of letters,
II asked myself why, after all, women
bhould not be heard as we'll as seen at pub
|lic dinners. IL is true that an august body
!pf men-of course, can mean mono other
Paul as though saints were their perennial
lguides, philosophers and friends, and de-
lciare that women should keep silence, con.
FYeniently forgetting that st. Paul is ad-
iaressing the women of Corinth, according
10 the law A. d. 90, that elsewhere he con-
ttradicts himself, and that the proper read
Hng Is, Let your women keep silent In
the church.
"Ever since the subsistence of chaos men
have been talking. For 5000 years, at
heast, they have, to use an Americanism,
'stumped' creation and impressed the
tworld with their views on all subjects,
sbut, as there is as much sex In mind as
hhere is matter. wo have seen everything
An profile. Now an artist will tell you that
lpo two sides Of the Same face are exactly
alike. i pray you, therefore, let US have
fthe other profile, whereby we may see the
ISntire face, gaze into telltale eyes and thus
get at the soul of things. Taking for
granted all that Is known and said about
women, they ought to make moro attract
I've speakers than men. / do not think
they are, so far, but they ought to be, and
these are my data: Women are born more
graceful they have the great gift OF beau
ty and tho great privilege of dress; hence,
they are greater qualification to the eye,
snd a majority Of the people hear with
their eyes Women are more impulsivo,
more sympathetic, more persuasive; there
fore are they more likely to touch the
heart, and when you have made an audi
ence feel, half the battle Is won. Pray,
who does tho greater part Of speaking In
private, Mr.. or Mrs. Caudles We're / q
2han, should hail public speaking az a
lblessing in disguise When Vesuvius 10 in
. state Of eruption, Etna is quiet Flu
ency of diction is a desideratum In speak
ing. If tradition be correct, women are
mot lacking in this requirement. Indeed
it has been seriously questioned whether
women partake of celestial joys, for this
lReason-that once upon time there was
1ilence in heaven for the space Of half an
hour. Then, II precedent be required,
Iwomen can trace back their rights In this
respect much farther than men, for Eve
Twas the original orator. It is to her per-
sunsive pleading that we owe all knowl-
ledge. Miriam was among the first to proph-
bay; Deborah was elevated to the digni-
~ of judge Of Israel; Greek oracles pro-
loeeded from the lips Of women, and the
lgreatest orators of Hellas did not scorn 10
be taught their art by the sex they regard
led with contempt Socrates learned rhet-
loric from Aspasia, and it was to theii
kmother Cornelia that the Gracohi owed
their eloquence.
"If IL DO allowed, then, that women
may speak in public, 1t seems to mo no
bmore than just that one of my scx should
return hearty thanks to the managing
'oommittee Of this dinner for treating them
as though they were not too good for hu-
imam natures daily food. 1t Is useless to
talk of the equality Of the sexes so long as
men sit down to turtle soup in one room
and women stand up to tea and sand
witches In another waiting with becoming
humility for admission to a Barmecide
feast of reason and flow Of soul
81 never knew woman who did not
protest against similar custom which de.
prives public dinners of half their utility,
hs we'll as all their brilliancy, for as the
object Of these dinners is the raising Of
money, these managers show little discern.
pment In ignoring sisters Of charity, who
in any country are rs effective in opening
the purses as they are in touching the
hearts Of their lay brothers. In conclu.
sion, and In the name of the ladles,
thank you for the cordial manner In which
tho toast has been proposed and received,
and trust TINT the management COMMITTEES
may never regret having recognized women
as creatures with appetites"
Mushrooms.
An enthusiast on the subject Of mush-
rooms saYs there ia no mora ransom 10 mia