Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-09
MAKES A EXTRACTION
Our Alton Correspondent Writing
About Woman.
A SUBJECT OF INFINITE VARIETY.
Recourse TO Dumas for Dcscrip-
tion-When the Trouble Began
Rights Not 60 he Gained ny
frngc-Dricfs.



~ down over and over have said tn"
This oeaseIess writing about the fair seq
was growing tiresome. have fei'e,,'e'
the assertion that there was no ear 'n'S
or other-reason for all this LAVISH "ast'
OF printers ink upon women; ahd' NOR
than that. I have stoutly declared tha
ono person should find something under
,he sun more interesting to write OF oil
perish In the attempt ! take 1t all pack
because can find no subject Ike unto Il
There Is nothing OF such Infinite variety
as womankind. From her manner %
tying a bonnet 70 her method OF organiz-
ing a Worlds Exposition, she is being OF
absorbing interest She revels In reaiil
OF the unexpected. and is as fun OF sur
prises as a kaleidoscope Dumas rshtiy
saws: "She is a miracle OF divine con-
tradictions." Steadfast as the stars. she
a. usually ten minutes behind time IN
keeping an engagement and thinks IL
sufficient excuse that she could not hhu
her hat-pln Truthful as light, she walks
abroad with the artificial tints Of the
rose and the lily, and her clear conscience
Is never so restful as when the deception
Is deepest. CIt ifiAiN AiAb'iF Inv -
her youth through two score years, put
she cannot remember trumps when her
partner leads She IS a being about whom
YOU make UP your mind to-day, ana
change IL tomorrow. Her finer nature
may be often perverted by smaller vani-
Ties. but II is never inaccessible 10 the
streaming rays OF goodness and compass
sion. Full Of womanly grace which Is the
aesthetic side Of weakness, such are the
masses OF women hedged about with me
sweetness and security OF domesuclty; tne
happy brides OF love. ana mothers OF ~
tie children, whose voices make lea'en
melodies in their heorts. They are inc
evolution of the age. for women more
than men enjoy all the benefits OF ciViliza-
tior which nevertheless hav~ ~-~~ in a
great mart acquired by man alone.
KEPT UNDINlMED
These are the dllettant women OF the
present day. and IL Is I'm this place thdt
The status Of woman has been Kept un-
dimmed, even by the brilliant satres
which the spirit Of anti-chlyalTy is open
ing upon her advancement Al was hOt
etwavs so; at one time ii was quesuohed
n women had souls In early and bar
barous lands, when women, Ike other
Interior animals had developed only
hands and feet. what she should do with
them needed no legislation When.
under the influence Of Christianity ana
civilization, she evolved SOUL then
trouble began. 1t was discovered that
She had "a life in which men and angels
might participate. The present time IS
fun OF interrogatons az 10 what she
shall do with IT, Banquo's ghost VIII
not down. woman's soul IS found 20
be q dangerous possession. Where shan
be realized its highest possibilities, is
stiil an undiscovered country. There Is
abroad much pretty and poetioal senti-
ment respecting woman. Nan has been
magnanmous. From the birth-hour OF
art he has made her the symbol Of the
beautiful. In sculpture, her soft and
flowing outlines arr the tangible express
sion OF mans hig est aspirations. She
IS the worlds IDEAL of patience, and she
is immortallized as sorrow Nan has
made her incarnate consiancy. and the
Bible teaches that she was mans first
temptation. Woman has played all these
parts without a rival, and man naturally
wonders why she Is not satisfied. This
is one OF the mysteries Of the woman
question" She is not satshed-the sac
charine sweetness is insipid as u life
time diet.
NOT MANS FAULT.
Is not the fault with man that. with
al, his adulation. there is no real quality
of respect? Instinctvely, he yet moves
in the barbarous rut Of woman's in
feriority. He imbibed the notion II
possible. before he was born, and he
carries II to his grave.
IL is CLOSED over by education. and
only seen in its nakedness I'm remote
places or among primitive people away
from social or refined centres. But IL is
true.
| remember hearing Mary Seymour
llowelrs lecture IN Washington. Among
other things. she told the story OF a
minister visiting one Of his Pensioners
where there was a new baby-a boy-in a
family where there were already some
four or five children-all boys.
"What pity" said the good man,
that one Of these children had not
been girl"
yes" said a boy pickering his small
face into a frown. but who'd q bin her?
] wouldn't a bin her. and Joe wouldn't q
bin her, and Tom wouldn't. and who'd
a bin herr
That expresses the idea: unconsciously,
perhaps. born in the boy and lived out
in the man.
However. thoughtful men, of education
and fine feeling. are disposed TO give
women their just dues. Professor Tay-
Tor. Of Nassar College, who had unusual
opportunities to measure the abilities OF
girl students, announced his conviction
mat, gwen exactly the same chances.
girls would not only compete with, but
would surpass the boys, not only because
OF equal brain ability. but on account Of
superior application"
A great many mem recognize the intel
lectual equality Of women. but il Is n
lamentable fact that they give no serious
thought 20 her real advancement. There
is kind Of tiippant, though not III
humored habit, OF exaggerating woman's
attempts at self-olevation, that gives only
an mixing Of what may be expected
should their interests ever clash.
Mr. Hoar, recently proposed an amend
ment to the Constitution. so as TO give
the right Of suffrage to women, and Miss
Clay, Of Kentucky. made an address on
this subject In Richmond last week.
l cannot understand why the question
OF woman suffrage should so excite pub
iG opinion. With our present civil and
iegai statutes II would be entirely profit
less 10 her. Though l be accused ~
cowardice, ! must boldly say that the
advocates OF enfranchlsement arc not
giving weight enough to its objections
Women should know. If only by educa-
ton, that man was by nature very far
creature she knows Of to-day. However
much she may be mans intellectual
equalizer his tender companlon-once In
his own arena, she has no surety Of bis
consideration. Nay. as an equal has
she any more right to it than any other
MANI
HOW can women be certain that
tney VIII be exempt from the civil duties
or other citizens. These are serving on
?uries. Joining the army, being sworn
IN as constables in cases OF emergency.
ana many others which can be found
itemixed In the Code, How can a woman
Win all these control her home. her social
duties. and the exgencies OF motherbood7
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