Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-02-20

AllINlHl|GlfIl. ssssesaA s9g AlDARI
l10lHEIa8 EII
HlAlskM - tured women born
lgiljil and reared in great
NlAl : cities under favor
able circumstances
naturally bear certain resemblance to
one another. Racial inheritances always
make a difference, but even when na-
tives Of far distant countries, exposed to
wholly distinct influences, they often
have many traits, many specialties, in
common. This is true of American
women and Frenchwomen living at So
cial centers, notably in New York and
Paris, the real, the sole capitals Of the
two republics While I'D some WAYS to-
tally unlike, owing to wide divergence
in customs and institutions, they are sin
gularly alike in temperament, in tend
ency, in high self esteem, in individu-
atty, in their sense Of equality with man.
1t seems strange that one of the Oldest
nations of Europe should be analogous to
the newest nation in the world, and that
Latin stock should run parallel with one
Of the great branches Of Teutonic stock.
If the two peoples appear at opposite
extremes, they are the extremes that
mutually touch and melt into one. If
the men Of the two lands be not broth
ers, the women are assuredly mental
and spiritual sisters without definite
consciousness of the fact
American women and FreDchwomen
are, as a rule, deeply, irrecoverably at
tached to their own country, to their
own capital. To the New Yorker there
is no city, except Paris, like New York:
to the Partisan there is no city, with
out any exception. like Paris. The for
mer is broader, better informed, more
catholic minded, than the latter, to
whom Paris seems to offer whatever is
best, most pleasant, most attractive,
most beautiful. The Partisan is con-
tracted, though of the world worldly,
chauyinistie, centralized, locally limit
ed, with ideas, however, reaching into
measpreless space. The New Yorker is
not SO concentrated, SO COMPRESSED by
idolatry Of place; has far bigger geog-
raphy, calm ideal recesses in remotest
climes Tho twain nevertheless, though
by no means Of one flesh, are often of
one mood, one manner, one mind fire.
quently respond to one another without
knowing il; are more alike, despite
their differences, than the representa-
tiTes Of any other two nations under the
sun. They are far more alike, strange
as it may seem, than the French and
Italians, the French and Spaniards, the
French and Portuguese, though these
are supposed to be of the same Latin sis
terhood, and though they have. or ap-
pear to have, a deal in common. Para
doxical as this may sound, it il incon-
testably true. French and American
women Of urban rearing and habits, not
ably Parisians and New Workers, are
apt to be mentally, if not ethnically, al
lied, and not few Of their Characters
tics are fully shared.
Although woman's S rights have not
been discussed in France as they have
been here for almost half a century,
Frenchwomen have for ages been Oh an
equality with man and are often thought
in many ways superior to him, as in
deed our own women are. especially by
foreigners. Their equality over there
has been greater, more widely illustrat
ed, than here, though not in practical
politics, and their superiority much
more insisted on Much as the modern
Gauls pride themselves Oh gallantry,
they are far less gallant than we They
have always sent women to the scaffold,
notably the best and noblest, during
the great revolution, while with us such
thing has been startlingly exceptional.
1T is commonly said that a woman, be
her crime what it may, cannot he exc
cuted il tie United States, and the
statement il virtually true. The whole
community here revolts at the idea. The
French accept it without repulsion.
Sentimental as they are, they are much
less sentimental than we, but perhaps
in q sense more just, for strict justice
does not concern itself with sex.
Certainly Frenchwomen stand higher
at home than any women i'll Europe,
but not so high as does the American
woman in America. Fine and clever as
she is, we not only exaggerate her-we
idealze her as not even the FrenchwOm-
an is idealized We are apt to put her in
the place IF bygone kings and believe
she can do no wrong. we may spoil her.
az has repeatedly been charged, but she
is i'll less danger than she has been, for
she is fast getting all her rights, which
are supposed to rectify things.
The Frenchwoman and American wo
man have in general more mind, more
culture, than other women in civiliza
tion, the American excelling in culture,
Df late years especially. They are men
tally quicker, have finer instincts, are
better takers, often brilliant, exceed in
tact, are unequiyocally witty, though
many men deny to the sex the gift of
wit. They are, unquestionahly, the most
interesting, the most attractive, of wom-
an; may ba called, without hyperbole,
charming. They have that indefinite
but unmistakable quality known as
style; also that mysterious possession
which goes by the name of magnetism
for lack of better. The French have
rejoiced in those properties, under diff
ferent names, for centuries, but we, only
century old, have them, perhaps, in
even a higher degree than has the French
woman, and they are now recognized
the world over as particularly belonging
to the new nation.
Our urban countrywomen might be
designated as the New Parisians. The
American woman assuredly seems to be
the latest star in the armament of society
and fashion as we'll AZ the most daz
cling. She has latterly awakened enthu-
siastic admiration ID every quarter Of
the globe, foreigners seeing in her more
witchery, more fascination, than her
own countgymen do, justly proud as
they are of her and Der renown. Preju-
diced as the American people are thought
to be in favor of their own, they are
evidently not prejudiced in behalf Of the
Amaricnn woman. who does not 50