The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-12

INIINIalAAHi!s @@ES sHhtfN
ETNDTNsNgHiTsSV - AREFULLY cul-
MI HIIIIIHkk4f - tured women born
VIINIID IESs =. and reared in great
IIlllnlIilNNAM. III = cities under favor
@ able circumstances
naturally bear certain resemblance to
one another. Racial inheritances always
make a difference, but even when ma
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 in some ways to-
tally unlike, owing to wide divergence
in customs and institutions, they are sim
gularly alike in temperament, in tend
ency, in high self esteem, in individu-
ality, 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 Frenchwomen
are, as 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 COP
tracted, though of the world worldly,
chauvinistic, centralized, locally limit
ed, with ideas, however, reaching into
measureless space. The New Yorker is
not so concentrated, SO compressed by
idolatry Of plSIe; has a far bigger geog
raphy, calm ideal recesses in remotest
| chimes. The 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 it; are more alike, despite
their differences, than the representa-
tives 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, deal in common. Para
doxical as this may sound, it is 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 a few Of their characters
tics are fully shared.
Although woman's rights have not
been discussed in France as they have
been here for almost half century,
Frenchwomen have for ages been on 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 i'll practical
politics, and their superiority much
4 more insisted ON. Much as the modern
Gauls pride themselves on 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
a thing has been startlingly exceptional.
1t is commonly said that woman, be
her crime what it may, cannot be exc
cutcd in the United States, and the
statement is 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 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
idealize her as not even the Frenchwom-
an is idealized. We are apt to put her in
the place of byg &c kings and believe
she can do no wrong. We may spoil her,
as has repeatedly been charged, but she
is in 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,
of late years especially. They are men
tally quicker, have finer instincts, are
better takers, often brilliant, exceed in
tact, are unequivocally witty, though
many men deny to the sex the gift of
wit. They are, unquestionably, the most
interesting, tho most attractive, Of woni-
en- may be called, without hyperbole,