The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-18
Facts of Interest
To Women Readers.
Symposium of Information, Partly Grave,
Partly Gossipy and Partly Gay.

In the Looker.On for December, q
magazine, by the way, which is fit to be
read by bright women everywhere, ap-
pear a number of observations "On the
Departing Woman" They are so apro-
pos and so apt that we make bold to
quote q portion of them. I'VE hear Il
good deal, in these later days" the
writer says, about the Coming Wo-
man. She casts her shadow before. But
meantime there Is another figure on the
stage not unworthy of our attention. I
suppose we must call her the Departing
Woman. If this is to be her last ap-
pearance. as the hand-bills say; II she
is to be finally and forever displaced by
the new. arrival, then there is all the
more reason for making our observa-
tions with promptnesS and precision be-
fore she vanshes from our sight. 1
must confess an immeaSurable graft
tude to the Departing Woman. She has
played her part well. She has filled n
large and noble role with credit and re-
nown. She has moved us to happy
laughter and purifying tears. Wanting
her presence. life's drama would have
been dun and worthless. and often base.
And if, forsooth, the next act is to be
played without her, 1 for one would
join heart and hand in applaudinS her
while she still fingers on the stage, and
never suffer her to leave without her
well-earEed ovation of praise.
j.
"The Departing Woman. according to
modern accounts, has been horribly
Handicapped. 1t must be true. or else
so many people would not agree in say
ing ii. But in spite Of her handicaps
she has done wonders. Her education
has been abominably neglected. At
least SO they tell u.s. And. yet somehow
or other, she has succeeded in'perform-
ing the largest. and by no means the
worst, part of the worlds teaching. /
will venture to say that rs men out OF
every 100 who know how to read and
write and cipher learned these primary
accomplishments from q woman. In
the army of instruction it may be true
that most of the generals and staff-of
flcers have worn the trousers: but what
advance would they have made without
the patient, skillful work Of the more
numerous captains and non-com-
missioned officers in skirts? Is 1t Il
less important or u less difficult task
to awaken the young mind to u desire
for knowledge and to train 1t In the
first exercise of Its powers, than to make
new discoveries in the sciences and new
inventions in the arts:
Even here the Departing Woman has
not failed to make her mark. There Is
hardly one Of the branches of modern
learning, or of the departments of mod
ern industry. from astronomy to cotton
spinning. tina. does not owe something
to her insight and skill. But If she has
devoted her attention chiefly to the
simpler rudiments of knowledge and the
finer arts of living, this also has been
4, 60 I, nrlI rrni in,
be found at once so capable and SO In
teresting. In conversation, In letter.
writing, in all the dclicacies of human
intercourse, she has been. and still is,
our mistress, and the molder of man
kind.
- -
"It is true. I suppose--at all events 1t
Is commonly asserted-that her charac-
ter has suffered from the tyrannies of
man. And yet she has been broad
enough to exercise a controlling influ-
ence on all sorts and conditions of men,
and strong enough to dc the main part
in upholding the moral standards of the
world. l do not fancy that she has had
a better chance in Armenia than in
other countries. Here is what an Ar
menian said OF her the other day: 1t
is the Armenian woman who has pre-
served the Armenian nation. The pat
lent dignity, the devoted faith, and the
unfiinching heroisn, of the Armenian
wife, mother and daughte- are tradi-
tional among their native hills and in
the archives of their race Where Is the
nation from which you do not hear a
like testimony? The worlds highest
work has been done, the worlds noblest
deeds have been achieved, the worlds
upward and onward movement has been
maintained hitherto, under the influence
and inspiration of the Departing Wo-
man. Who could have expected it from
such poor. dwarfed, down-trodden and
neglected creature?
Ill -
I'm religion her pre-emineEce and
power has been acknowledged as a mat
ter of course. 1t has been generally ad-
mitted that she has kept far ahead of
man in such affairs as praying and
reading good books ard going to church
and exercising the heavenly virtues of
faith, hope and charity There has even
been disposition to grant her a monop-
oily of these things. / am sure that
when We get sight of the Directory of
the Celestial City we shall have no right
to feel surprised or offended at the pre-
dominance of feminine names. But ]
do not mean to dwell upon this side of
the subject. / want to stick close to it's
terrestrial aspect. Looking at the prac-
tical results of religion, and at the church
as an institution which is designed to
benefit the present world. 1t would he
hard to overestimate the good influence
of the Departing Woman. She may not
have kept up to date in her views of
Moses, but she has understood how to