The San Francisco call., 1896-05-09

women. It certainly seemed last night
that the magnetism OF his words produced
a wonderful effect upon his hearers.
pale, intellectual, almost ethereal
looking young man still in his twenties,
he delivered surprisingly forcible and
charming extemporaneous speech on be-
hall OF womanhood, an effort that even
Miss Shaw took occasion to declare was
the embodiment and perfect expression OF
her own highest ideals on the subject.
When the wild applause following Pro-
lessor Griggs' introduction had subsIded
he began his address, during which and
amid repeated applause he said:
Ideals change with all change in actual life The
ideal Is the horizon. which is determined BY the
| point where we stand At the same time the ideal
IS the best standard for measuring the actual life.
IN, Inc Key 70 TO- man or an epoch is the ideal wor-
on the sundia of time, while the ideal is the white
| light which casts the shadow.
II is especially important TO recognize this in
studying tae changes of ideals of womnnhood.
These changes tell us better almost than anything
else the true progress of the higher human life.
II Is extremely difficult to state the fundamental
differences between men and women. Sex differ
entiation is only one example ofthe great principle
tation. In primitive conditions OF life the func-
uons OF women are industrial and reproductive.
white those OF men are protective and military.
In very early times q greater equality between
men and women prevailed than al intermediate
stages oi progress This is IN harmony with
IS non moral. and progress means greater possbi
fty for advance or degeneration.
With the growth of early societies inequality in
creased in all political and social conditions
State and class tyrannies arose out Of loose family
ana tribal conditions the mil ary functions pre-
dominated over the industrial and hence came the
eDslavement of women. The painful story Of slow
emancipation IS written IN great suffering and is
still going on. The freedom OF women has grown
step by step with the emancipation OF Industrial
The type Of womanhood fostered BY such con-
ditons oflife was industrial and domestic. Marriage
WAS developed by natural selection for the better
protection OF offspring, and the woman who h had no
opportunity 10 perpetuate herself the one vii
life.
| Yet the close association of two human beings
reacts upon the development OF each, and marriage
came TO be relation founded TO some extent On
permanent qualities OF character We have a
good illustration Of the struggle OF the two prin-
! ciples in the best period Of Greek ciyiIization
where the higher class of courtesans received a
respect incom prehensibe to u.s. because they alone
were sufficiently educated to be intellectual com
panioDs TO cultivated man, while the Greek wives
and mothers were kept in ignorance and secIasion.
Christianity brought q reverence for womanh ood
which the ancient world had never known. The
worship Of the Virgin placed womanhood in a new
/ light. Yet the gain was not unmixed with evil,
/ for the type OF woman reverenced was not the
\ human wife and mother. The medieval ideal was
innocence and not the purity of virtue 1t viewed
marriage as concession to the weakness OF man
refused al human ties and chose life OF Isolation
This ideal was opposed to natural selection ana
/ had inevitably 10 disappear The medieval woman
who perpetuated herself in offspring was the one
| Family life might be adjunct in the lives Of
men, but 1t had 70 fill the whole of the lives of
| married women.
The dawn OF modern ideals of womanhood oc-
ours In the Renaissance part OF that wonder
full expansion Of life " ind at times new con-
ceplion OF marriage and recognition OF higher
possibilities in the personal relations Bur The
women who realized this few in numbers
since that time the growth has been remarkable.
| increasing with immense rapidly in time
The home Is still far from ideal, but marriage
has come 70 be more and more spiritual relation
based on the more permanent qualities of charac-
ter Ihls means a change in the basis OF natural
selection In its application to women and maErI-
age Formerly the woman who was able to per
petuate herself was the willing 10 lose her in
dependent life in the family relations To-day,
more and more, intelligent seek as their wives
women Of independent and free development who
are unwilling 70 sacrifice their separate life and
educated. intelligent women have NOR and more
the selecrive value placed upon then. the strue-
/ gle for existence Marriage ceases X merely
reproductive and industrial Institution and be
comes spiritual and human
The failure 10 see this mars much Of the current
! thought on human problems. yet the change IN
the selective principles here is the same as that
which is seen everywhere. Brute strength was
once dominant in the struggle for existence; uow
1 u has given place 10 intellectual and moral
qualities. When higher adaptation appears II
i has greater selective value than those below II
\ in the scale When the family comes 10 influence
deeply the development OF each member OF II il
| attains a moral significance
Our epoch is transitional and hence it is time
| OF misadiustments- But We can afford 10 bear the