The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1897-12-09
THE new WOMAN.
Written for The Pionecr,1


coast of Plymouth small company.
weary and worn with the perils of a
| tempestuous voyage, but unfaultering in
purpose, sublime courage and that love
of liberty from which was to spring a
mighty nation. And as tho women, ere
they turned away to make a new home
IN strange land, standing on that des.
olate shore with its background of cold,
gray sky, strained their eyes over the
| dreary sea toward the mother country
| they would know no moro. Did they
| then gaze through the dim vista of the
future and behold a nation, great in the
| strength. industry, ambition of it's men.
and in the moral courage, purpose, and
aspiration of it's women?
What powerful factor in human life,
environment is! Who can doubt that
the subtle, but all powerful influence of
the new country, with vast realms still
untrod except by the foot of the savage,
it's broad sweep of hill and valley, the
wild freedom of its trackless forests and
rugged shore, first gave birth to that
germ, which through long centuries
| grew slowly, steadily, so silently that
none could mark nor change, nor throe,"
until in the nineteenth century. an era
marked by intellectual development,
freedom of thought, great scientific dis.
coveries, gradually unfolding through
! its long chain of evolatiou, there burst
forth the spirit of our Puritan Mother.
But with the greater power, the greater
ability to meet life grandly, with future
brilliant in promise, and wcighty in re-
| sponsibility-a of which heralded the
coming of THE New Woman"
Though gradual the growth of woman's
sphere. has been irresistible. Proving
that great reforms and progress are the
| result no. so much of revelation as of
evotation.
For years, outwardly meek, though
inwardly rcbcllious, tho girl of tho fami-
y, when not engaged in household
duties. or in the embroidery of impossi-
BILE roses, and antediuvian birds, casting
her eyes lueekly down had demurely
folded her correct little hands in their
correct little black mitts, in the correct.
ly conventional style, and whilc tho boy
was sent away to college to gain broad
er knowledge for the battle of life. she
was obliged to content herself, in the
words of Mrs. Malaprop. with little
ingenuity and artiticc, TO carefully avoid
all mental contact with intiammatory
branches of knowledge, and the handl-
ing Of your mathematical, diabolical in
struments." Ii sho venturcd to hint a
desire for little less of tho leo cream
soda and great deal more of tho bread
and butter of the intellectual repast, she
was promptly assured that such things
didn't become young woman" that
such departures would ruin hcr mis-
sion in life-leave her to "wither on the
parent bough," for no man would have
the moral courage to regard "blue-
stocking in the light of possible twin
affinity; nature with her intense dislike
of waste and her eternal vigilance in
making both ends meet only meet but
Flap OYER" had carefully prevented any
tendency on the part of women to follow
the example of a revered though much
| maligncd maternal ancestrese, who tast-
ed too freely of the fruit of tho tree of
knowledge, by making the feminine
brain several ounces lighter in weight
than that commonly accorded to the
"lordc of creation
Then arose few women who coming
to the Rubicon, crossed it. and the more
timid ones following their courageous
leaders brought up the rear. Colleges
public offices. business life, profession,
all opened to tho magical Sesame" of
women, and none were more ready to
lend their hearty appreciation to their
broadening of woman's spere, when she
had once proved her ability, ITO COM
mand, to obey, to endure than men. A
man always wants "factsw Confront
him with the most sublime theories in
existence, and he will smile down upon
you with bland and Profound condesen-
sion as who would say-''she thinks the
moon is made of green cheese" far be it
from me to use my massive brain and
superior mental acumen in dispelling
any such harmless little Illusion Con-
front him with facts and proofs--he
lowers his lofty crest in submission, and
victory in yours.
Now was Tie evolution of tho New
Woman confined to America, but across
the sea came encouraging voices and in
spration. In literary life, George Eliot,
with her wonderful genius, was revolu-
tionizing, elevating, purifying the novel,
giving the whole world, higher IDEAS
nobler aspirations, kcencr, deeper know
ledge into the life of the soul From
Paris, that center of beauty, gayety,
fashionable life-whcro women led a
mere butterfly existence-a few hours of
light and brilliancy, the light growing
DINNER with the gradual fading of
beauty, then the dread decree "passer"
and darkness, there came messages
penned by the hand of George Sand. not
so great in purcstrong influence as those
of George Eliot, but haying brilliancy,
scope, power of delipeating the Joy,
pain, passion OF human life, which be.
long only to the great artist.
In sunny Italy. Mrs. Browning, that
woman half spirit, who sang her perfect
songs into the hearts Of the people.
Then we have our own dearly beloved
Harriet Beecher Stove. Elizabeth Phelps
Ward, Louise May Alcott, Mary E. Will
kines, Frances Burnett.
Who can estimate the influence of
women at tho head of our colleges, who
have shaped and directed towards noble
ends, hundreds of young lives?
Among the names of those who studied
the mystery of the Heavens and listened
to catch some of the echoes of that Won
derful melody, tho emusic of the
sphere astronomers gladly accord a
place to Maria Mitchell and Caroline
| Herschcl.
| Thus far all was comparatively serene,
but when women showed inclinations to
branch out into the lecture field, the
medical profession and law, Mr.. Grundy
raised his hands in horror and mankind
tore its hair, figurativcly speaking. Ter
ribe warnings were hurled at the heads
of those meek and unotfendng members
of the "gentler seX," and ono famous
man, rising one night at public dinner
made the following pathetic statement:
Gentlemen, there arc no real women in
the world any longer; they are simple
ideas! Why, gentlemen, a man might
fall in love with half dozen of them
and never know it, In justice to the
gentlemen. however, it is only fair to
| add that his faculties We're not SO supcr.