The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-12
COPPEE NOT OPTIMISTIC.
The Woman of the Future a Dread
Vision to the Frenchman.

"IhlS problem was given TO me.
| What will the woman of the twentieth
century be like? had fully resolved that
| should not answer this question, for
| the simple reason that | do not know;
| my resolution was plainly full of wisdom,
and you may wonder at its change. The
reason is simply this, that during the
| languor of my recovery from a long ILL
ness it seemed a more agreeable subject
to think of than some mightier matters
| that should have claimed my attention.
| | am inclined to believe that she will be
very much as she is now-with much
| to complain of and tolls and privations
| large part of her existence. -
1.-THE woman of the future, such as
she is imagined appears as sort OF
| pedantic creature, Astounding in diplo-
mas and scholastic parchment, never
talking of anything but her rights, and
those superior to the rights of her COM
! panion in chains, that is, if she has
not already openly declared herself for
a free union and it's direful conse-
| quences; briefly, a creature that would
be repugnant to us, who are SO far be-
hind the times, who believe that woman
is by nature more wife than lover and
still more mother than wife, and also
that the family ought to be recognized
as an institution respectable and sacred,
and even maintain beyond this that, ex-
cept in rare cases, woman is not made
for and gains nothing from an existence
spent in the rush Of outside occupations.
l accept with pain the idea of number
less women lawyers and doctors, always
busy running about, the one to law courts
the other to her patients, mounted on
electric bicycles. i see the children a
bandoned to servants, and, above all,
the husbands claim my attention, be-
cause we shall see the great increase in
the already too large number of parasi-
tic husbands living on the fortunes or
labor of their wives.
Gould we believe the feminine pro-
phet we would believe that woman will
have changed her Instincts that mar
rage will be n tie as fragile as Il string
of macarom; one would divorce for a yes
or no; that the children would vacillate
between the remarked fathers and
mothers, which last state of things could
not develop a sense of respect in the
boys nor of modesty in the girls. 1t
does not follow that the law most urgent
should be one that would permit wo-
man to change her husband as easily
as she does her robe, and my humble ad
vice is that before taking any such
measures to change the morals and senti-
ment of the family, we might make
some less ambitious attempts which
would have their utility. For instance,
one could vote for that excellent meas
ure permitting the unhappy wife of a
drunkard and debauchee to guard for
herself and children the results of her
personal labor. One could encourage the
development of the cooperative society
for the benefit of the household, by
which the family would be able to sup
, ply its necessities at much lower price
and without enriching many interme-
diaries. One could find means to help
and succor the poor woman betrayed and
! abandoned. One could further move
ment toward monopolizing the commerce
{. of alcohol in the hands of the govern
: ment. so that it would be sold at high
er price and thus reduce the number of
feminine martyrs, whose miserable nus
bands, brutalized by drink, let them die
I of hunger and abuse. Further, / be-
! lieve that we could not do many things
more profitable than the making of a
new law, which. under the special pre-
! text of establishing equality between
the sexes. would make of marriage an in
stitution of derision that would only
, give satisfaction to women Of perverted
/ instincts.
: "What will the woman of the next
century be? Again | am ignorant and
cannot presume to be an oracle, but I
| wish solely that she may resemble the
F, French woman of to-day such as she re-
mains and such as / have often en-
! countered among the less fortunate per-
haps. but nevertheless honest working
! people. not wonderfully instructed, but
| intelligent; not romantic, but good and
sensible knowledge that marriage is a.
+, bove all a sacred compact to which she
| will be faithful. also that it imposes du-
/ ties that little by little will become joys
! to her For such n woman ia fete des
| sens last but little or at least Gains
itself with maternity. She does not find
! the law badly made, it is a joy to her to
| be protected, and she obeys with pleas
| ure, knowing that she holds proper in
! huence over her husband and has Il
! voice in the family councils. She loves
without grand demonstration, but with
Il sentiment honest, tender and deep, in
I the good days as well as the bad. If
! she is deceived she suffers cruelty, but
! in silence, fearing the scandal; tries to
| bring back the unfaithful, nearly always
succeeds, and knows how to pardon.
| When she is sure of her husband she is
admirable in her happy condolences. In
| general she is not devotee, but has
/ enough religion to give to her children Il
| Christian education, knowing that they
| will retain sufficient to teach them kind
ness to others and resignation to sustain
/ them in their sorrows.
"What a mistress of home! Cordial to-
ward all, without coquetry, and of such
! gentle disposition 1t is when she APP
i proaches maturity that she becomes
most charmin :; nothing more touching
| than to see her, still young, at the fami-
| ly table, surrounded by her children, and
maternal even toward her husband to
whom the children say Papa and to
whom she says papa with shade of
respect i'm her tenderness. Age may
come, but she is calm, ignores cosmet-
les and does not try to hide the wrink-
les, very content to see the beauty Of her
Il