Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-25
WOMAN GRIEVANCES.
THE SUBJECT DISCUSSED ny AN
ENGLISH CLUB.
The HEAT AFFECTS MORALITY.
4 New York Ciergymnn's Theory
Combated by the Alton Corrc-
spondent-Wntering Places Hot
Beds of Gossip.
Special CorrespondenceO

Special Correspondence)
ALTON, VA, July 2L-The GROWERS
pet grievance is usually the weather,
and the meteorological growler is gene
rally man. A woman's grievance is
more a thing OF sentiment. nor does
she fash her mind so much over as
sentiments Of heat and cold, the blasts
Of torrid drought or a mist which isn't
when 1t goes.
But women have grievances which,
like the good apostle enjolns OF better
things, "remaineth instant" An Eng
lish club recently discussed what it
called "womans grievance" and invited
correspondence on the same The out
look showed a spirit OF unrest In the
feminine population that would put a
tariff bill TO sleep. or 372 replies, thirty
seven women found their greatest
grievance in the fact that there is one
law for a man and another for a wo-
man. a score or more objected 10 the
numerical preponderance Of women.
Right here l join with them not in the
census prepOnderance Of the fair sex,
but in the preponderance of concentra-
ton. Look ut Boston, for instance.
men TO bake beans than they have
masculine consumers, and the new Pa
cihc gold craze. with 1900 men heading
for the Kl0ndike gold-feids, and one
lone woman going out from san Fran
cisco. IL she can get another female OF
the same persuasion to join her. 1 be-
lieve in woman's grievance. This is
strong point-they preponderate.
THE RESULT OF THE COUNT.
However. fourteen domestic-minded Ia
dies in this grieyous quandary object 20
the absence Of good servants and
twelve bewail the Comparative small
ness Of womcn's wages. Seven declare
that IN the real Advancement Of woman,
men refuse 10 take them seriously. Six
are troubled by the over-crowded state
Of the female labor market. and the
majority find their real grievance in the
absence Of any grievance at all.
one bright young woman finds that
the greatest most genuine Of modern
woman's grieyances-and the ancient
woman had none-is emphatically
modern man. Not so much, / take H.
because the man, poor fellow is
grievance as because he is a legitimate
vent for complaint. Woman is adj
vanclng; there IS no getting around the
assertion. IL was once that man would
have feeby stayed her progress-per-
haps wisely-and he neither helped her
10 cast off conventionalties' letters, nor
gave her the right 10 enter those fields
OF action which lie sunward. between
the needle and the sword. What mat
tered the hindrance? She conquered the
needle. mainly from the factories OF
other women's labor, and the sword may
go into arbitration. There was nPTer
woman's folly that was not aided and
abetted by q man. and the modern story
of the garden Of paradise is reversed.
Man TESTED at n wOman's efforts 20
raise the standard Of her womanhood.
and thought possibly that her brains
were in her hands and heels. lie thinks.
I'm modern ways, that her brains are
an added charm. and wheels his heels
beside her own, or thinks:
"she looks sweet on the front seat
OF a bicycle built for two"
THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.
The spirit OF the times IS a woman's
main grievance when she lives at high
pressure and racing speed, and 1t Is the
spirit of the age that forces this upon
her. These are the days Of social mem
tai. and bodily competition of new
interests and newer ideas. Collectively
she is not q simple, home-staying woman
any more. Bless you, no! She is a
many-sided daring "dodo," who dances
and dresses, shoots and speechiies,
works at entertaining and electioneering,
reads everything, writes on every sub
iect. from q State convention to a baby's
wardrobe. and i'm outdoor sports handles
the racquet, the wheel, and the golf
sticks until the grievance" Is totally
uusexed. IS all this alas. an augury Of
woman's future? l hate a prude, for
prudes are largely made up Of make
believes and l would journey faster from
a strong minded woman with a fad than
from an epidemic but l do love a happy
consistency of things. Would it not have
been better, my dears 20 have drawn
men ND into your own natural and moral
atmosphere than 20 have followed the
bent Of his desires for all sorts Of out
door pleasure? Is it not Miss Blue
stocking, a dead give away of wOman's
Wanted independence? Perhaps he
laughs when he sees how easy and de-
liehtful-to him-the conquest has been
These outdoor sports. in excess, cultivate
the spirit Of restlessness and Vitiate the
love Of home. Like living on canned
food and bakers bread, one forgets the
domestic cuisine.
ANOTHER GRIEVANCE.
There's another grievance forging 10
the front-a brand-neW one on burn
ing subiect-but l believe this is consid- |
cred a plural grievance. New York
clergyman one Of those kind who are
.,r,,.a,-s looLxing for a short uathWly 10