Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-29
A FRUITFUL SUBJECT
A STUDY OF WOMAN AND HER
WHIMS AND FANCIES,
THE FEMININE SOUL is GROWING.
Experienced Masculine Opinions
Does She Love Brutes:-Why Do
Girls Persist in Having Wrong
Ideals .-What Are They Here fort
(For the Dispatch.)

For the Dispatch)
NEW YORK, May 2S.-There Is deyel-
oping here perfect rage for delving
into the soul of woman and Analysing
her every within, fancy, and ambition; her
mind is being microscopically examined
and her intellect X-rayed; her ideas are
being classified and put carefully aside
to assist the student in his conclusions,
and her crudest likes and dislikes are
being hoated TO the front to tighten the
subject. Woman to her credit be it said,
goes her own superb way with supreme
Indifference to the sayings and doings Of
her criticS, so that 1t is not probable that
the sex will be greatly benefited by the
efforts TO reduce it to a mere thing with
in the comprehension of all, like ordinary
men. But the rage for dissecting femi-
nine souls is growing, nevertheless.
DO WOMEN LOVE BRUTES.
For instance, one man gravely inquiries:
"Do women love brutes?" Then he pro-
ceeds to answer his own question at
great length, in this way:
NO matter how much woman may
yearn 10 be kicked downstairs. il is de-
grading in the man to crafty her yearn-
ings. We may take 1t as an axiom Gn-
deed there is no space here to argue out
the question:. that what is called the
spirit of chivalry in mana tenderness
and respect and reverence for woman
hood-has been a potent factor in bring
ing about the civilization Of the present.
Man has learned the great lesson that TO
be a bully is not to be brave; that the
courage which refrains from using SUI
perior strength is the highest and truest
courage; that TO repress evil emotions,
to master unruly passions, to control
mean and ugly moods is to be douby a
man. Women have not yet. learned this
lesson; especially they have not yet learn
ed to respect the manifestations in man.
Woman loves the brave man is an ex-
celent French mot; she adores the au-
dacious man The pinchbeck of auda-
city is more attractive in her eyes than
the gold of true bravery. This is a sur
vival from the savage periods when the
recklessness Of audacity would often
carry it over the reticence Of courage.
when prompt and bold action was often
more efficient than well-considered delay
Times have changed. but women do not
change as quickly as the times. The
conditions under which audacity was
prime virtue do not exist. Woman is not
fully conscious OF the revolutions that
have occurred. She lives In a condition
of atavism, the survival of a mood that
has ceased I'm nan. He, being the more
progressive animal, must seek to bring
her up TO his level. He must teach her
that the virtues of the savage are not
the virtues of the civilized being, and
that in yearning TO find in him some
traces of primeval savagery she is pre-
JUDGING the future prospects of the race.
ION evolutionary grounds, therefore, 1
hold this truth to be self-evident-that
no man should touch a woman save in
the way of kindness"
WRONG IDEALS.
Another man comes forward, and asks
some one 10 tell him why girls persist
in having wrong ideals. Apparently get
ting no satisfactory answer, he proceeds
to berate the sex in this wise:
1.-THE sexes dominate each other by
their differences and complimentary
qualities, not their likenesses and equali- |
ties; and when woman wears the
breeches she Is or ought TO be, as often |
sive TO man as man disguised in petit !
coats is, or ought TO be, offensive to |
woman. You may retain all your wealth \
of spirits your rich animal nature, your |
warm heart, your sympathy with man |
and his pursuits: these will help you TO |
judge him fairly, and fit you to offer !
and receive wealth Of love and SYM
pathy which n representative, neurotic, |
and less robust woman IN mind and body |
would be powerless TO yield. But the |
sooner you renounce the "old chappie"
and "tip-us-the- wink style, the better |
The bravado OF cigar In billiard-room |
only lowers you in the eyes OF those who |
induce you TO smoke it; and the free use |
OF knickerbockers, rifles, cricket-balls, |
and many coats. collars. ties. and waist
coats robs you OF your womanhood, with
out making you man, or In the least
adorable In the eyes OF men. women, or 4
children"
FORGIVING OUR NusDEEDS.
Then magistrate jumps up and claims |
the floor. 10 throw into the controversy /
his own wealth OF experience gathered |
through much study OF the sex from the