The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-29
Woman's Sense of Honor
Discussed at a Canadian Gathering

The Woman's club of Montreal never
meets without having an interesting dis
cussion of some subject affecting the sex,
but surpassed itself on a recent occasion
when the topic was: "A Woman's Sense OF
Honor" Mrs. Brown led off by reading
newspaper clipping in which it was alleged
that the sex is absolutely without any SUCH
: sense of honor as is possessed by men,
Mrs. Brown then gave various dictionary
definitions OF the word "honoIS"- all agree
ing practically that it meant integrity or
bravery In man and chastity In woman.
Miss Warren protested against the diction-
airy Implication that there was one stand
ara of honor for women and another for
men. Inasmuch as integrity meant whole
ness, she did not how a man could be
called honorable who lacked the quality OF
purity. Mrs. Saunderson maintained that
in small matters women were not always
strictly honorable, and that they did not
encourage as nice a sense of honor in their
little daughters as they did in their sons.
She thought, however, that in larger mat
tiers they were more honorable than men.
Mrs. McNaughton asserted, with much en-
phasis, that women had a keener sense of
honor than men, and added that If she were
to characterize the writer's of the newsi ap
article which gave rise to the discussion
as she felt like doing, lney would turn her
out of the club. She said that Shake
speare's woman had the highest sense of
honor, and from the fact that the word cad
is used only of men she argued that all
cads must be male. Mrs. Evans said that
honor In either man or woman meant obey
ing the voice of duty. She thought st.
Paul must have believed in woman's honor,
since he alluded to honorable women, not
a few"
Mrs Southwell maintained that men were
more loyal to each other than women, and
Mrs. McNaugnton retorted that men had
more to conceal than women, and that the
habit of shielding each other grew on them
till 1t came to seem innate. Mrs. Evans
took q similar view. Mrs. Stokes said that
the notion that men did not gossip was one
of the worst fallacies that had come to her
knowledge, and that If they did not do quite
as many mean things as women il was
because they had not SO much time. The
president Mrs. Robert Reid, mentioned as
a significant fact that at the university the
women students had never been known 10
crib, while the men often did. She also said
that she had asked number of gentlemen
for their opinion on the matter, and had
found that they looked for as high a sense
of honor in women as in men.
The argument was summed up by Mrs
Brown, who said that 1t was all matter
of temperament and not OF sex. She knew
dishonorable men and dishonorabe women,
men that she would trust and women that
she would trust and plenty of both sexes
whom she would not trust any further than
she could see them.
The meeting then adjourned, and the dis
cusson Immediately began again, with re-
doubled animation. In the midst of 1t Mrs
Reid asked Miss Petre to tell the ladies of
an experience she had as a governess Out
OF curiosity Miss Petre answered an adver-
tisement for a governess in New York and
found that she was expected to do all the
sewing, take care of an infant in arms, and
teach French, German and Latin, all for
the munifcent sum of S. week and her