Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-03-10
THE NEW WOMAN.
She Is Free From the Vulgar Small Vic

THE NEW WOMAN.
She Is Free From the Vulgar Small vice
of Curiosity.
A friend of mine applied for place
as teacher in an institution managed by
women. She appeared duly before a
board of old tabbies in high bonnets.
They had the air of being horribly pious.
1t was pious institution they were
running They sat around the directors
! table and looked severely at my friend,
a large, kindly, intelligent, gentle girl.
The first thing they asked her how old
she was, which was none of their bust
ness at all, as they could see she was of
age. Then they asked her if she had
ever had any sickness, if any of her an
oestors had ever had any sickness, or if
any of them had ever been crazy or con-
voted of crime. They asked what her
fathers occupation had been. Then they
inquired whether she belonged to church
and to what church, how often she at
tended it, and if she taught in Sunday
school. She replied that she formerly
taught a Sunday school class, but that
she had given it up because it was too
much Of tax on her to sing twice in
the choir on Sunday at church and
teach class too Thereupon one old tab
by observed very solemnly, "Don't you
think the Lord would take care of your
health if you were to do his work and
teach Sunday class?' My friend was
dying to recommend to the old tabby to
try it herself, going to business all the
week, being on her feet from morning
till night, then attending church and
singing in the choir twice on Sunday
and teaching class in Sunday school
besides, but she did not. She held in.
Then the old tabbies looked very severe
and businesslike when one Of them
asked if she ever, ever went to the the
ater. Finally, after they had pumped
her entirely dry, found out everything
their vulgar curiosity could possibly
suggest, they dismissed her with the
remark that if they heard of anything
they would let her know. I mention
this incident as an illustration of one
kind of old woman, not of the new.
The most detestable small vice of the
old woman was her itching. vulgar,
vile, petty curiosity concerning other
peoples private, personal affairs. The
new woman knows nothing of this
small vice. She never listens at key
holes, never opens other persons letters
or watches her neighbors' front doors
or windows. She never asks another
any question she herself would not like
to be asked. She has absolutely no curl
osity about the personal matters of 9TH
er people. She respects their privacy as
she would have her own respected.
Miss Cornelia T. Crosby, otherwise
called "Fly Rod" is the champion
hunter and fisher among the women of
America. The man fly caster who is as
skillful as she is may we'll be proud of
himself. The present winter she has
crowned her other exploits by shooting |
a caribou in the northern part of Maine. |
Miss Crosby is the first woman, SO far
as heard from, who has shot caribou. |
The ladies who are going to the Klon
dixie will have chance to try their
skill in this line. In Alaska plenty of |
fresh meat is to be had all winter for
skillful marksmen.
The Chinese woman is as proud Of |
her deformed feet as some American |
girls are of their little idiotic, deformed |
waists 1.-THE average woman has no
shoulders, no chest, no waist and no
sense" growled an old cynic whom / |
know.
Girl babies have been considered less
welcome than boy babies for economic
reasons. 1t was supposed the boy could |
go out in the world and work and be- |
come producer, even millionaire. |
The girl, on the other hand, was sup
posed to be merely consumer, a crea-
ture that had to be taken care of, a mere
clog on the wheels of industry. Now
that women are changing all that, are |
entering the industrial world and prov
ing themselves as efficient in business as
men, as good economists, able to amass
fortunes, the old superstition that girls
were of no account will rapidly die out. /
Miss Edith Pond, daughter of Major |
Pond of lecture bureau fame, has herself |
opened an amusement bureau in New |
York city. She will be sole manager.
She expects to furnish entertainments
especially suited to gentlemen's clubs.
Miss Pond has had experience which
will enable her to be very successful In
her chosen line. She has theory that
it is business for which women are bet
ter adapted than men, and she expects
to prove her faith by her works.
On the list of officers of the Massa-
chusetts Woman Suffrage association
there are more names of national and |
international fame than in any other
society / know of. Mary A. Liyermore
is president Henry B. Blackwell is cor
responding secretary, Francis D. CARR
son is treasurer, while among the vice
presidents are Julia Ward Howe, Secre-
tary of the Navy John D. Long, Senator
George F. Hoar, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
Ward, Colonel 7. w. Higginson and
Hon. Josiah Quincy.
Miss Long, daughter of the secretary
Of the navy, is studying medicine at
Johns Hopkins university, Baltimore.
It is therefore at last the proper thing
for young women in the highest social
circles to study and practice 6 profess
sion if they wish.
I have lately seen picture Of Miss
Gail Laughlin, winner of first prize in
the collegiate debate at Cornell uni
versity. She is a gentle faced, clear eyed
girl, with we'll squared shoulders,
good chest and waist that has never
been squeezed in. It is as large as that
of the Venus If she had ever laced her.
self, the blood could not have flowed
freely up to her brain, giving her sense
enough to win college debate over a
number Of young men. Miss Laughlin
will participate in the intercollegiate
debate between Pennsylvania and Cor
nell universities. She is studying law
at Cornell.