Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-30
'T>HE nineteenth century il now in lts

TIiE nineteenth century IN now In Its
last year. This century has, with
or without Just cause. been called
The womnn's century. Why2 Because
~ no other equal period OF time has
womhnhood risen from n position 10
degraded to one OF comparative Free
dom and dignity II II not by the de-
gree OF respect that IL accorded the
exceptional woman that the position OF
the sex may be determined. but by that
consideration accorded to the majority
of Thorn. one can Judge Of the ostlma-
tlon In which womanhood was held In
the earlier part VI the century By not
Ing. for Instance. certain advertise
ments In old newspapers.
In England and continental countries
women OF the poorer classes were held
Ia position that vas little. II any.
short OF slavery. a mans wife was
absolutely his chattel: he could beat or
III treat her TO any point short Of
that which would result In immediate
death. II she died as the result Of tho
III treatment few days or week
after. the husband was upheld by the
law. he had right to ohastise his wife.
his children and his cattle at any time
he thought best. II he wished. In GER
the wife o; the average poor man was
valued nj about the same price as n
COW.
II the wife had any money before
she married. on her wedding day II boz
came her husbands: the marriage for
fcitcd for her all legal right to IL. She
could not recover her fortune even II
she separated from the man.
Divorces were almost unknown In
those days. and II wife became heir
css 10 any property after her separa-
ton from her husband II he desired to
DO so. he could appropriate the money
TO his own uses. Moreover. he had a
right 10 all her earnings ana could coll
icct them unchallcngcd. no matter how
he may have sinncd against his wife.
The case OF Mrs. Caroline Norton. the
english poctcss. who had a pronlgate
husband from whom she was compelled
60 separate, yet who regularly went to
the publishers ana collected the royalty
on her works. had good effect In
rouslng public opinion against this UNI
Just law. Mrs. Norton was the grand
daughter Of Richard Brinsloy Sheridan
ana n sister OF Lady Dufforin and the
Duchess OF Somerset. Her husband.
the Hon. George Norton, brother o,
Lord Grnntley. was an unprinclpled
spcndthrift, yet by birth and education
no was what was considered gentle
man. II such condition existed In
exalted ranks. little need be expected
OF the common people.
In 1905 an English paper commented
on the sale Of n wife for axpence and
a quid OF tobacco as an occurrence
growing 90 be much too common.
Marriage was the only career then
open 90 woman. ana II she ala not
marry II was supposed 10 be because
nobody hnd asked her, jean Jacques
Rousseau expressed the sentiment of the
day when he said; "Thc education OF
women should always be relative to
that OF man-to please. TO be useful
20 us. 20 make Us love and esteem
them, 10 educate Us when young, To
take care Of Us when grown up, TO nd-
wise, 10 console Us. 10 render our lives
easy and agreeable. These are the du-
tics OF women at all times. which they
should be taught from Infancy"
Al the beginning OF the century II a
woman desired an education for her
girls she found II necessary To employ
u private teacher. for few OF the states
In America had public schools. In these
schools girl could not retain her place
II Il was required Tor n boy. Some
times girls We're allowed 10 attend
school during the summer months. but
In most places IL was thought best TO
Keep them from becoming too erudltc.
The daughters OF well to do people We're
taught the common branches" and
sent 10 a female seminary, perhaps.
where they received n smatterlng OF
trivial ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
To-day, OF the close OF the century
almost all the important colleges Of the
world have been opened TO women, and
In the public schools their education is
conducted along the same lines as that
OF the male pupils Women have shown
that they are Just as apt as men In
taking up any branch Of learning they
have pursued.
In the beginning OF the century n wo-
man left alone and without an income
was forced to beg or starve--that IL,
unless she chose the doubtful alter