Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-12-31
WHAT THE CENTURY
HAS DONE FOR WOMEN.

period OF Time has womarhood risen from
a position 60 degraded to one OF compar-
alive freedom and dignity. 1t is not by
the degree of respect that ia accorded the
exceptional woman that the posouon Of
the eek may be determined, but by that
consideration accorded to the MS jority of
them One can judge Of the estimation in
which ~womanhood was held In the earlier
part Of the century by noting, for In
stance, certain advertisements in old news
papers.
In England and continental countries
women of the poorer classes we're held
In a position that was little, If any, short
OF slavery. a mans wife was absolutely
his chattel; he could beat or i'll treat her
to any point short Of that which would
result In immediate death If she died
as The result of the Ill treatment a few
days or . week after, the husband was up
held by the law; he had q right to chastise
Ris wife, hts children and his cattle at any
t1rae he thought best If he wished, in
certain lands he could sell his wife, and
the wife OF tho average poor man was
valued at about the same price as a cow.
Ii the wife had any money before she
married On her wedding day It became
her husbands 8; the mai ~sAge forfeited for
her eIl legal right to IT. She could not
recover her fortune even If she separated
from the man.
Divorces were almost unknown in those
dayA, and il a wife became heiress TO any
property after her separation from her
husband, If he desired to do so, he could
appropriate the money to his own uses.
Moreover, he had a right to all her earn
ings and could collect them unchallenged,
no matter how he may nave sinned against
his wife.
The case of Mrs. Caroline Norton, the
English p~oetess, who had a profligate
husband from whom she was compelled
to separate, yet who regularly went to the
publishers and collected the royalty on
her works, had a good effect in rousinS
public opinion against this unjust law.
Mrs. Norton was the granddaughter of
Richard Brinsley Sheridan and a sister of
Lady Dufferin and the Duchess of Somer-
set. Her husband, the Hon George Nor
ton, a brother of Lord Grantley, was an
unprincipled spendthrift, yet by birth and
education he was what was considered a
gentleman. If such condition existed in
exalted ranks, little need be expected of
the common people.
In 1908 am English paper commented
on the sale of a wife for sixpence and a
quid of tobacco as an occurrence growing
10 be much too common.
Marriage was the only career then open
to a woman and If she did not marry it
was supposed to be because nobody had
asked her. Jean Jacques Rousseau express
ed the sentiment of the day when he said:
'The education of woman should always
be relative to that of man-to please, to be
useful to Us, to make Us love and esteem
them, to EDUCATE Us when young to take
care of Us when grown up, to advise, to
console Us to render Our lives easy and
agreeable. These are the duties Of women
at all times, which they should be taught
from infancy"
AT the beginning Of the century If a
woman desired an education for her girls
she found it necessary to employ a private
teacher, for few of the States in America
had public schools. In these schools a
girl could not retain her place If it was
required for a boy. Sometimes girls were
allowed to attend school during the sum-
mer months, but in most places it was
thought best to keep hem from becoming
too erudite. The daughters of well to do
people were taught the common
branches and sen to a female seminary,
perhaps, where they received a smatter-
ing of trivial accomplishments.
To-day, at the close of the century, al
most all the important colleges of the
world have been opened to women, and in
the public schools their education is cons
Quoted along the same lines as that of the
male pupils. Women nave shown that
they are just as apt as men in taking up
any branch of learning they lave pursued.
In the beginning of the century a woman
left alone and without an income was
forced to beg or starve-that is, unless she
chose the doubtful alternative of matri-
nlony. There were nc occupations open
for women, and if she happened to be a
single woman her support was supposed
TO devolve upon her nearest married male
relative. In his house she was a mere
unpaid drudge for his wife, often i'll treat
ed and always despised.
In the United States alone the census
of 1900 Is expected to show 100000 women
engaged in various occupations. In 1910
81 a week and boarding round was con-
sidered good pay for the school-teacher.
Now women teachers are paid from $3.50
to $4,000 8 year.
Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman
who studied medicine, had to bear the
brunt of numerous insults. While she was
attending college at Geneva. N. Y, the in
mates OF the boarding house where she
stayed declined TO W anything at all
to do with her.
AT the beginning of 1900 women physi-
clans are not only numerous, but pros
porous. Their position In the community
is an envtable one, in proportion to ability
and personal qualities. for many of them
have large practices. which bring them
fine incomes.
The ministry is a field into which COM
paratively few women nave entered,
women of the religious type usually de-
voting themselves to the advancement of
some great reform, as in the cases of
Mrs. Mary nvermore and raj Willard.
In journalism. the most e~xacting of ali
professional, women have signally proved
their SUCCESS. Mary Cenimer Ames, Jane
Grey Swisshelm, Margaret Fuller. Fanny
Fern (the gifted sister OF N. P. Willis),
and more recently Kate Field. Mrs. Jenrie
June Croly. Mrs. Booth, Mrs. Margaret
San gstsr, Eliza Archerd Conner, Mary
Krout Isabel Mxilon (Bab) and Mrs.
Frank Leslie are women whose success has
been equal to anything men have done in
the SAne linee. Mrs CSoly was the in
ventor OF the process OF manifolding,
which nlaGe possible tie syndicate system
Nrre EantA ocA Mro Cppocts- aa,n-