The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-07

ceiving letters in dictation and TRANSCRIPT
ing the same In fifteen years or so
this form of feminine Industry has de-
veloped to It's present proportions. Thou
sands upon thousands of charming young
ladies have in that time been advised by
their mirrors of the gradual fading of
the freshness and bloom of youth, and
have failed to observe the approach of
the Prince Charming whose errand is
to carry tn m away from the vicinity
of typewriters and account books. But
until Of late there has been no lessen
ing of the enthusiasm with which the
delightful young persons have recourse
TO their chosen calling. The interiors
of business offices have continued to
be suggestive in their appearance of the
honored feminine practice of affixing
bows of ribbon 70 articles of furniture,
while the spittoon- and other uncanny
contrivances have disappeared from
view.
1t Is a rather cruel ending which APP
pears to be in sight of the dreams which
the advocates of the higher education
have dreamed. Since the happy advent
of wom5n's intellectual emancipa ton,
we have all been ardently looking forward
to the time when literature and art and
science ard philosophy would be enroll
ed by their ardent pursuit by the fair
sex in vast numbers and on terms of
most complete equality with man. The
dreams have been realized In SO far that
many and many beautiful young crea-
ture has found the tips of her fair taper
ing fingers tipped with ink stains and
her delightful fresh young face marred
by the appearance of glasses, made nee
essary by the exhausting nature of the
visual labor imposed on her.
Most of US who believe in the grand
mission of emancipated womanhood in
the realms of active life must necessarily
feel oppressed by the thought that the ed
mirable beginning which had been made
by the sex iii the noble pursuit of the
writing Of abbreviated longhand is not
destined to find full fruition in her con-
troll of the main avenues Of advance
ment in the natural activities of the
world. Learned professors. their hair
in ringlets and their "a ment spotiess and
distinguished by it's adaptability to the
requirements of their complexions; pro-
found explorers in the world of scientific
fba To
to disturb the mental repose of the most
intelligent jury, have not appeared in
such great numbers amcng the sex IS
many of us had anticipated. But we
have consoled ourselves by the reflection
that in the process of evolution the ladies'
of the stenographic note book would, in
future generations at least. show the
splendid intellectual possibilities latent
in the feminine composition.
And now, when we had reconciled our
selves to what the future might produce,
here we are confronted by the threat
ened exclusion of woman from her
chosen calling of stenography. Is there
no one to intervene and put an end to
what must be regarded as a very blight
on the emancipated woman? The
enemies of the sex are heard proclaim
ing aloud that the prevailing raid on
emancipated woman is not unlikely to
increase the population of the nurseries
and to lessen The sense of subsection in
the breast of man who has heretofore
found himself exiled from Office and
duced wages-of his emancipated sister.
Let us to the rescue. What would tho
world be if the charming lady stenog-
rapher (so-called) were to become ex-
tinct? Then, indeed, would woman sink
back into her old state of vassalage, and
be expected to confine her thoughts to
the monotopous and eyhausting duties
of wifehood and maternity. Then would
forever die out from the land the in
spring voice of the female sufragtst,
and might. the saloon and It's kindred
evils flourish in the unrestrained ability
of depraved mankind to secure the seats
heretofore occupied by woman beside the
desk and typewriter.
Abbreviated longhand, or, as some
prefer to regard it, elongated shorthand,
as practiced by emancipated woman,
must not be allowed to perish from
the earth Of what avail would 1t be.
even were the supply of old maids ma
terially lessened. if so serious a check
were to be put upon the ultimate re-
alization of woman in a state of COM
p!ete intellectual, economic. moral and
social emancipation, as must inevitably
result from the suppression of the lal y
stenographer (so-cafed).