The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-28

Mrs. Gilman at the outset describes her
book In these words: a-!:l 9.t .."
This book is a study Of the economic proc
esses of society, explaining the immediate causes
OF large part OF our human suffering, and
changes of mind by which we may SO alter our
processes as to avoid that suffering and promote
our growth and happiness.
:, The change Of mind she places SO great
18th in is from the ego concept to the
social concept; that is, from the, assunp-
ton that human beings are separate en-
titles, like the lower animals to q belief
ir the soul as part of a race soul, a
member Of society," progressing or retro
crossing with society en- rnasse. That, as
we understand it, is the doctrine Of
eugenics-the. elevation Of humankind en-
masse, instead Of by the slow arithmetical
process of adding: to the number of in
divduals lifted TO higher planes &c.:
| The basis on which to work is not the
individual appeal according to the
eugenie theory. but the appeal to- the
social spirit, which,. Mrs Gilman says,
sis a common consciousness developed, by
common activities, and appearing in US in
proportion to the extent and INTERPOLATION
! of those activities. To share in it de-
/ mands of the Individual, male or female, a
| share in the collective activities which
constitute. human life SUCH a sharing
! Of: human activities springs: from and tends
W d. dIlQ yLdIlISI. 1OT 5IAe
happiness Of the social body, which the
! individual usually tries to satisfy by graft
flying his own personal desires, but which
! cannot be satisfied fully, as one critic has
! rut it, "till every part of the social body
| is perfect; that is till everybody has
everything everybody wants. This in
wolves a different basis of the distribu-
tior of wealth. of course, than is now
| Working then under a recognition of the
organic re1a ton, Of the individual to So
ciety and with that freedom which comes
of absence of care for the means Of sub
sistence, which she would have all amply
supplied with, Mrs. Gilman says the high
est duty of man is:
To assume right functional relation to society,
!, to one another Not charity, not philanthropy,
not beneyolence. not self-immolation or self
/ sacrifice or self7anything; but simply, to find
and hold our proper place in the work In which
/ and by which all live PIC
To do ones work right involves all the vir-
| tues. F... .t.: 90.
So. Mrs. Gilman says in her closing
| chapter, cit is open to u.s. without wait
ing for all to see alike. these. patent
truths, to go to work on such changes
| of economic condition as shall soonest
| check the decay in social tissues SO dan
lgerously apparent at both ends of our
present Society and to bring up, as
soon as may be, those whose growth has
been arrested for ages"
This glimpse. into Human Work is only
the merest glimpse It is not enough on
which to base condemnation or praise OF
the book. Mrs. Gilman has been thinking
4 out the problems for herself and has moi
been afraid to, tell her conclusions, and
many will read them.
r. *s:s4s 54 The Uneasy Chair.
/ Winston ChurchilIs new novel. The
Crossing, is said tosbe in course of drama.
tization by his friend, Louis Evan Ship
man, who dramatized '..The Crisis >
James K. Hackett, who has been camn.
ing In the Thousand islands, has an.
nounced that he will appear in the pla,
next. season; first, it. seems. in washino