New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-28
THE AMERICAN WOMAN.
Her Ideals and Achievements, as Defined by
Miss McCracken.

~@~~~~N~-~~
In the autumn of 1902 at the request Of the Out
look Company. Miss Elizabeth NIcCra cken began
long journey, the purpose Of which to inves-
tgate "the ideals and achievements of American
women-in the professions in municipal affairs in
the arts, and, above all, in the home and things
pertaining 10 home making" The articles in which
the results Of these Investigations incorporat
ed Miss McCracken has brought together from
the magazine in which they first appeared between
covers under the imposing title The Women az
America (the Macmillan Company New-York).
Here in many chapters. Miss McCracken may
be caught the of turning her searchlight upon
fourteen different types of the genus femina Amer
icana. In the light of her Intelligence the reader is
introduced TO the pioneer woman Of the West, the
woman in the small town the Southern woman
and reconstruction. the woman in her club, from
the college in the play; the American woman of
letters, the mother in the tenement home and the
woman the farm-a sufficiently catholic group.
There are also chapters on woman suffrage in Col
orado women and philanthropy, the school teacher,
women in the professions and the social ideals OF
American
RESULTS OF HER TRAVELS.
That the American is large subject 20
handle is probably the first thought that will occur
to the reader who picks up this book 1t occurred
! TO Miss McCracken also early in her quest-or,
rather before her quest opened. She herself says
that she realized if she devoted the few days which
were all she usually able to spend, even in big
cities. collecting statistics concerning the women
! In those cities and their occupations she WOULD De
obliged to forego the vivid advantage OF per
| sonal meetings with these and personal
visits to the actual scenes of those occupations.
Ana, AFTER having Wei nlgh lIIed her Fuhk Win
pamphlets and calendars; she found that not they,
! women whom she had met comprised the signif-
cant and the real results OF her travels.
the opening chapter on 1The Pioneer Woman OF
the West" Stranded in drearv little way sta ton
| in Nebraska one bleak windy February day the
! author found in the ST Lon young woman hold
from helping the mother to make it more com
Portable with her long ulster aud little chiffon
the woman
NET By THE wAYsIDE
You remind me OF college. said the latter
length. ones possessions always belonged quite
as much TO ones friends to ones self in col
| lege'
| College, I exclaimed invountarly.' to continue
| quoting from Miss McCracken's narrative.
! Yes, said the babys mother; was in college
| two years-in Massachusetts We handed things
about IN the way you've lent my baby your friend s
- Which has been in my pocket ever since left
The great prairie and the wild wind were very Far
nom the Atlantic seaboard.
IT was the turn OF my new acquaintance to
are You from there? Have You just Come? Have
college? Have you seen the new ABBEY pictures?
! Did you ever go to Float Day at Wellesley Did
you ever hear Mrs. Julia Ward Howe recite the
| Battle Hymn OF the Republic? Oh. tell me-
| please tell me everything
| And after Miss McCracken had told her every
suggested tentatively.
/ I don't belong to New-England was born there
belong out here now. I think + must always
| i Lsaty nave 22eiiongeG out mere sIhoqgh never
| a moment and then she concluded simply. the
! man I married. he belongs out here. he always
a young boy. he came because he wanted TO
one TO suppress him out here and nothing 70 hinder
| E!In-and there is so much spaceE
yrT
| up the safe way tho old way; woman gets so
man isn't so afraid to try new ways She 5sused
for d moment and then she repeated more earnestly
help try new ways'
SYMBOLIC OF THE PIONEER
Before they parted Miss McCracken gave the
young Western mother the copy Of RoIfe's edition
! Of Romeo Juliet happensd to
have with aer. 10 read on the train and the
! New Englander-who believed she had been a
2S'eF s ,,t the time a Only she alGn know H.
| white cloak To Miss McCracken she seemed
Of the whole race Of pioneer S womeS which 'l side
| by side with the pioneer man. is helping 10 make
With the advanced woman voter Of Colorado
! the author has little sympathy.
| VINO are actively engaged in politics have hurt
| colorado to be so unmlstakabiv aPparent as TO
! leave little room for that doubt concerning the
matter which I would have preferred 10 retain
That women have by their attitude toward their
! political duties helped 70 make IT so is 10 be
] feared"
Women in the, clubs struck the author much
more satisfactorily than women IN politics. Taking
! as her starting point the remark OF an English
woman who had spent year travelling in this
| Countrywide most American thing in all America
/ is the American wOman's club!"-she arrives the
/ conclusion. after series OF interesting and nlu-
/ minaung anecdotes. that The motto OF all
! clubs might httngly be those words. chosen by
! many ana accurately descriptive Of all organiza-
! tons in this country; words embodying further
/ more. fully and Enthusiastically, great national
/ ideal, Each for all, and all for each"
J But II is In the college woman rather than the
club woman that Miss MCCracken reposes her trust
/ for the future The the college is
/ the surest safeguard in this country against that
/ EVIL with which pessimists occasionally seek
/ brighten us 1y prOphesying--au aristoCracy Of
/ wealth"
The aim Of Bryn Mawr she found 10 be dis
/ tincty scholastic; OF most OF the other colleges
J for women IL America predominantly Smith Col
! lege and the Womans department Of the University
/ Of Chicago. to be civic. But whatever her college
! the college bred woman IS pretty be a per
I son Of resources 70 possess academic and civic
/ enthIsasms and to be unwOrldly-or least I'M
! mercenary. according to Miss McCracken
] Most American women will find things
/ differ with in Miss McCracken's series of brilliant
! studies, but they would find II difficult to be
! interested and stimulated by them.