The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-23
Women S Lack of
Esprit De Corps

t &.
Mr.. Robert Kitchens. In d recent Issue
AZ Tim Queen. tho English society court
E5ourna1. lns a very interesting article
n IN Miss Marie corelli's book of essays,
4 which she has published under the title
OF Free Opinions.
u Mr.. Kitchens says III regard to these
4 essays that they are full of "virncitS,
courage and OF dlsdaln for men, He,
4 being man, cannot understand why
Miss Cureli Is so unusually clenr-sghted
III regard TO the faults and weaknesses
%of his sex; why she considers men as
]thoroughiy selfish and cowardly. ana
believes they invariably climb tree to
get out Of the way Of punishment anu
never fall. If the opportunity Is offered,
to mnke life full of gall and NORWOOD
for women.
Another thing thnt seems to astonish
/ Mr. Kitchens, even more than MISS
Corelli's differentiation OF mere man"
Is the fact Of "her whole-hcarted nd
miration and almost worship OF The fine
qualities Of her own sex, and Of indl-
yid,ml women" ID
Ho turns aside from the point ut ISSUE
He mentions. it Is true, the charges that
Miss Corell brings forward. Having done
!, that much. he attempts no defense ana
makes no admission Instead, lie uncon-S
sciously follows out Miss Corcllfs theory
and 'evndcs punishment BY striking AT
(. The authorcss through women in general.
why" he asks. III men arc so con-
+emptihlc. do most women trust them
more ms friends than they trust their ow1,
sex2
"Perhaps'' he continues. 'the answer
IS that women are. as a rule, far more
fine fau, more virtuous far more lraman
i.-or shall say humane?-inS their
dealings with our sex than in their deal
inrs with their own think that even
the hest aud incest Of women are often
quite oddly. almost inexplicably. cruel to-
wards members Of their own sex. Ready
10 stand up for their sex MS a whole. to
defend 1t warmly, even violently; when 1t
comes to a question of individuals. down
20 the thumbs with n swiftness and q
1lnnnimity which are quite puz2linB to the
mere man.
The counter charge that Mr.. Hchens
makes is an old one and. unfortunately,
II is true. in Il sense. Women have not
as he explains the esprit de corps
that they should. They may be phlan-
thropic und charitable, in the line OF
giving money. but they lack the princi-
nle Of union, and that lack has always
impcdcd their progress and hamperod
their power for usefulness.
So it is that Mr.. Hichens inGuires
'tWhy, If we are so cowardly, 90 not
women give us lead?"
+ ...Ioersonallv. agree with Miss CGrelli
that the virtues have been uncdually d.
yided-thc virtues, not the talents ana
that woman has more than man. hut one
virtue that we men have think woman
Z lacks. and that Is esprit dc corps. Wo-
| men often fouls her own nest-far too
often.
I. &",rhat acquisition cannot be brought
against Miss Corclli / think-Of course |
do, being a man-that she Is a little 100
hard on lis men. But wht1, she sings the
praises of the virtues and the forbcarance
OF women am generally with her.
5"I,et women give us a lead Let them
aherin to sneak we'll of each other Let
them even be ready to say, if 1t be true,
".rhat woman's hat suits her better than
nv hat suits me- Then they will guide
MS IN out Of our Inlre, perhaps. They
will lift us a little nearer to themselves
the angels 1
The curious power of self-deception cx-
!, ercised, by women who criticise thelr
own sex. as Mr.. Kitchens has explained. is
one of the things that can never be en-
plaincd. How they can possibly imagine
that their innuendoes, thcis, pitiful little
iealousies and their depreciatory speeches
can ever, for an instant, impose upon
the masculine mind for whose benefit |
they are paradcd, is utterly and entirely
sincomprehensihlc.
4 If all women, after reading what Mr..
.IIichins has written. would resolve to DO
different, to cultivate more charity for |
each others weaknesses, and to pre-
serve that fine sense Of self-rcspcct which |
must always forbid indulgence in detrac-
lion of Others and consequent initiation
of self, men would estimate them diff
ferenty and respect them far more'-'rhe
Editor.