The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-12-19

known as an author. Among her first ht-
erary work may be mentioned her trans
lation Of Pierre Lofts Iceland Fisher
man" which was praised by the critics.
In 1854 appeared her first novel, The Saw
dust Doll" dealing with society in New
port and New York. 1t went through ten
editions and was republshed in England
and India Her novel. by the Waters of
Babylon" was also distinct success"
The liberty of American women has
become so universally accepted fact
that it has passed into a byword Of
comparison to the older nations.
The puritan idea has become at
last transmitted through the light and
luxury of wealth and the diffused in.
Guence Of widely scattered location.
into a basis Of fine responsibility and
a finer courage From Virginia and
the more southern states we have
fluent charm, soft womanhness and
grace both lovable and admirable out
regrettably lesaening with the disap.
pearance of the characteristic life Of
the south.
1t is too early to attempt an analysis
OF the western idea Of American WON.
anhood, for the west, from Cleveland
and Chicago outward, is but q system
of eastern colonies with only one gen.
eral and determining condition, and
that is liberty, under which individual
traits, traditions and tendencies find
their full opportunity of development.
These various ideas, historical as
well as local. in their origin have pro-
duced the types OF women thus largely
indicated in our country. Profoundly
felt and almost universally operative.
beneath these varying influences, re-
mains the oldworld Orientalism that
women should be first charming, again
charming and always charming. Char.
acter, logic reason aud other stern
requirements of life are for the most
part left to develop ia some mysteri'
GUS way, INTENDED.
The desirability Of a thorough col.
legiate education is as a rule not &C.
cepted voluntarily by the solvent por'
ton Of our national community. The
female universities are demanded by
the future breadwnners among WON,
en- and supported by them This is an
almost universal fact and it. has a
double Significance. It. is at once a
promise and. reDrOaCh. In plain
words. the American girl Is superb
ciaIIy educated except when she Is
compelled to earu her own living.
There is a shalIoWness Of foresight so
universal deficiency Of logic so Sc
rious and so ominous in this certainly
universal inclination on the part OF
American parents that one may we'll
stop aud inquire its reason.
In certain celebrated essay by
SChOpenhauer, an essay as acrlmoni'
Gus as IL Is profound, he remarks upon
the universal jealousy between all
women as women Jealousy among
men, he Insists. is largely professional,
when it is not intensely personal from
particular emotional impulse. The
male will fight tCr his chosen mate as
long as the race continues; but watch
pretty woman. says this philosopher,
as she walks the street and see the
| glances cast upon her by the women
she crosses In her path They are the
glances Of the Guelph and the Ghibel
line. The jealousy IL as universal as
the sex. likewise professional. in the
sense that wOmen'S only profession is
to please the men. their masters. He
goes further and with savage bitter
ness declares that the libery Of women
Is a monStrouS idea, German.Christian
in its origin. which is the curse OF
Europe. He advises the restoration OF
the feminine seclnsion of the middle
ages and lauds the institution of the
harem, which he insists would eltmi'
nate vice and all the dangers which
beset homogeneous civilizations. This
is indeed vivid expression OF the
idea of woman and her proper tunc.
tiOn and limitation. But his idea is
only too prevalent at the present
time. even in America, the last outpost
of European civilization The linger'
ing proof Of this deep-Iying prejudice
Is shown in its application to the edu'
cation Of American women. The con.
cIusion derived from the prejudice is
inevita ble-it i3 dangerous to be clev.
er. Such reputation may be for.
midabIe handicap in the race tor hap.
piness, If womans happiness is in
the hands Of man. 1t is idle to deny
that this is so. And here we have The
.v,hU nf ~
are guarded from any such peril, why
beauty and charm. gentieness. good.
ness and Submissiveness are the aual.
ities which clothe young man s fancy
and dictate the choice Of wife.
The question now is pertinent. Does
cultivated mind, with its Infinitely
various resources, detGact from
charm? Does trained logic, with its
Innumerable applications to the prob.
lens OF life destroy it? 1t Is aston
mind for these centuries should have
persisted in the conclusion that they
de- The slightest hint of rivalry 10
the male Intelligence is destructive to
budding prediction and glimpse
OF blue above slipper more perilous
than whisper of bifurcation.
All this is true with a solemnity
profounder than its irony; bu. the
weapon is in the hands of women. a
weapon forged by centuries of subordi,
nation-the faculty Of meeting condl-
tions. In the hands of really clever
woman this is tact; in those OF the in.
ept and ignorant, deceit aud subter.
fuge. II is only ostentatious clever.
ness, not cleperness at all In fact
which is deterrent to the exercise OF
any charm or talent There Is never
an hour in the life of a woman when