Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-15
Copyright by J. 3. Bo~lssD

tMrg. Rebecca Harding Davis has long
, nsen known as u talented writer VI fic-
Afnar9ss... Frances Waideaux" and DIR
philadelphia She is the mother or Rich.
ARD Harding Davis. the author)
Surely we are all familiar by this
time with the claims to admiration
Of the new woman; the beauty and
energy and keen mother wit which
as Americans believe. set her apart
from the women of other nations and
make her unique. as WAS once the
huntress Diana among the gods.
She never tires OF counting over her
recent successes. from the marvellous
costumes that she wears to her
achievements in biology. in cookery
or In founding new religions. The
woman OF the last generation walked
In narrow path; in her life. as in
Chinese song. there were but three
notes-love, marriage and motherhood.
but this queen OF the present hour
has thousand parts to play. You
never know where to find her. She
may be driving four.in-hand in
Broadway or looking for the north
pole In the arctic seas or nursing
some poor beggar in the slums, or
s. most likely OF all, she may be set
Ting herself comfortably for life as
duchess or princess in some old Eng
llsh or Italian family.
We all look on with pride. and
wonder complacently what she will do
next.
The chief difference between her
and her grandmother-and 1t Ia a
very curious difference-is that the
older woman regarded herself SIM
ply as part OF the human race. The
man was Its head. its spokesman.
She thought of herself as his child.
his wife or his mother
The woman Of to-day is not only
his equal but his antagonist. She
talks not of humanity but womanity.
Every village has Its club OF women
who urge each other into new profess
siona, work or studies which have
hitherto been considered the business
OF men only.
Every newspaper has n woman's de-
partment in which the successes Of
the sex In wrestling trades and handi.
crafts from their brothers and hus-
bands are daily noted
] saw to-day the announcement that
woman was now filling a place as
brakeman on a western railway. This
fact IS told with hysterical sob Of
triumph. as though when this ener-
,setlc young person laid her hand on
the brake She had dealt q fatal blow
at the foe OF her sex and had made
for. herself long stride upward in
thef scale of being.
In our national exhibitions, too.
there is always woman's department
where statues. pictures, soaps, confec-
tionery, ETC.. made by our sex are ex-
hibIted apart TO prove that women
are as skilIful with their fingers as
men.
| confess i do not understand this
balllgerent attitude in the modern
woman, nor her vanity. Is sire not
human. like the man? Has she not
the same fingers. eyes and tongue
She Is not q monkey nor freak that
her cleyerness should be trumpeted
and paraded as abnormal in the pub
lie eye.
"A man when he invents new pillow
or paints picture does not shout out:
"A mana man has done this. Not
woman! See how superior the male
OF the race IS to the female."
But we American women OF late
years never weary OF boasting OF the
doings of our sex. and especially on
the ground that they are SO much like
the doings5 OF men.
1t Is true that at the close OF the
civil war OUR women were forced to
compete with men for work and
wages in every part OF, the field OF
labor They had to make place for
themselves then as wage earners or
starve. 1t was no wonder that they
were aggressive and sharp during that
time.
But why squabble and fight now7
The whole field is open to them. All
OF the fences are down. There Is not
now. r'believe. single honest occupa-
tion by which living can be earned
which is not open to capable, decent
woman to try for It. Men give her
a fair field and much favor. Whether
she chooses 10 drive garbage cart or
write a historic novel. they invarta-
bly, are kinder TO her. endeavors and
N applaud her more loudly than If she
bYwere man.
w Why. then. this incessant. defiant
Assertion of woman's achievements
'v(And possibilities?
M This constant noisy boas,ng seems
10 be akin to the loud cacl,lIng In the