The sun., 1908-01-12

woman tare any 0ettef, which aeeus
strange when We recall that both as singers
and as players on musical instruments
women have always been conspicuous
Music. however. is essentially more subtle,
ABSTRACT and elusive than any other art
There can be no reason in the nature Of
things why women should not ultimltsiy
be capable Of as high achievements in the
composition Of music and n painting as
they already are on the stage and in the
! field Of fiction
VI.
whole chapter OF the book before US
Is devoted to the views of Herbert Spencer
concerning the development Of women
In his Study Of Sociology he asserts
that such qualitative distinctions as re-
main between the minds Of men and women
are those which have grown out Of their
mutual relations as stronger and weaker.
Amid the conditions OF existence through
which the human race passed In early
barbaric times and during the upward
progress to civilization the weaker sex
inevitably acquired certain mental traits
through its dealings with the stronger.
In the course Of the struggles for existence
among wild tribes those tribes survived
and courageous but aggressive unscrupu-
lous and intensely egOistic Necessarily.
then, the men OF the conquering races
which gave origin to the civilized races
were men in whom the brutal characteristics
were dominant, and. necessarily. the
women OF such races, having to deal with
brutal men, prospered in proportion as
they possessed or acquired fit adjustments
Ia hvr
strength to hold their own, enabled never
theless 60 do so9 Mr.. Spencer suggests
that several mental traits may have helped
them to do this. He sets down, first, tho
ability to please and the concomitant
love OF appreciation. Clearly, other things
being equal, among women living at the
mercy Of men, these who succeeded most
In pleasing would be the most likely TO
survive and to leave posterity. And (recog-
nizing the predominant descent OF qualities
on the same side) this acting on successive
generations, tended to establish as
feminine trait a special s0licitude to be
approved and an aptitude Of manner to
this end Spencer notes in the second
place that the wives OF merciless savaRes
must, other things being equal, have pros
pered in proportion to their powers Of dis
guising their feelings.
further ability is named by Spencer
a. likely to be cultivated and established
that which we call tact, the ability to dis
tinguish quickly the passing feelings OF
those around. In barbarOus times a woman
who could. from a movement, tone OF
voice or expression Of face. detect in
stantly in her savage husband the passion
that was rising would be likely to escape
danNRTo rim mi hW laaa al 1oI
in interpreting the natural language OF
feelings. Hence, from the perpetual exer-
else Of this power, and the survival OF,
those having the most Of 1t, Spencer In
ferred it's establishment as a feminine
faculty.
The thesis propounded in this book
is fortified by the undisputed fact that
throughout Spencer's writings when he
is discussing the differences between men
and women he always attributes them
to differences in past environment: no.
where does he suggest that differences
OF physical or Intellectual strength be-
tween men and women may have arisen
from a constitutional or fundamental dis
tinCtion. In a chapter on the status OF
woman in the Principles of Sociology"
Spencer points out that in no way Ia the
moral progress Of mankind 30 clearly shown
as by contrasting the position OF women
among savages with their position in civilized
life. Among wsrlike peoples the position
Of women is uniformly low. The men are
often absent in war and consequently
excessive burdens are placed upon the
women, but the lower the women the less
respect and consideration do they receive
from the men. As war wanes. however,
and industTiaism increases men and
women join in similar occupations and both
are uphfted. There is another point to
he considered. Among peoples habitually
warlike polygAmy becomes universal and
women are corTespondingly degraded. As
industrialism advances and men and women
engage in similar pursuits monogamy
becomes more and more the CUSTOM
and the more monogamy is enforced the
higher the condition OF women, which Is true
alike OF civilized and barbarous peoples
Spencer recalls that among the Pueblos
there ia -courtship and exercise OF choice
by girls. and none Ia forced TO marry against
her will. however eligible her parents may
consider a proposed match. Sometimes
the usual order OF courtship is reversed
when a girl is disposed to marry she does
not wait for young man to propose to
her but selects one to her own liking and
consults her father. who visits the parents
Of the youth and acquaints them with his
daughters wishes The author OF this
book is inclined to regard this usage Of
the Pueblos as full Of suggestion. In our
civilization custom forbids a young woman,
no matter how her affections may be en-
gagged. TO give a sign until the young man
has signified a preference for her. Dr.
Densmore thinks that this state of things
may be a survival from the time when a
wife was obtained by capture or purchase.
The double standard OF morals-one for
the man and another and very different
one for the woman--was no doubt estab- |
hshed by the men who owned their wives.
and it has been carefully guarded and
handed down to the present day.
M.WH
Americas National Ideals.
The twenty sixth and concluding volume |