Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-02-26
PHPERS BY
CLUB WOMEN
Delivered at the Woman's Club
Reception In the Public Library
Club Rooms, Saturday, Jan. 23
Our New Professions.

tieth Century Club.)
No, not altogether that, for in
thinking it over carefully l find that
it is as much the trades as the pro-
fessions that are Transforming the
outlook for mankind and womankind.
Woman is taking her place beside
man in the workshop, in the profess
sions and to certain extent in the
political world.
Whv this transition of affairs7
You know Milton says,
Nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to study household
good.
And good works in her husband to
promote"
A very general opinion up to IF
ty years ago. No thinking person
will doubt that from the beginning,
whatever that may have been. the
general direction of the march of
mankind has been forward. This Is
true both socially and industrially
and our faith in humanity strength
ened by our observations of history
lead US to see that our course is still
forward. By a study of the evolu-
ton of the human race we find that
broadly speaking neither man nor
woman determines by individual in
elniation the position he or she may
fill relative to the industries of the
world. A century ago-before the
/ Capitalization and systematizing of
industries. our manner of producing
the means of life determined that
their time spinning. weaving, boiling
soap, molding candles, binding shoes
braiding straw. Manufacturing has
always been within woman's sphere
A century passcs.-and the depart
mcnt store, the factory, with many
other kindred institutions take from
woman the things that filed her hand
and brain, the means by which she
performed her part in the economy
Of existing civilization.
Thus It has not been a mere mat
ter of choice that has crowded wo-
man into the trades and profess
To the thousands of women whose
individual attention is not demanded
by home duties, the trades and pro
fessions are the only avenues open
to the development Of their natural
powers and faculties, the neglect oi
which means stagnation and physical
an dmoral setrogration.
The laws of evolution have decided
for US that mankind shall move for
ward and as there must always be {
certain number of women not active
ly engaged in immediate home du
ties, these will and should find some
thing to do.
On account OF her quickness o.
perception and movement woman car
fill many places better than man
The fact that our factories and othei
places of manual work are not suit
ed to the more delicate organisms o.
woman's constitution, and that th'
professions also seem sometimes tc
unfit women for homo duties doe:
not prove that the trades and pro
fcssions should not be freely opened
to her 1t simply demonstrates
necessity for a readjustment in th'
matter of more sanitary conditions
better machinery and shorter hour:
and a publication of professional anc
oublic life. another step in harmony
with the evolution OF the race thu:
benefiting man as well as woman.
By study OF causes we can under
stand and make easier the transition
from lower TO higher planes. but We
can no more swerve civilization from
its fixed course than We can change
the seasons or control the tides. The
opcnino OF colleges to women ant
the co-education in our universitic:
are giving woman a broader OUTLOOK
on life.
Julia Ward Howe, one of the mos
public spirited women of the day, ir
speaking of the advance since civi
war davs says: The new implse o'
freedom reaches not race only but
sex also" The mandate to woman
is Come up higherl Extend your
work more broadly. Cerberus i:
slain. YOU may walk forth with free.
dom. What a new world! or rather
how the truths of our old world are
BURSTING forth into blossom and
-romised fruition.
Every avenue of activity. every vo.
cation has its possibilities for WON.
an. Choose wiselyi Don't stagnate'
Let every woman who finds JOY in
housework and the nursery turn to
that, for the greatest and foremost
vocation for woman is homchood. II
she lacks the mothcring instinct. lei
her turn from that to a public life
in the trades or professions. Let the
woman who loves the atmosphere oi
the commercial world stick TO it; lei
the woman who loves music and the
arts win higher honors. Let the wo'
man who loves study follow schol'
arly researches and take her place
with the botanists, the astronomers
inventors. d: :5coverers, lawyers, ora
tors. They are all open to her.
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