The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-12-05


am neither tall nor short, thin nor
fat, nor am | cross-eyed. am undeni-
ably no beauty, yet l have received
some compliments on my good look,
sand | can not confess to any particu-
lar defects. Women and men alike
usually praise my skill in dress.
| come of an honorable family, of
people who have done their share the
worlds work. | was brought up to
liberal views, both in religious and SOC
ial matters, and among peopelectnwty
ial matters and among people of edu-
cation and culture. Naturally, also,
| was brought up on somewhat old
fashioned" lines as to the destiny and
training of a woman. / can keep
houes" and cook nearly as well as my
mother-and that's saying a good deal
for myself, too-and / can sew and
mend somewhat better now, as that part
of the domestic economy was early
turned over to my strong eye-sight.
Moreover | like keeping house. Even
washing dishes does not seem to arouse
emotions within me that are aroused
in some women! Perhaps it is because
| am stronger than the average woman,
or because of violent liking of doing
things myself that are connected with
keeping things clean. When it comes
to the accomplishments, | must confess
mye1f weak can make fairly &C
ceptable hand at bridge, but | don't
really like it, or any card game. | can't
en1broider much-or | won't and my
musical ability is mostly in liking to
go to good music, or hear some one
else perform.
This a frank confession, and while
| it is impossible to pronounce upon the
individual case, it is not difficult to give
general explanation that will cover
the situation Men assume by virtue
of their sex the right to control, and
/ it is a very shallow sort of woman that
the average man can control. He there
| fore fears an educated or bookish wo-
man, to whom his own weakness would
soon become manifest. Many more
men than women go through college,
but too often their education amounts
to very little. They are graded thru
the various classes to graduation, when
they have only memorized the text
books without ever having got an idea
/ from them. These are the sort of col
/ lege men who avoid and fear college
women, and seek those of the sex who,
they suppose, are weak enough to look
jup to them and acknowledge their SUI
periority.
The white races have inherited from
| the Middle Ages, the era of chivalry,
| the idea that the man should be the
knight and champion for the protec-
/ ton and control of the weaker sex.
There were no scholarly women IN
those times, and their highest duty,
j from romantic point of view was to
nurse the sick and wounded knights
who were engaged in the incessant
wars, domestic and foreign of that age.
That age has passed. Men under the
baneful influence of distilled liquors.
tobacco and other drugs which were
unknown to the human race until the
Sixteenth Century, have become so de-
kmoralized and degenerated that many
are no longer fit to be the support, and
protection of women, and others are
afraid to undertake it.
This is the reason why SO many Wo-
men are seeking collegiate education,
and pushing their way into the
trades and professions formerly mono-
polized by men, because they find it
necessary, not only to support them
selves, but also worthless male rela-
tives.
Of course, there are still many able,
virile and vigorous men who are fully
] fitted to be the champions and protec-
tors of the women, but in view of the
fact that in every country the women
are in the greatest numbers, because
the men are killed off by wars and
dangerous trades, any extensive de-
generacy of the male sex necessarily
leaves many of the finest women UNI
married.
Under these conditions the move
ment by women for political power
and for a wider field in business and
social liberty, will go on until the
steady decline of the stronger sex will
leave in the hands of the women all
the power and all the control they de-
mand
The intellectual woman, other quail
tiles being in harmony, and who is not
too 'bossy." is the most charming COM
pafiion in the world, but the vain and
shallow fellow will be wise to avoid
her. She vii not submit to the at
tempted control of an inferior male
creature.