Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-07

yON0gI zine. In speaking OF the i'm
- portant part women played in
state affairs in the days OF l776. Miss Tar
bell SAYS:
Iaking them all in all. the Revolution
airy woman graspcd fully the ideas OF her
time saw its vision and rose valiantly 10
meet us needs. She Is a splendid type-a
sullaIt lady from whom II Is an honor to
nave descended. But after all Is said. there
Is no trucr test OF her character and in
telllgence than the way she met the new
IDEAS about her own position and rights
which were born with the Revolution. THAT
upheaval, like the French Revolution. gave
a great impulse toward bigger living. The
nation had taken a full breath and felt
the stir Of II in its veins. Everybody saw
clearer, stepped higher, felt drawer and
dared more. Women, as men, shared the
emotion and began to strain at their bonds.
These bonds were real enough. Noble and
understanding as this lady OF '76 was I'm
iact and recognized by the men of her
day to be, in theory she was anything but
that. She was a person OF inferior mind.
unable to master the strong meat OF edu-
cation without dangerous results TO her
reason, unfit to be trusted with the guard
ianship Of her property or her children.
lest both suffer, not to be allowed free
speech in public lest her tongue run away
with her and disorder and false doctrines
be encouraged, not to be allowed to mix in
the gatherings or deliberations of men lest
her household, her manners and public
morals suffer. The greatest men Of New
England are on record on these points. and
the church and the law upheld them. HUI
miIfN charity phFaar1, ,..at .,
fulness, godliness-these we're the qualities
they demanded; and they got them. How
weak human nature could attain these
highest Of virtues as perfectly as their
wives did and still be as weak and untrust-
worthy in mind as they theoretically were
- was never explained.
Speaking of two conspicuous women pa
triots who figured during revolutionary
times, Miss Tarbell says:
Il doubt If there were two men among
the patriots who had a clearer view of the
Situation from the start than Mercy Otis
Warren and Abigail Smith Adams, wife
of President John Adams, or whether to-
day, with all our higher education and en-
larged opportunities, we are able to pro-
duce a better type than these two women
products Of the best traditions Of their day.
Both were Massachusetts born-both
came from families Of intelligence and
serious purpose, before they were twenty
both had married educated men who were
active in the government Of Massachusetts
and who from the first resisted Great
Britain's growing tendencies to exploit
the colonies. Neither Abigail Smith nor
Mercy Otis ever had anything of what we
should call schooling. They had been
taught at home to read and write and
keep accounts, and that was the end of
1t; but they had access to good books, and
they had practiced unlimited letter writ
ing.
The approach Of the Revolution found
them both women with families, Mrs. War
rem living at Plymouth and Mrs. Adams at
Braintree. Familiar with every detail of
colonial politics as they we're, their homes
were soon centers of red-hot patriotism. The
Adamses and Warrens had been accus-
toned to visiting and writing back and
forth. and as the troubles grew their in
timacy became the closer. Letters flew be-
tween them, filled with suggestions, coun-
sci and encouragement. While the cores
pondence was most active in this circle
Of four, 1t was not confined to II. Mrs.
Warren, particularly, had a large list of
distinguished correspondents, and with
them the exchange of news and opinion
was constant. So helpful did Mr.. Adams
and Mr.. Warren find the letters of their
wives that finally the latter suggested that
groups be formed throughout the colonies
for similar correspondence. The idea was
eagerly seized upon, and was the beginning
Of the committee OF correspondence, which
played so large a part in the Revolution.
Largely because Of Mr.. Adams urging,
Mrs. Warren became a veritable pam
phleteer in verse. She was, so thought sur.
Adams and many Of her friends, an incom-
parable s%atirist, and they urged her, for the
good of the cause to revile the Tory and
canonize the patriot.
While Mrs. Warren was pouring out
POEMS, dramas and history. Mrs. Adams
was writing to her husband and TO her
friends, from her troubled home in Brain
tree, volumes of frank, picturesque letters
IA series which furnish the liveliest
sketches we have Of the life of the Revo-
lutionary patriot and his family.
The interest and activity Of both women
in shaping public opinion did not cease with
the Revolution. AS long as they lived they
were keen critics and valued counselors.
WOmen ms Takers.