The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-13
Woman's Revolt Against
The Established Order

one Of tho things bout'whicf wo
man, according to time honorcd tcn-
cts, needs to exercise the greatest
amount OF self repression and con-
troll, Is the impulse which drives her
into revolt against the unending mo-
notony OF the established order OF the
Universe.
Tho feeling that she must do certain
things each day and every day of her
life sometimes makes her long to tear
conyentionality into tatters. and over
turn all tho tencts which would truna-
form her into an Eve, with her lips
5unendlngly curved into a.'prunes and
prisms. smile.
vagraht impulses buried deep In a
womnns nature under the hard crust
OF resolution, with which she over1ays
any departure from tho commonplace
and condemns in herself the sin Of In.
Sdividuallty. stir themselves every now
and again. break through the crust
and thcp-tic unexpected and unfami.
liur phase sets In.
Many a woman Is all her life Bo.
hcmian at heart. even though her lot
may be cast In tho narrowcst and least
oncr to hard and unloye1y drudgery.
but her imagination can break her
letters and then. for lier-it's hie and
away to the land OF b. is desire.
where ono can forget for awhile that
Monday Is wash day; Tuesday, ironing
day: Wednesday. bake day: Thursday.
darning day: Friday. broom day and
Saturday. scrub day.
The revolt against the usual and ex-
Dccted and tho advent OF tho unusual
and tho unexpected into womans
n "A mi n nj
her destiny from her cradle up is all
ways SO absolutely forecast and pre-
arranged. Her tastes. her affections,
her whole scheme OF existence ig map
ped out and. unless she has te courage
that leads her into mutiny. she is pref
" sure to become the reflection of
dominating influences, rather than the
expression OF herself and what she de-
eires. Thus 1t Is whenever woman
asserts herself, she is such a departure
from the established order that she Is
looked upon In tho light OF being al
Tcvclutionlst.
II Is the woman who conforms to
conyentionalfty. who meets eIpecta-
ttons awakened concerning her. who is
not swayed by vagrant desires. who
makes no excursions Into Bohemia, who
asks no inconvenient questions. who is
somnolent, satisfied, sleek with being
we'll groomed and we'll dressed. sub
mlsalve and dutifu1. VINO Is the expo.
nent OF the popular idea.
That there are some people who pre-.
Ter the 8pungent fragrance OF the car
nation and tho wholesome perfume OF
lavender flowers, to the cloying sweet
ness OF the tuberose only proves that
small minority survive TO enjoy nat
uralness even when accompanied by
gIpsy-like procltvities. rather than In
sipidity without them. The minority
goes a little further and protests that
there IS a fearful sameness OF elegance
and correctness in which women are
usually contented to live.
The creed OF the modern woman. says
clever writer. Is: Say the right
thing; look the right thing. She has
run this creed into the ground and
made her life read like certain cut and
dried books OF modern printing, in
which the correctness Of the people
stands out with startling newness and
envelopes the reader in an atmosphere
OF fresh paint and plaster.
Nothing can be more tircsome than
mere etiquette and no one more unin-
teresting than the woman who is a
bond slave to 1t. with al! her primal.
longinss stifled and silenced through
her adherence to It's impositions. Det-
q terror woman to have her little tling.
and indulge in her rebellion, even
though 1t carry her sometimes beyond
{ tho strict rules laid down for her obs
servance, than for her to lose all or
iginality by unauestioningly copying
every new wrinkle of custom. She had
far better throw away her copy book
and start out on original lines. in
stead OF running to seed by doing UNI.
yaryingly the socially proper thing.
VIRGINIA MISSIONER.