The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-09
Marked G. Characteristics
of the Modern Woman

The mental attitude of women has
undergone a complete bouleversemsnt
with tho march OF years, and one of
tho marked characteristics Of the
modern school OF women is the inter
est and sympathy they feel and y
press for members of their own SEX
The fashion OF a generation ago led
women into the habit OF depreciatinE
zach other ana Of idealizing men. re-
gardtng them as be!ngo much superior
10 females In every way. Women OF
this former generation regarded mar
rage for themselves and those they
were Interested In. rather as IL 1t were
a specially vouchsafed blessing by
which their destinies were crowned.
than az q favor conferred by them on
men elected by their choice to matrt-
moniaI precedence.
Women of to-day exhibit condescen-
sion on tho question of matrimony.
They still at heart acknowledge the
%rubiection OF the wife to the husband
and the obligations and duties Of we'd
lock to a. certain extent. But they
scorn to pose as devotees to the hand
Notwithstanding cult. When once
the nuptial VOW have been spoken.
the are prepared to do their part.
sven to the extent Of obedience with
limitations. but they Will never be
ready or willing to confess by word or
deed that the husband Is not more
to be congratulated than the wife. This
because, primarily, he is the wooer,
while she. after due elaboration. per-
lnits herself to be wooed n won.
Finish of Humility Phase.
The end Of the Victorian, era was the
finish OF the humility phase for wo-
men. The fact is clearly evidenced,
especially by women who influence
others through literature. In the por-
trayal OF their heroines the type Is
altogether changed. andsin the xpres-
sion Of sentiment and opinion, the au-
thor and heroine arc alike in being
entirely self-reliant and Independent.
Their entity is their own and they
have not the faintest Intention of
merging It In that of another. The
Elizabeth Barrett Brownings with
their Portuguese Sonnets' and such
writer's as Miss Warner. of ."The Wide,
Wide World" and "Queechy'' fame, are
no longer existent. The modern W.T.
man could neither pen the poems nor
follow the example set by Miss War
rer in her creation of book women.
"A Step Ahead OF grandmother.
But the modern. woman admits the
presence of fe~lnininity outside OF her
EtiGllE d. * u IIiOcO,n anu az Va hSS INTO
sympathetic and generous considera-
ton the claim of the t%sisterhood upon
her time and thought. and the neces-
sity of doing whatever h can for
the betterment n uplifting of all
other women. From this point.of view
the product of modernity Is a step
ahead OF her grandmother and her
great-aunt. What she does and is Will
ing to do for her fellow-wonlen counts
TO her for much. Through tho progress
she has made 1t has happened that the
proverbial hostility feltsby women to-
ward women Is entirely played out.
Women do not hesitate now to be gen
erous enough to admire eachf1other's
beauty and talents and to be Justly ap-
p~reclative, instead of indulging in eh-
Wy and rivalry as wasstoo often forpn-
erly the case. 1T was indeed an old
and accented saying that true friend
ship could not continue %unruffled be-
tween members of the weaker sex.
That this saving has been disprovetl
all the world knows, Tt also knows
that the spirit OF Loyalty and %colnrade-
ship. now almost universal. was not
thought OF or expected among the wo-
men Of Yesterday.
Tor this reason the girl of IA present
day has ADVANTAGES over her prede-
cessor OF the middle n%ineteenth cen-
fury period, whose alteration for men
WAS somewhat CONNER surate with her
lacl OF sympathy for women. Not only
was such a woman cut off in a meas
nro from tho friendshipSof her sex, but
she was ant to nrovs IN the end a bore
TO- her 1oversor husband; for men much
aprefer having their faults treated
aeniently to being localized, ana grow