The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-28

cause unly hx b0yTa9 works OF ncft0n
and much frsternA1 sympathy. 30 .
feeling Of anxiety creeps INTO my
heart. I realize that 20 many wc
men have donA more than to ND
crate their ststers. But each OF "
acts In her own sphere. according 20
her own strength ana conscience.
About fiftAen pears go ! knew notn4
ling about feminSet theories. Brought
IN In That stOiao, Sound class cnAlcd
ia bourgeoisie. In which. women
even the most fnteliigsnt. are slaves
to tradit. ons and conventionalitisss !
acquired the reputation Of beng
bold, emancipated young lady. just
because I did not share my grand
mothers beliefs on all subjects. Yet
az a child i had been made 10 marry
and had been told again and akAip.
Two is but q subordinate being.
put N the world to sacrifice herself
and TO suffer-
7, happened that one rainy Fsbru-
airy afternoon ! sought a shelter IN
the doorway Of marie MY eyes
fell on a poster which prtckcd my
curiosity, and entered a small room,
in which peculiar people were hold
ing a meeting. seated al the very
end Of the room, Eazed. und stnrn-
ed. ON strange-looklng females, Whose
features did not resemble the les.
tures OF any goddess or muse. Most
on them had reached the ripe" age!
II not exactly ngty. they made them
selves 20 by their incongruous attire
skirts hanging badly. loose biouses.
which no dress supporter ever pro-
famed. mannish felt hats or "sailers"
resting on short-ciipped ha.r. They
were all talk mr. loudly and speaking
I'll Of mon. thought they had some
reasons OF i private kind to be 20 full
OF hatred. a few males were scat
tered among them. Their appear
anee was gh1stly. They were adorned
with dirty ties ana boards, such -
philosophers alone would dare to ex-
hib.t. One Of them urged the women
10 fight against mans tyranny, adyis-
ing them to refuse bearing children
any longer and 70 declare . mater.
nifty strike They agreed with en.
thusiasm. for they al were old mazda!
nv arst "Reminiscences with fsmin-
ism mixht hxre turned ms forever
AGAINST il. BUT behind the grotesque
appearance war> hidden stout hearts,
ana brave souls thaa rebelled AGAINST
Injustice. Instead Of laughing should
have excused what was cx4gxeratfon
or bad taste and looked for the truth
that lay buried nndsr the ludicrous ex-
preston.
In any case my attention was now
ssrakened4 Az the time ] Eas LIKING
In a cosmopolitan sat. whore peopis
OF all classes and sorts mixed to-
getiaer, and whsre broadmtnded ar
lists took special delight IN tearing
sowu old fences We were ~ssfves'1
followers of Teistea, NE had no sense
81 snobbishneSs NOR any respect for
traditions. and ~ were full OF enthu-
stassn as one d Ii the prime OF fife-
nv last shy teettNw " petite oour-
eeoisie'' was gone fr1sn me, and was
passionateiy Interested In people. ~
their different stations In life. and
Was much concerned about womens
condition
learned to know the hardworkinE
women. who at one time seemed az
different from me ~ Indian squAws
or EsQuimaux. French women OF the
lower class are 0kten m1studged bg
foreigners: who 40 NOT reaHxe wnal
wonderful amount ct courage. Pa
'ance. and maternal love tnese women
poHseS3-
In speaking with them found that
most Of them--shop gtris seam
stresses. washerwomen, charEomen--
had a little child to bring up. could
understand how the husbands wages
were not sufficient to enable them 70
stav ut home and take care OF the
| ba t,ies. When.I questioned them, they
would meet my queries with q skep-
| ticai. resigned smils. or else say. my
man is out OF work." or my mar
| il sick" Sometimes they c0pfesseo'
my man 10 not to be depended upon,
He drinks = He has abandoned
mo ~ And all concluded WIFI
| the same remark: Don't believe
work Tor my pleasure.
The brayest Of thexn-Who accom-
pIished miracles to fesd THAR fami'
| lies--Admitted having been driven V
work from necessity. not from choice
They al, had the same dfsan. simiisi
10 the old hereditary tdeAi--to watch
., over the home, bring up the children
uut n bit by. But woman can fulfill
| her mart only when man fuiaiis his
entirely, and In order - watch ovei
| the home she must farse have nome
Through weakness. vteA. or lack o.
capacity large number # men ars
| not able 70 provide tor fhear famliiss
40 that when the huehana,a work u
NOT sulIscient, when Il = not regular
the wife must help him. Sometimes
| 4 nren happens that ~ relies entire
II upon her to be supported and lea.
ON the other hand. IN = nignel
class OF society, thu condition o. wo
| man has been greatly nodtfed durini
the last thirty Year, Young girls Q
/ the bourxeoise do not rot married
easily. or even get married at ~
when they have NO dot. Life \
much dearer than n used r. be:
government ofIlc.ars sAlary. an ordi
nary business mans eeruinss, arc no
high enough to meet the sxpenses o
d household.
A great many young girls, who for
meriy would have Thought themselve
4 dishonored by going out to work. ar
now fOrced to contemplate the mecca
sity Of having . profession. whethe
they like It or not They have Z
choose between work and misery
seif-respecting misery, tha hardest Q
all.
These young girls teachers. em
ployes or students--Nere hampere'
froin the start BY cOs1petitiou. TIA
/. nrofeeetnna apen to 4hean scarce
Them the pa me-. everlasting resrrt ant
moral loneliness. far HHorA painful 3
them than 10 the worA9m - the lows
classes. They tried T. ~ their tai
with pluck. to push AA50e Temptation
ana pern cjous advicas but Nhrn the
ss~eusS their hearts one could read \
Them the saas, everlnafane reGret an