New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-14
a. n - W0m 9nS Forum 6
WOMANS LIMITATIONS
OUTLINED BY READER
Her Brain Far from Equal of Man Says Mrs Mac.
Dougall in Letter to Woman Forum and She
Is Not Ready for New Responsibilities

| a
| fnancer. Just quietly open store for
the sale OF any commodity and earn your
| living by the merchandising Of II. DO IL
without backing or patronage. or course.
| YOU will succeed. II is easy as far as
your brain and ability go II is not hard
10 make moncY. And YOU will know En-
erson's philosophy and say TO men as the
squirrel said to the mountain:
II cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can YOU crack nut
You will overcome or teach yourself 70
ignore your physical limitations You
will conquer because "in the bright lexi-
con" OF n true woman there is no such
word as fail" but you will know in
your heart failure that is utter and
complete.
II you are married and have children
you will realize that while you have
given them things" YOU have bereavei
them of YOUR self" You are too men
tally exhausted. You have kept your
nerves and your brain "at strain" all day
and you return at night empty OF enthu-
siasm and initiative. In your life the
beauty OF art and literature, music and
science has been your inspiration and
light on your way, and you long TO give
these true delights 10 your children
against the time when the pleasures We
all can purchase shall perhaps be un-,
available TO them. But you, like every
other man, come home at night empty
and exhausted. knowing that all that can
and must be done IS TO gather between
dark and daylight the force essential FOR
to-m0rroWs business. This is what IL!
means to really be a man and do man
work
n you happen to be unmarried. then
there is the world OF the motherless ard
fatherless-the poor little rich and the rich
little poor--all clamoring for the warmth
OF your love, the strength Of your
brain. the help of your sympathy and IN
dcrstandng. And 10 all you must close
your ears, eyes and heart because Fate
has given YOU the franchise to he SELF
supporting. and your self-respect and Dig
nifty as a woman prevent any halfway
compromise.
Life is not theory--it is fact-and the
solution cannot be found in textbooks or
acts OF legislation. As women We should
rationaize our emotions; We should cdu-
cate ourselves 10 see life as IL Is. not az
We would have it; and il is almost time
for us 10 begin 10 realize the immensely Of
our sphere-the weight OF our response
blities.
II is in this failure Of woman AT once
10 realize her present limitations and her
real abilities that I find my chief obioe-
ton 10 her assuming more responsibilities
which mast inevitably demand Of her the
very qualities which she most lacks.
II seems ludcrous almost TO think that
one should be forced 10 remind women II
what they really, can and ought to do: 10
recall 10 them that they are not ade-
quately filing their present almost unlim-
tied sphere.
Amelioration OF labor conditions-con.
trol OF venereal diseases-may or may not
be accomplished by act Of legislation. II
is hard TO determine just where the EVIL
ends and the good is TO begin, and one
views with actual fear the well in,en.
toned. out often misguided. efforts OF
the Social Reformer."