The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-09
SOME DIFFERENCES

| Have you ever heard an an.i-suffra gist
| ir-some fine hight of eloquence relating
| to womans unfitness for the sterner is
sues of life quote Tennyson's words
| Woman is not undeYcloped man, but III
Verse?" They often do quote them fell
| ing to recall chat this constitutes an ar.
, gument for rather than against equal
| suffrage since women may bring to the
solution of public questions viewpoint
and insight somewhat different from
| that of men. And it is funny thing that
| the antis, using these fine phrases fail
| to quote the rest of that passage from
| Tennyson:
| yet. in the long years, liker must they
| The man be more of woman, she of mar;
| He gain in sweetness and in moral
height,
| Nor lose the wrestling thews that throw
| the world
| She mental breadth, nor lose in chldwaril
care
DR.. Sargent says that women must not
attempt to lessen the difference between
| their own AMI the opposite SEX" Yet
others say that many things which les
sen the difference between men and Woln-
| en- would be beneficial to both AS q
case in point, suppose we recall that il
the average man could be cured of
! swearing, and the average woman of
screaming at a mouse they would, Just
to this extent, be rendered more alike.
y ct both would be improved.
have just read an opinion given in the
words OF a clever woman as to the lessen
ing of these differences and its effect
She says that almost every new thing
that women nave tried to do has Eoen
denounced at first as unwomanly SIM
ply because it was unusual. There vas
a time When it WAS thought unwon,anly
to spell a hard word right. 1t was too
much like man. Mrs. Gait reminds us
that the study of geography was once
locked upon as unfemlnine-so much so
that one girl who took 1t was hooted in
the streets. There goes the geography
girlr The same was the case with
higher education. Authorship was long
held obe highly unwomanly Even the
gentle Charles Lamb said, 1.-The woman
who lets herself be known as an author
invites disrespeot.' For generatio pal
lor and fraSility Were regarded as marks
Of womanly delieacy, and robust health
CT healthy appetite in a woman were
regarded as disgrace and those who ha /
them We're warned to conceal it. Our
great grandmothers would have tainted
away If anyone had offered to teach
girls the athletic feats which they now
accomplish dntl dii SbclttA with one voice
would have protested against them as un-
womanly to an outrageous degree Mary
persons of old fashioned ideas still hold
this opinion. Among them a girl who
likes active outdoor games is condemned
as a "tomboy' Just as a young man who
is superior to vice is often sneered at by
his companions as Sissy
There is great confusion of thought
as to what is raanly and what is wom-
anly and what may or may not be per-
mitted Ito the women) if the sexes are
rot to become too much alike. Yet there
is one clear rule which governs the whole
case. Everything is to be deprecated
which tends to lessen the characteristic
virtues of men and women: everything
is to be welcomed which tends to lessen
their characteristic faults
Women would regret as much to see a
decline OF strensth and courage among
men as men would to see a decline of
sympathy and tenderness among women
But when women add courage and
breadth of mimi to their tenderness and
men add symathy and kindness to their
strength, it is better for them both and
still better for the children who come
after them.