The Washington times., 1920-11-23
Shalu Tells Evolution
OfWon,an From Tears
To Cigarette-Sn1
BY G. BERNARD SHAW.

quite possible TO hope That smoking
would disappear in the twentieth.
But Edward VII succeeded In estab-
fishing large cigars. each one capa-
BILE OF poisoning the air OF the room
for a month. In the drawing room;
and now people who do not smoke
have to choose between stale tobacco
fumes and social ostracism.
As refinement was supposed to be
proper to women, and roughness
proper to men, nifty years ago. the
great Increase In companionship be-
tween men and women during that
period was bound either TO refine the
men or roughen the women. IL has
done both. The feminine refinement,
which was only Stiffness disguised
by affection. has gone: and women
are harder and healthier. and the
stock sizes OF their clothes are
larger in consequence.
The masculine vigor that was only
toorishness, slovenliness. and neglect
| OF person and clothes has fled before
feminine criticism. But the general
ization that women are refined and
, men rough by nature Is a superficial
one, holding good only when. as often
happens. the mans occupation Is
rougher than the woman's. The nat
ural woman cannot afford to be as
fastidious as the natural man; II she
shirked all the unpleasantness that
he escapes the race would perish.
As matter OF fact. there are
coarse women and coarse men, re-
fined women and refined men; and
there IL no reason to suppose that the
proportions differ in the two sexes
There is, however. rebellion
! against nature in the matter OF the
very unequal share OF the burden OF
reproduction which falls to men and
women in civilized communities.
say civilized communities advisedly
because the extremely artificial life
OF the modern lady has the effect of
making her natural functions patho-
logical
Whether the rebellion has been 60
ing on ever since ladies were in
vented 4 do not know. because his
tory is silent on the subject as IL is
on so many specially feminine sub
jects.
But ] can testify that among the
women brought up amid the feminis,
movement of the second half Of the
nineteenth century, there was a re-
volt against maternity which went
deeper than that revolt against ex-
cessive maternity which has led to
birth control. These more thorough
going rebels objected to the whole
process. from the occasional event it
self to the more permanent conditions.
it imposes.
SUGGESTS TREATMENT.
And / suggest that, when a woman
is found in complete revolt against
maternity the proper treatment for
her apparent mania is not to revile
her as a monster. but TO explain to
her that her instructive antipathy is
quite creditable movement toward
, an end that will one day be reached
though IT cannot relieve her from the
necessity for kindly and sensibly
making the best of the existing ar
rangcments.
A typical feminist event OF the
last half century was the unbinding
OF the feet of the women OF China
This outrageous practice. and the sub
mission of women to it, proved that
no extremity of abortion is imposs-
BILE when the human Imagination gets
loose from its vital moorings. The
bound foot was not more injurious.
probably, than the hour-glass waist
but it impsed itself on the whole sex.
whilst hour-glass waists of any seri-
Gus tenuity were few and far be-
tween.
And now I shall be asked whether
| have anything to say about Wo>an
in Thought, in Art, in Shakespeare,
in the Musical Glasses, and in the
glow of her soul. Have I noticed
nothing but the position of her stays.
the shape of her boots, and the
fashion of her dress? ! reply. moth
ing whatever except the changes
that have come to-ls all without dis
tinction of sex. If there has been
I specifically feminine change of soul,
/. being masculine. cannot know any
thing about it; for I am too old to
have inherited a share of it from my
mother; besides, If it could be in
herited by a male. it would not be
specifically feminine.
I do not regard women as animals
of another species. ] have no diff
ficulty, as a playwright, in making
female dramatis personae as easily
as male ones: and | conclude that
could not DO this il | had not first-hand
knowledge of both, being my mothers
son as much as my fathers.
The sexes wear different boots and
bonnets, not different souls that is
why ! have left the souls out, and
concentrated on the boots and bon
nets.