Year: 1860

MRS. DALL'S BOOK ON WOMAN.


1t is not always the best and most needed
book that gets at once the widest circulation.
Therefore, we are not sure that Mrs. Dall's
book, on Woman and her right to labor, has
yet found circulation equal to its merits 1t
has quietly found its way into the hands of
many persons, who either sympathize earnest
ly with the authors purpose, or have been at
tracted to her topic by such notices of it as
have appeared in the public journals. But
this book should be read carefully in every
family, and by all who are capable of feeling
the obligations imposed by their human rela-
tionships for Mrs. Dal's topic is of the first
importance to society, and there needs to be a
truer and more generous public sentiment in
regard to it.


Mrs Dali has not manufactured the book to
which we refer. 1t was an irrepressible
growth from her thought and feeling. She
has given the subject much earnest attention,
the subject properly. Her views are illustra-
ted and enforced by an array of facts which
will surprise those who have not been led to
pursue the subject carefully. The first part of
her book, which she entities death or Dis.
honor" treats of the circumstances under
which some women are led to lives of shame
through want and friendlessness. She intro
duces the topic by saying ALREADY the
chem ist furnishes the altar of Cashmere from
heaps of offal that lie rotting by the way"
Then follow explanations and statements of
fact which will awaken wholesome emotions
in those to whom they may be new. Mrs
Dali maintains that, in most cases, the wages
of working women are inadequate, and that
such women are often exposed, by want and
friendless circumstances, to temptations for
which society is, in measure, responsible. In
4he second and third parts of the book are
shown the great varieties of employments for
which women are adapted, and some of the
obstructions in the way of such just and gen
erous arrangements in regard to working wo
men as are dem anded, not only in justice to
them, but also to protect the well-being of So
ciety.


1t is not possible to contradict her facts and
we do not see how it is possible to confute her
argument. Why should woman be paid less
than man, for doing the same work If
there be valid reason for it, in one case, there
must be in all others. But, in some depart
ments of work, there is unquestioned equality
in the matter of Wages. When paper of first
rate excellence is offered for publication in the
North American Review or the Atlantic
fbo I;rI 4
whether it comes from a man or woman, be-
fore determining the rate of pay In such
cases, there is no confident assumption that a
woman must work for half or quarter pay
And there should be none in any case where
the work is precisely the same. In all cases,
pay should be regulated by the character and
quality of the work, not by the sex of the
worker. Yet it is necessary to understand
that the injustice here attacked is not the work
of any single individual, nor of any special
class of individuals. 1t is organic. tits more
or less intertwined with the very framework
of society, and therefore, cannot be removed
in day, perhaps not in half century.


The views urged by Mrs. Dali are nowhere
SO much needed, as in this country. Our wo-
men are generally much better educated than
women in Europe; and, at the same time, we
believe, they are more rigidly excluded from
many kinds of work to which women seem
especially adapted. No person can spend a
week in Paris, it is said, without seeing the
difference. Most Of our young women have
no opportunity to develop habits of profitable
industry and skilful selfreIiance Custom has
no career for them, beyond few limited op.
portunities for employment. They must wait
at home, living to little or no purpose, until
they are given to somebody in marriage. The
custom and encouragement of society should
afford them much more than this. There
should be open to them such ways to varied
and profitable employment as will give them
that independent and selfrelying existence in
the world, without which they can not be well
lifted for any human relationship or work that
lie may have for them. 1t seems to us that
put little observation and thought are necessa-
ry to show that this is too true to be contra.
dicted


we repeat the expression Of our hope that
mrs Dalrs book will have very wide and
general circulation. What she saws should
nave careful attention. She speaks earnestly
rom strong conviction; she is prompted by
elevated motives and she writes with clear.
ness and force. Her subject needs attention
at the present time, more, perhaps than a, anv
previous period in our history. TO study !,
carefully cannot be without profit.





LEGIsLATIvE.-fn the House of Ra,,ro.s.