Year: 1874

nj fAAN1 AlklN-kORTRlGHT.


The womau's movement calls forth, d.
rectly and indirectly, three classes of books
the aggressive, the resistant, and the eclec-
tic, or those that, espousing neither side,
aim to select the good Of both. In this
last order Is to be ranked "a Little Lower
than the Angels" volume recently put
forth in London by Miss Fanny Akin
kortright. The author Is well-known in
her country as writer Of romance and
poetry, and formerly as editor of the Court
Suburb Magazine. Her present work is
designed particularly for the latitude of
London and England, and aims to offer
sound counsel to these of her sex who suf-
fer from the injustice and imperfections
Of the existing social order,as we'll as to
the philanthropic who are striving for its
reform. Much in the book, however,
would be pertinent in this country, and
the catholic, charitable spirit which in
inspires the author would not fail to CON-
mend her TO the esteem of even those who
differ with her on certain points. She
takes no direct issue on the questions of
suffrage, matrimonial, educational, and
property rights, but invites her sisters to
first make the best possible use of the rights
they have, before striving for additional
ones. She urges them to cultivate solid
utilities rather than snowy accomplish
ments, to strengthen their reason and un-
derstanding, to read more books of science
and useful information. and fewer morbid
works Of fiction, to count all useful labor
as honorable, to devote themselves to works
Of charity and benefcencc; in word, to
make themselves sisters of mercy, aud
ministering angels in the present order of
things rather than organizers and creators
of new world The book has been re-
ceived with much praise in London Mr..
s. G. Hall, the editor of the Art Journal,
and well-known author, says of it,
There is world of wisdom in this little
book; woman's wisdom, Christian wisdom,
without the drawback of au atom of affec.
tation or pretencc. IL is calculated to do
an immense amount of good have new
er read any other book that does so much
with SO little" We quote a passage


DESTITUTE LADIES Among the sorest
plague-spots of modern society appears to
be the number Of destitute ladies. Their
existence is one of the saddest outgrowths
Of modern civilization, and he who would
devise remedy for so fearful an evil would
surely deserve well of humanity


If it is true that, the cause of malady
being once clearly defined, the cure is al
ready begun, when we are possibly on the
road to better state of things, when once
We set out in search Of that cause. Many
laudable efforts have been made to arrive
at the solution of the knotty question,
Why are there so mony women, of cult
walton and gentle breeding, suffering from
that extreme poverty which the shame
faced often hide, till life itself becomes the
lasting sacrifice to so-called decent pride ?


Philantbropists have assigned numerous
reasons for the growing numbers Of our
destitute ladies'" Some will have it that
the sin lies in defective legal statutes /;
others consider the Executive Government
responsible; others condemn manhood in
general as the eulprits. They have, say
their accusers, excluded women from
all lucrative professions, the exercise of
which would enable them to gain an indie
pendent and honorable existence. To an
swer these propositions at length is quite
apart from the object Of these pages, tho
it might be answered that no measures in
Parliament, no stretch of ministerial pre-
rogatiye, can help those who will not help
themselves, and who hold fast as their faith
alas faster than their faith--that only
professions are endurable in the way Of
work. Aud il is manifest injustice to
lay the blame on men, who eau only make
room for us in their accustomed callings
by giving up their own bread, or ceasing
to win bread for far larger number Of
women than those at present provided for.
Is it not asking too much that the majori.
ty of women should cease to live, in order
that minority, however suffering and
meritorious, should prosper?


Various as the suggestions have been as
to the cause Of, and possible remedy for,
the present sad state Of our educated sur
plus female population, no one has yet had
the eouage To say that such numbers of
destitute ladies ought not to exist, and
need not exist yet this is stubborn fact.


A certain number of women must, of
course, be portionless, as faras inheritance
from their parents is concerned Poor Of
fcers of army and navy, poor curates,
considerable number of medical men, ill.,
paid journalists and Gtterateurs, and poor
clerks, have hard work--God alone knows
haw bard-to find bread for their families
while they live; and small, indeed, is their
hancc even with the most painful econo-
my, of accommodating anything to leave
behind them when they die. These are
tho people who may, without a blush of
shame, albeit with stricken hearts, leave
their daughters portionlcss; and such por-
tionless women, numerous as they may be,
might find occupation Of some sort II they
were not all pressing into what they con-
slider ''genteel' profession, Cutting the
market, and 50 lowering the price of men