a mortal antipathy-第36节

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theory　of　the　equality　of　the　sexes　made　her　indifferent　to　the

by…laws　of　social　usage。　　She　required　watching；　and　her　two

guardians　were　ready　to　check　her；　in　case　of　need。









XVI



MISS　VINCENT　WRITES　A　LETTER。



Euthymia　noticed　that　her　friend　had　been　very　much　preoccupied　for

two　or　three　days。　　She　found　her　more　than　once　busy　at　her　desk；

with　a　manuscript　before　her；　which　she　turned　over　and　placed　inside

the　desk；　as　Euthymia　entered。



This　desire　of　concealment　was　not　what　either　of　the　friends

expected　to　see　in　the　other。　　It　showed　that　some　project　was　under

way；　which；　at　least　in　its　present　stage；　the　Machiavellian　young

lady　did　not　wish　to　disclose。　　It　had　cost　her　a　good　deal　of

thought　and　care；　apparently；　for　her　waste…basket　was　full　of　scraps

of　paper；　which　looked　as　if　they　were　the　remains　of　a　manuscript

like　that　at　which　she　was　at　work。　　〃Copying　and　recopying；

probably；〃　thought　Euthymia；　but　she　was　willing　to　wait　to　learn

what　Lurida　was　busy　about；　though　she　had　a　suspicion　that　it　was

something　in　which　she　might　feel　called　upon　to　interest　herself。



〃Do　you　know　what　I　think？〃　said　Euthymia　to　the　doctor；　meeting　him

as　he　left　his　door。　　〃I　believe　Lurida　is　writing　to　this　man；　and　I

don't　like　the　thought　of　her　doing　such　a　thing。　　Of　course　she　is

not　like　other　girls　in　many　respects；　but　other　people　will　judge

her　by　the　common　rules　of　life。〃



〃I　am　glad　that　you　spoke　of　it；〃　answered　the　doctor；　〃she　would

write　to　him　just　as　quickly　as　to　any　woman　of　his　age。　　Besides；

under　the　cover　of　her　office；　she　has　got　into　the　way　of　writing　to

anybody。　　I　think　she　has　already　written　to　Mr。　Kirkwood；　asking　him

to　contribute　a　paper　for　the　Society。　　She　can　find　a　pretext　easily

enough　if　she　has　made　up　her　mind　to　write。　　In　fact；　I　doubt　if　she

would　trouble　herself　for　any　pretext　at　all　if　she　decided　to　write。

Watch　her　well。　　Don't　let　any　letter　go　without　seeing　it；　if　you

can　help　it。〃



Young　women　are　much　given　to　writing　letters　to　persons　whom　they

only　know　indirectly；　for　the　most　part　through　their　books；　and

especially　to　romancers　and　poets。　　Nothing　can　be　more　innocent　and

simple…hearted　than　most　of　these　letters。　　They　are　the　spontaneous

outflow　of　young　hearts　easily　excited　to　gratitude　for　the　pleasure

which　some　story　or　poem　has　given　them；　and　recognizing　their　own

thoughts；　their　own　feelings；　in　those　expressed　by　the　author；　as　if

on　purpose　for　them　to　read。　　Undoubtedly　they　give　great　relief　to

solitary　young　persons；　who　must　have　some　ideal　reflection　of

themselves；　and　know　not　where　to　look　since　Protestantism　has　taken

away　the　crucifix　and　the　Madonna。　　The　recipient　of　these　letters

sometimes　wonders；　after　reading　through　one　of　them；　how　it　is　that

his　young　correspondent　has　managed　to　fill　so　much　space　with　her

simple　message　of　admiration　or　of　sympathy。



Lurida　did　not　belong　to　this　particular　class　of　correspondents；　but

she　could　not　resist　the　law　of　her　sex；　whose　thoughts　naturally

surround　themselves　with　superabundant　drapery　of　language；　as　their

persons　float　in　a　wide　superfluity　of　woven　tissues。　　Was　she　indeed

writing　to　this　unknown　gentleman？　　Euthymia　questioned　her　point…

blank。



〃Are　you　going　to　open　a　correspondence　with　Mr。　Maurice　Kirkwood；

Lurida？　　You　seem　to　be　so　busy　writing；　I　can　think　of　nothing　else。

Or　are　you　going　to　write　a　novel；　or　a　paper　for　the　Society；do

tell　me　what　you　are　so　much　taken　up　with。〃



〃I　will　tell　you；　Euthymia；　if　you　will　promise　not　to　find　fault

with　me　for　carrying　out　my　plan　as　I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　do。

You　may　read　this　letter　before　I　seal　it；　and　if　you　find　anything

in　it　you　don't　like　you　can　suggest　any　change　that　you　think　will

improve　it。　　I　hope　you　will　see　that　it　explains　itself。　　I　don't

believe　that　you　will　find　anything　to　frighten　you　in　it。〃



This　is　the　letter；　as　submitted　to　Miss　Tower　by　her　friend。　　The

bold　handwriting　made　it　look　like　a　man's　letter；　and　gave　it

consequently　a　less　dangerous　expression　than　that　which　belongs　to

the　tinted　and　often　fragrant　sheet　with　its　delicate　thready

characters；　which　slant　across　the　page　like　an　April　shower　with　a

south　wind　chasing　it。





ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August；　18。



MY　DEAR　SIR；You　will　doubtless　be　surprised　at　the　sight　of　a

letter　like　this　from　one　whom　you　only　know　as　the　Secretary　of　the

Pansophian　Society。　　There　is　a　very　common　feeling　that　it　is

unbecoming　in　one　of　my　sex　to　address　one　of　your　own　with　whom　she

is　unacquainted；　unless　she　has　some　special　claim　upon　his

attention。　　I　am　by　no　means　disposed　to　concede　to　the　vulgar

prejudice　on　this　point。　　If　one　human　being　has　anything　to

communicate　to　another；anything　which　deserves　being　communicated；

I　see　no　occasion　for　bringing　in　the　question　of　sex。　　I　do　not

think　the　homo　sum　of　Terence　can　be　claimed　for　the　male　sex　as　its

private　property　on　general　any　more　than　on　grammatical　grounds；



I　have　sometimes　thought　of　devoting　myself　to　the　noble　art　of

healing。　　If　I　did　so；　it　would　be　with　the　fixed　purpose　of　giving

my　whole　powers　to　the　service　of　humanity。　　And　if　I　should　carry

out　that　idea；　should　I　refuse　my　care　and　skill　to　a　suffering

fellow…mortal　because　that　mortal　happened　to　be　a　brother；　and　not　a

sister？　　My　whole　nature　protests　against　such　one…sided　humanity！

No！　I　am　blind　to　all　distinctions　when　my　eyes　are　opened　to　any

form　of　suffering；　to　any　spectacle　of　want。



You　may　ask　me　why　I　address　you；　whom　I　know　little　or　nothing　of；

and　to　whom　such　an　advance　may　seem　presumptuous　and　intrusive。　　It

is　because　I　was　deeply　impressed　by　the　paper　which　I　attributed　to

you；that　on　Ocean；　River；　and　Lake；　which　was　read　at　one　of　our

meetings。　　I　say　that　I　was　deeply　impressed；　but　I　do　not　mean　this

as　a　compliment　to　that　paper。　　I　am　not　bandying　compliments　now；

but　thinking　of　better　things　than　praises　or　phrases。　　I　was

interested　in　the　paper；　partly　because　I　recognized　some　of　the

feelings　expressed　in　it　as　my　own；partly　because　there　was　an

undertone　of　sadness　in　all　the　voices　of　nature　as　you　echoed　them

which　made　me　sad　to　hear；　and　which　I　could　not　help　longing　to

cheer　and　enliven。　　I　said　to　myself；　I　should　like　to　hold　communion

with　the　writer　of　that　paper。　　I　have　had　my　lonely　hours　and　days；

as　he　has　had。　　I　have　had　some　of　his　experiences　in　my　intercourse

with　nature。　　And　oh！　if　I　could　draw　him　into　those　better　human

relations　which　await　us　all；　if　we　come　with　the　right　dispositions；

I　should　blush　if　I　stopped　to　inquire　whether　I　violated　any

conventional　rule　or　not。



You　will　understand　me；　I　feel　sure。　　You　believe；　do　you　not？　in　the

insignificance　of　the　barrier　which　divides　the　sisterhood　from　the

brotherhood　of　mankind。　　You　believe；　do　you　not？　that　they　should　be

educated　side　by　side；　that　they　should　share　the　same　pursuits；　due

regard　being　had　to　the　fitness　of　the　particular　individual　for　hard

or　light　work；　as　it　must　always　be；　whether　we　are　dealing　with　the

〃stronger〃　or　the　〃weaker〃　sex。　　I　mark　these　words　because；

notwithstanding　their　common　use；　they　involve　so　much　that　is　not

true。　　Stronger！　　Yes；　to　lift　a　barrel　of　flour；　or　a　barrel　of

cider；though　there　have　been　women　who　could　do　that；　and　though

when　John　Wesley　was　mobbed　in　Staffordshire　a　woman　knocked　down

three　or　four　men；　one　after　another；　until　she　was　at　last

overpowered　and　nearly　murdered。　　Talk　about　the　weaker　sex！　　Go　and

see　Miss　Euthymia　Tower　at　the　gymnasium！　　But　no　matter　about　which

sex　has　the　strongest　muscles。　　Which　has　most　to　suffer；　and　which

has　most　endurance　and　vitality？　　We　go　through　many　ordeals　which

you　are　spared；　but　we　outlast　you　in　mind　and　body。　　I　have　been　led

away　into　one　of　my　accustomed　trains　of　thought；　but　not　so　far　away

from　it　as　you　might　at　first　suppose。



My　brother！　　Are　you　not　ready　to　recognize　in　me　a　friend；　an　equal；

a　sister；　who　can　speak　to　you　as　if　she　had　been　reared　under　the

same　roof？　　And　is　not　the　sky　that　covers　us　one　roof；　which　makes

us　all　one　family？　　You　are　lonely；　you　must　be　longing　for　some

human　fellowship。　　Take　me　into　your　confidence。　　What　is　there　that

you　can　tell　me　to　which　I　cannot　respond　with　sympathy？　　What

saddest　note　in　your　spiritual　dirges　which　will　not　find　its　chord

in　mine？



I　long　to　know　what　influence　has　cast　its　shadow　over　your

existence。　　I　myself　have　known　what　it　is　to　carry　a　brain　that

never　rests　in　a　body　that　is　always　tired。　　I　have　defied　its

infirmities；　and　forced　it　to　do　my　bidding。　　You　have　no　such

hindrance；　if　we　may　judge　by　your　aspect　and　habits。　　You　deal　with

horses　like　a　Homeric　hero。　　No　wild　Indian　could　handle　his　bark

canoe　more　dexterously　or　m