north america-1-第73节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ct　here　also；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　has　been　so　for　many　years　past。　　The　rights　of　women；　as　contradistinguished　from　the　wrongs　of　women；　has　perhaps　been　the　most　precious　of　the　legacies　left　to　us　by　the　feudal　ages。　　How；　amid　the　rough　darkness　of　old　Teuton　rule；　women　began　to　receive　that　respect　which　is　now　their　dearest　right；　is　one　of　the　most　interesting　studies　of　history。　　It　came；　I　take　it；　chiefly　from　their　own　conduct。　　The　women　of　the　old　classic　races　seem　to　have　enjoyed　but　a　small　amount　of　respect　or　of　rights；　and　to　have　deserved　as　little。　　It　may　have　been　very　well　for　one　Caesar　to　have　said　that　his　wife　should　be　above　suspicion；　but　his　wife　was　put　away；　and　therefore　either　did　not　have　her　rights；　or　else　had　justly　forfeited　them。　　The　daughter　of　the　next　Caesar　lived　in　Rome　the　life　of　a　Messalina；　and　did　not　on　that　account　seem　to　have　lost　her　〃position　in　society；〃　till　she　absolutely　declined　to　throw　any　vail　whatever　over　her　propensities。　　But　as　the　Roman　empire　fell；　chivalry　began。　　For　a　time　even　chivalry　afforded　but　a　dull　time　to　the　women。　　During　the　musical　period　of　the　Troubadours；　ladies；　I　fancy；　had　but　little　to　amuse　them　save　the　music。　　But　that　was　the　beginning；　and　from　that　time　downward　the　rights　of　women　have　progressed　very　favorably。　　It　may　be　that　they　have　not　yet　all　that　should　belong　to　them。　　If　that　be　the　case；　let　the　men　lose　no　time　in　making　up　the　difference。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　the　women　who　are　now　making　their　claims　may　perhaps　hardly　know　when　they　are　well　off。　　It　will　be　an　ill　movement　if　they　insist　on　throwing　away　any　of　the　advantages　they　have　won。　　As　for　the　women　in　America　especially；　I　must　confess　that　I　think　they　have　a　〃good　time。〃　　I　make　them　my　compliments　on　their　sagacity；　intelligence；　and　attractions；　but　I　utterly　refuse　to　them　any　sympathy　for　supposed　wrongs。　　O　fortunatas；　sua　si　bona　norint！　　Whether　or　no；　were　I　an　American　married　man　and　father　of　a　family；　I　should　not　go　in　for　the　rights　of　manthat　is　altogether　another　question。　This　question　of　the　rights　of　women　divides　itself　into　two　heads　one　of　which　is　very　important；　worthy　of　much　consideration；　capable　perhaps　of　much　philanthropic　action；　and　at　any　rate　affording　matter　for　grave　discussion。　　This　is　the　question　of　women's　work：　How　far　the　work　of　the　world；　which　is　now　borne　chiefly　by　men；　should　be　thrown　open　to　women　further　than　is　now　done？　　The　other　seems　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　no　consideration；　to　be　capable　of　no　action；　to　admit　of　no　grave　discussion。　　This　refers　to　the　political　rights　of　women：　How　far　the　political　working　of　the　world；　which　is　now　entirely　in　the　hands　of　men；　should　be　divided　between　them　and　women？　　The　first　question　is　being　debated　on　our　side　of　the　Atlantic　as　keenly　perhaps　as　on　the　American　side。　　As　to　that　other　question；　I　do　not　know　that　much　has　ever　been　said　about　it　in　Europe。　〃You　are　doing　nothing　in　England　toward　the　employment　of　females；〃　a　lady　said　to　me　in　one　of　the　States　soon　after　my　arrival　in　America。　　〃Pardon　me；〃　I　answered；　〃I　think　we　are　doing　much；　perhaps　too　much。　　At　any　rate　we　are　doing　something。〃　　I　then　explained　to　her　how　Miss　Faithful　had　instituted　a　printing　establishment　in　London；　how　all　the　work　in　that　concern　was　done　by　females；　except　such　heavy　tasks　as　those　for　which　women　could　not　be　fitted；　and　I　handed　to　her　one　of　Miss　Faithful's　cards。　〃Ah；〃　said　my　American　friend；　〃poor　creatures！　　I　have　no　doubt　their　very　flesh　will　be　worked　off　their　bones。〃　　I　thought　this　a　little　unjust　on　her　part；　but　nevertheless　it　occurred　to　me　as　an　answer　not　unfit　to　be　made　by　some　other　ladyby　some　woman　who　had　not　already　advocated　the　increased　employment　of　women。　　Let　Miss　Faithful　look　to　that。　　Not　that　she　will　work　the　flesh　off　her　young　women's　bones；　or　allow　such　terrible　consequences　to　take　place　in　Coram　Street；　not　that　she　or　that　those　connected　with　her　in　that　enterprise　will　do　aught　but　good　to　those　employed　therein。　　It　will　not　even　be　said　of　her　individually；　or　of　her　partners；　that　they　have　worked　the　flesh　off　women's　bones；　but　may　it　not　come　to　this；　that　when　the　tasks　now　done　by　men　have　been　shifted　to　the　shoulders　of　women；　women　themselves　will　so　complain？　　May　it　not　go　further；　and　come　even　to　this；　that　women　will　have　cause　for　such　complaint？　　I　do　not　think　that　such　a　result　will　come；　because　I　do　not　think　that　the　object　desired　by　those　who　are　active　in　the　matter　will　be　attained。　　Men；　as　a　general　rule　among　civilized　nations；　have　elected　to　earn　their　own　bread　and　the　bread　of　the　women　also；　and　from　this　resolve　on　their　part　I　do　not　think　that　they　will　be　beaten　off。　We　know　that　Mrs。　Dall；　an　American　lady；　has　taken　up　this　subject；　and　has　written　a　book　on　it；　in　which　great　good　sense　and　honesty　of　purpose　is　shown。　　Mrs。　Dall　is　a　strong　advocate　for　the　increased　employment　of　women；　and　I；　with　great　deference；　disagree　with　her。　　I　allude　to　her　book　now　because　she　has　pointed　out；　I　think　very　strongly；　the　great　reason　why　women　do　not　engage　themselves　advantageously　in　trade　pursuits。　　She　by　no　means　overpraises　her　own　sex；　and　openly　declares　that　young　women　will　not　consent　to　place　themselves　in　fair　competition　with　men。　They　will　not　undergo　the　labor　and　servitude　of　long　study　at　their　trades。　　They　will　not　give　themselves　up　to　an　apprenticeship。　　They　will　not　enter　upon　their　tasks　as　though　they　were　to　be　the　tasks　of　their　lives。　　They　may　have　the　same　physical　and　mental　aptitudes　for　learning　a　trade　as　men；　but　they　have　not　the　same　devotion　to　the　pursuit；　and　will　not　bind　themselves　to　it　thoroughly　as　men　do。　　In　all　which　I　quite　agree　with　Mrs。　Dall；　and　the　English　of　it　isthat　the　young　women　want　to　get　married。　God　forbid　that　they　should　not　so　want。　　Indeed；　God　has　forbidden　in　a　very　express　way　that　there　should　be　any　lack　of　such　a　desire　on　the　part　of　women。　　There　has　of　late　years　arisen　a　feeling　among　masses　of　the　best　of　our　English　ladies　that　this　feminine　propensity　should　be　checked。　　We　are　told　that　unmarried　women　may　be　respectable；　which　we　always　knew；　that　they　may　be　useful；　which　we　also　acknowledgethinking　still　that；　if　married；　they　would　be　more　useful；　and　that　they　may　be　happy；　which　we　trustfeeling　confident；　however；　that　they　might　in　another　position　be　more　happy。　　But　the　question　is　not　only　as　to　the　respectability；　usefulness；　and　happiness　of　womankind；　but　as　to　that　of　men　also。　　If　women　can　do　without　marriage；　can　men　do　so？　And　if　not；　how　are　the　men　to　get　wives；　if　the　women　elect　to　remain　single？　It　will　be　thought　that　I　am　treating　the　subject　as　though　it　were　simply　jocose；　but　I　beg　to　assure　my　reader　that　such　is　not　my　intention。　　It　certainly　is　the　fact　that　that　disinclination　to　an　apprenticeship　and　unwillingness　to　bear　the　long　training　for　a　trade；　of　which　Mrs。　Dall　complains　on　the　part　of　young　women；　arise　from　the　fact　that　they　have　other　hopes　with　which　such　apprenticeships　would　jar；　and　it　is　also　certain　that　if　such　disinclination　be　overcome　on　the　part　of　any　great　number；　it　must　be　overcome　by　the　destruction　or　banishment　of　such　hopes。　　The　question　is　whether　good　or　evil　would　result　from　such　a　change。　It　is　often　said　that　whatever　difficulty　a　woman　may　have　in　getting　a　husband；　no　man　need　encounter　difficulty　in　finding　a　wife。　　But；　in　spite　of　this　seeming　fact；　I　think　it　must　be　allowed　that　if　women　are　withdrawn　from　the　marriage　market；　men　must　be　withdrawn　from　it　also　to　the　same　extent。　In　any　broad　view　of　this　matter；　we　are　bound　to　look　not　on　any　individual　case；　and　the　possible　remedies　for　such　cases；　but　on　the　position　in　the　world　occupied　by　women　in　generalon　the　general　happiness　and　welfare　of　the　aggregate　feminine　world；　and　perhaps　also　a　little　on　the　general　happiness　and　welfare　of　the　aggregate　male　world。　　When　ladies　and　gentlemen　advocate　the　right　of　women　to　employment；　they　are　taking　very　different　ground　from　that　on　which　stand　those　less　extensive　philanthropists　who　exert　themselves　for　the　benefit　of　distressed　needlewomen；　for　instance；　or　for　the　alleviation　of　the　more　bitter　misery　of　governesses。　The　two　questions　are　in　fact　absolutely　antagonistic　to　each　other。　　The　rights…of…women　advocate　is　doing　his　best　to　create　that　position　for　women　from　the　possible　misfortunes　of　which　the　friend　of　the　needlewomen　is　struggling　to　relieve　them。　　The　one　is　endeavoring　to　throw　work　from　off　the　shoulders　of　men　on　to　the　shoulders　of　women；　and　the　other　is　striving　to　lessen　the　burden　which　women　are　already　bearing。　　Of　course　it　is　good　to　relieve　distress　in　individual　cases。　　That　Song　of　the　Shirt；　which　I　regard　as　poetry　of　the　immortal　kind；　has　done　an　amount　of　good　infinitely　wider　than　poor　Hood　ever　ventured　to　hope。　　Of　all　such　efforts　I　would　speak　not　only　with　respect；　but　with　loving　admiration。　　But　of　those　whose　efforts　are　made　to　spread　work　more　widely　among　womento　call　upon　them　to　make　for　us　our　watches；　to　print　our　books；　to　sit　at　our　desks　as