north america-1-第75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！


her　more　of　the　fruits　of　work　than　they　do　now？　　That　some　would　do　so　there　can　be　no　doubt；　but　as　little　that　some　would　have　less。　　If　on　the　whole　they　would　not　have　more；　for　what　good　result　is　the　movement　made？　　The　first　question　is；　whether　at　the　present　time　they　have　less　than　their　proper　share。　　There　are；　unquestionably；　terrible　cases　of　female　want；　and　so　there　are　also　of　want　among　men。　Alas！　do　we　not　all　feel　that　it　must　be　so；　let　the　philanthropists　be　ever　so　energetic？　　And　if　a　woman　be　left　destitute；　without　the　assistance　of　father；　brother；　or　husband；　it　would　be　hard　if　no　means　of　earning　subsistence　were　open　to　her。　　But　the　object　now　sought　is　not　that　of　relieving　such　distress。　　It　has　a　much　wider　tendency；　or　at　any　rate　a　wider　desire。　　The　idea　is　that　women　will　ennoble　themselves　by　making　themselves　independent；　by　working　for　their　own　bread　instead　of　eating　bread　earned　by　men。　　It　is　in　that　that　these　new　philosophers　seem　to　me　to　err　so　greatly。　　Humanity　and　chivalry　have　succeeded；　after　a　long　struggle；　in　teaching　the　man　to　work　for　the　woman；　and　now　the　woman　rebels　against　such　teachingnot　because　she　likes　the　work；　but　because　she　desires　the　influence　which　attends　it。　　But　in　this　I　wrong　the　womaneven　the　American　woman。　　It　is　not　she　who　desires　it；　but　her　philanthropical　philosophical　friends　who　desire　it　for　her。　If　work　were　more　equally　divided　between　the　sexes；　some　women　would；　of　course；　receive　more　of　the　good　things　of　the　world。　But　women　generally　would　not　do　so。　　The　tendency；　then；　would　be　to　force　young　women　out　upon　their　own　exertions。　　Fathers　would　soon　learn　to　think　that　their　daughters　should　be　no　more　dependent　on　them　than　their　sons；　men　would　expect　their　wives　to　work　at　their　own　trades；　brothers　would　be　taught　to　think　it　hard　that　their　sisters　should　lean　on　them；　and　thus　women；　driven　upon　their　own　resources；　would　hardly　fare　better　than　they　do　at　present。　After　all　it　is　a　question　of　money；　and　a　contest　for　that　power　and　influence　which　money　gives。　　At　present；　men　have　the　position　of　the　Lower　House　of　Parliamentthey　have　to　do　the　harder　work；　but　they　hold　the　purse。　　Even　in　England　there　has　grown　up　a　feeling　that　the　old　law　of　the　land　gives　a　married　man　too　much　power　over　the　joint　pecuniary　resources　of　him　and　his　wife；　and　in　America　this　feeling　is　much　stronger；　and　the　old　law　has　been　modified。　　Why　should　a　married　woman　be　able　to　possess　nothing？　And　if　such　be　the　law　of　the　land；　is　it　worth　a　woman's　while　to　marry　and　put　herself　in　such　a　position？　　Those　are　the　questions　asked　by　the　friends　of　the　rights　of　women。　　But　the　young　women　do　marry；　and　the　men　pour　their　earnings　into　their　wives'　laps。　If　little　has　as　yet　been　done　in　extending　the　rights　of　women　by　giving　them　a　greater　share　of　the　work　of　the　world；　still　less　has　been　done　toward　giving　them　their　portion　of　political　influence。　　In　the　States　there　are　many　men　of　mark；　and　women　of　mark　also；　who　think　that　women　should　have　votes　for　public　elections。　　Mr。　Wendell　Phillips；　the　Boston　lecturer　who　advocates　abolition；　is　an　apostle　in　this　cause　also；　and　while　I　was　at　Boston　I　read　the　provisions　of　a　will　lately　left　by　a　millionaire；　in　which　he　bequeathed　some　very　large　sums　of　money　to　be　expended　in　agitation　on　this　subject。　　A　woman　is　subject　to　the　law；　why　then　should　she　not　help　to　make　the　law？　　A　child　is　subject　to　the　law；　and　does　not　help　to　make　it；　but　the　child　lacks　that　discretion　which　the　woman　enjoys　equally　with　the　man。　That　I　take　it　is　the　amount　of　the　argument　in　favor　of　the　political　rights　of　women。　　The　logic　of　this　is　so　conclusive　that　I　am　prepared　to　acknowledge　that　it　admits　of　no　answer。　　I　will　only　say　that　the　mutual　good　relations　between　men　and　women；　which　are　so　indispensable　to　our　happiness；　require　that　men　and　women　should　not　take　to　voting　at　the　same　time　and　on　the　same　result。　　If　it　be　decided　that　women　shall　have　political　power；　let　them　have　it　all　to　themselves　for　a　season。　　If　that　be　so　resolved；　I　think　we　may　safely　leave　it　to　them　to　name　the　time　at　which　they　will　begin。　I　confess　that　in　the　States　I　have　sometimes　been　driven　to　think　that　chivalry　has　been　carried　too　farthat　there　is　an　attempt　to　make　women　think　more　of　the　rights　of　their　womanhood　than　is　needful。　　There　are　ladies'　doors　at　hotels；　and　ladies'　drawing…　rooms；　ladies'　sides　on　the　ferry…boats；　ladies'　windows　at　the　post…office　for　the　delivery　of　letterswhich；　by…the…by；　is　an　atrocious　institution；　as　anybody　may　learn　who　will　look　at　the　advertisements　called　personal　in　some　of　the　New　York　papers。　　Why　should　not　young　ladies　have　their　letters　sent　to　their　houses；　instead　of　getting　them　at　a　private　window？　　The　post…office　clerks　can　tell　stories　about　those　ladies'　windows。　　But　at　every　turn　it　is　necessary　to　make　separate　provision　for　ladies。　　From　all　this　it　comes　to　pass　that　the　baker's　daughter　looks　down　from　a　great　height　on　her　papa；　and　by　no　means　thinks　her　brother　good　enough　for　her　associate。　　Nature；　the　great　restorer；　comes　in　and　teaches　her　to　fall　in　love　with　the　butcher's　son。　　Thus　the　evil　is　mitigated；　but　I　cannot　but　wish　that　the　young　woman　should　not　see　herself　denominated　a　lady　so　often；　and　should　receive　fewer　lessons　as　to　the　extent　of　her　privileges。　　I　would　save　her；　if　I　could；　from　working　at　the　oven；　I　would　give　to　her　bread　and　meat　earned　by　her　father's　care　and　her　brother's　sweat；　but　when　she　has　received　these　good　things；　I　would　have　her　proud　of　the　one　and　by　no　means　ashamed　of　the　other。　Let　women　say　what　they　will　of　their　rights；　or　men　who　think　themselves　generous　say　what　they　will　for　them；　the　question　has　all　been　settled　both　for　them　and　for　us　men　by　a　higher　power。　They　are　the　nursing　mothers　of　mankind；　and　in　that　law　their　fate　is　written　with　all　its　joys　and　all　its　privileges。　　It　is　for　men　to　make　those　joys　as　lasting　and　those　privileges　as　perfect　as　may　be。　　That　women　should　have　their　rights　no　man　will　deny。　　To　my　thinking；　neither　increase　of　work　nor　increase　of　political　influence　are　among　them。　　The　best　right　a　woman　has　is　the　right　to　a　husband；　and　that　is　the　right　to　which　I　would　recommend　every　young　woman　here　and　in　the　States　to　turn　her　best　attention。　　On　the　whole；　I　think　that　my　doctrine　will　be　more　acceptable　than　that　of　Mrs。　Dall　or　Mr。　Wendell　Phillips。

CHAPTER　XIX。　EDUCATION。

The　one　matter　in　which；　as　far　as　my　judgment　goes；　the　people　of　the　United　States　have　excelled　us　Englishmen；　so　as　to　justify　them　in　taking　to　themselves　praise　which　we　cannot　take　to　ourselves　or　refuse　to　them；　is　the　matter　of　Education。　　In　saying　this；　I　do　not　think　that　I　am　proclaiming　anything　disgraceful　to　England；　though　I　am　proclaiming　much　that　is　creditable　to　America。　　To　the　Americans　of　the　States　was　given　the　good　fortune　of　beginning　at　the　beginning。　　The　French　at　the　time　of　their　revolution　endeavored　to　reorganize　everything；　and　to　begin　the　world　again　with　new　habits　and　grand　theories；　but　the　French　as　a　people　were　too　old　for　such　a　change；　and　the　theories　fell　to　the　ground。　　But　in　the　States；　after　their　revolution；　an　Anglo…Saxon　people　had　an　opportunity　of　making　a　new　State；　with　all　the　experience　of　the　world　before　them；　and　to　this　matter　of　education　they　were　from　the　first　aware　that　they　must　look　for　their　success。　　They　did　so；　and　unrivaled　population；　wealth；　and　intelligence　has　been　the　result；　and　with　these；　looking　at　the　whole　masses　of　the　peopleI　think　I　am　justified　in　saying　unrivaled　comfort　and　happiness。　　It　is　not　that　you；　my　reader；　to　whom　in　this　matter　of　education　fortune　and　your　parents　have　probably　been　bountiful；　would　have　been　more　happy　in　New　York　than　in　London。　　It　is　not　that　I；　who；　at　any　rate；　can　read　and　write；　have　cause　to　wish　that　I　had　been　an　American。　　But　it　is　this：　if　you　and　I　can　count　up　in　a　day　all　those　on　whom　our　eyes　may　rest　and　learn　the　circumstances　of　their　lives；　we　shall　be　driven　to　conclude　that　nine…tenths　of　that　number　would　have　had　a　better　life　as　Americans　than　they　can　have　in　their　spheres　as　Englishmen。　　The　States　are　at　a　discount　with　us　now；　in　the　beginning　of　this　year　of　grace　1862；　and　Englishmen　were　not　very　willing　to　admit　the　above　statement；　even　when　the　States　were　not　at　a　discount。　　But　I　do　not　think　that　a　man　can　travel　through　the　States　with　his　eyes　open　and　not　admit　the　fact。　　Many　things　will　conspire　to　induce　him　to　shut　his　eyes　and　admit　no　conclusion　favorable　to　the　Americans。　　Men　and　women　will　sometimes　be　impudent　to　him；　the　better　his　coat；　the　greater　the　impudence。　　He　will　be　pelted　with　the　braggadocio　of　equality。　The　corns　of　his　Old　World　conservatism　will　be　trampled　on　hourly　by　the　purposely　vicious　herd　of　uncouth　democracy。　　The　fact　that　he　is　paymaster　will　go　for　nothing；　and　will　fail　to　insure　civility。　　I　shall　never　forget　my　agony　as　I　saw　and　heard　my　desk　fall　from　a　porter's　hand　on　a　railway　station；　as　he　tossed　it　from　him　seven　yards　off　on　to　the　hard　pavemen