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Article THE WOMEN OF OUR TIME. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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The Women Of Our Time.
opinion more than anything else to give our young women their often amusing tone of independence , ancl boldness of assertion . And then let us bear in mind another great change , Avhich has come over society ancl greatly affected our entire daily life . In former days , young women
were supposed to be invisible , for the greater part of the clay , but " nousavons change tout cela . " From 12 in the clay , if so disposed , our young Avomen are now " en evidence , " in the Park , at Rinkson horsebackat Luncheon
, , Parties , or again in the afternoon at Hurlingham and Lillie Bridge . Dick , Tom , Jim and Harry surround them Avith their small talk ancl their arguments , their "feast of reason and their flow of soul , " their hon m 6 ts ancl their bad storiesuntil the
, conversation ineA'itably assumes , in my candid opinion , a A ery deteriorating tone . Indeed it is sometimes wonderful to realize how our girls escape from the snares which the " Circe " of this world ' s seductive
influences throws around the gay , the innocent , the insouciant and the unsuspecting . Nothing in truth but the good sense of our girls , a sound education , and a religious temperament preserve them from snares great and many , from dangers very pressing , ancl from pitfalls very deep . And there is another point which I must now necessarily notice here , viz ., the state of female education . I haA'e attended to
education very carefully for many years , and I knoAV as a fact , that the women are a long way ahead of the men . Uur girls have beaten the boys by many heads . Strong-minded Avomen may exclaim and lecturers may '' howl" about the education of Avomenbut I haA-e no hesitation in
, saying , that our young unmarried women , and our young married women , are far better educated than the men , ancl there is also a higher sense of moral duty , ancl of personal restraint . It is so in . all classes of society , not even excepting the humblest .
And though I knoAV that women are the best and most accommodating of creatures , always looking on the sunny side of things , always putting a good face on the worst of times and matters , Avhen men are cowardly caterwauling , I yet feel , ancl fancy they feel it too , that just now they have a baddish look-out before them . In these
vapid and semi-educated youths , Aveak in spelling and principles , but fond of laying down the law , ancl dreadful hypocrites to boot , AVIIO , as the old coachman said , " with no bottom , sir , and no heart , " are those Avith whom their lot in life has cast them . What are young women to do in such
circumstances ? It is no use ignoring the dilemma , nor " crying over spilt milk ! " Their Avhole future lies absolutely with this " jeunesse doree , " this " CEnea Juvenilis , " Avhose ignorance they chaff , whose manners they resent , and Avhose
morals they despise . And hence I believe that Avith amiability peculiar to womenalways self-sacrificing , never self-assertingin order to secure the good Avill of these noisy andpretentiousheroes , theirfuture husbands and relationsto retain their interest and to
, claim a little share in their sympathies , poor tilings , they chime in Avith that some-Avhat "fast " tone and temper of the hour , Avhich I for one venture to deem to be
hurtful and even debasing to themselves . But in saying this , I do not want to exaggerate the defects of our young men , who may be better far than I haA'e depicted them , but I fancy that though to some I may seem to have daubed my picture with
too sombre colours , I am not very far from the mark . At any rate I think I have a right to Avish that their spelling might be better , ancl their smoking less , —their love of home-life more realancl their waste of time
, , money , and talents considerably reduced , whether in questionable pursuits or undesirable company . Believing , as I do , that our girls are meant for far better things , and that in themselves they are quietreasonable and culturedand
, , kind and good , I always lament to think that anything should eA'er lead them to comply Avith the " Rites of Moloch , " even for an hour , in the vain idea of conciliating their lords and masters , to please that sapient and unconcerned youth , Avhich watches their
movements , and discusses their habits . In the Club , and smoking-room , around the card table and after dinner , our young men are not chary as to Avhat they say about young women , and none are more free than the married or middle-aged men , who look upon Avomen as the property of man . Call me Don Quixote if you will , but I
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Women Of Our Time.
opinion more than anything else to give our young women their often amusing tone of independence , ancl boldness of assertion . And then let us bear in mind another great change , Avhich has come over society ancl greatly affected our entire daily life . In former days , young women
were supposed to be invisible , for the greater part of the clay , but " nousavons change tout cela . " From 12 in the clay , if so disposed , our young Avomen are now " en evidence , " in the Park , at Rinkson horsebackat Luncheon
, , Parties , or again in the afternoon at Hurlingham and Lillie Bridge . Dick , Tom , Jim and Harry surround them Avith their small talk ancl their arguments , their "feast of reason and their flow of soul , " their hon m 6 ts ancl their bad storiesuntil the
, conversation ineA'itably assumes , in my candid opinion , a A ery deteriorating tone . Indeed it is sometimes wonderful to realize how our girls escape from the snares which the " Circe " of this world ' s seductive
influences throws around the gay , the innocent , the insouciant and the unsuspecting . Nothing in truth but the good sense of our girls , a sound education , and a religious temperament preserve them from snares great and many , from dangers very pressing , ancl from pitfalls very deep . And there is another point which I must now necessarily notice here , viz ., the state of female education . I haA'e attended to
education very carefully for many years , and I knoAV as a fact , that the women are a long way ahead of the men . Uur girls have beaten the boys by many heads . Strong-minded Avomen may exclaim and lecturers may '' howl" about the education of Avomenbut I haA-e no hesitation in
, saying , that our young unmarried women , and our young married women , are far better educated than the men , ancl there is also a higher sense of moral duty , ancl of personal restraint . It is so in . all classes of society , not even excepting the humblest .
And though I knoAV that women are the best and most accommodating of creatures , always looking on the sunny side of things , always putting a good face on the worst of times and matters , Avhen men are cowardly caterwauling , I yet feel , ancl fancy they feel it too , that just now they have a baddish look-out before them . In these
vapid and semi-educated youths , Aveak in spelling and principles , but fond of laying down the law , ancl dreadful hypocrites to boot , AVIIO , as the old coachman said , " with no bottom , sir , and no heart , " are those Avith whom their lot in life has cast them . What are young women to do in such
circumstances ? It is no use ignoring the dilemma , nor " crying over spilt milk ! " Their Avhole future lies absolutely with this " jeunesse doree , " this " CEnea Juvenilis , " Avhose ignorance they chaff , whose manners they resent , and Avhose
morals they despise . And hence I believe that Avith amiability peculiar to womenalways self-sacrificing , never self-assertingin order to secure the good Avill of these noisy andpretentiousheroes , theirfuture husbands and relationsto retain their interest and to
, claim a little share in their sympathies , poor tilings , they chime in Avith that some-Avhat "fast " tone and temper of the hour , Avhich I for one venture to deem to be
hurtful and even debasing to themselves . But in saying this , I do not want to exaggerate the defects of our young men , who may be better far than I haA'e depicted them , but I fancy that though to some I may seem to have daubed my picture with
too sombre colours , I am not very far from the mark . At any rate I think I have a right to Avish that their spelling might be better , ancl their smoking less , —their love of home-life more realancl their waste of time
, , money , and talents considerably reduced , whether in questionable pursuits or undesirable company . Believing , as I do , that our girls are meant for far better things , and that in themselves they are quietreasonable and culturedand
, , kind and good , I always lament to think that anything should eA'er lead them to comply Avith the " Rites of Moloch , " even for an hour , in the vain idea of conciliating their lords and masters , to please that sapient and unconcerned youth , Avhich watches their
movements , and discusses their habits . In the Club , and smoking-room , around the card table and after dinner , our young men are not chary as to Avhat they say about young women , and none are more free than the married or middle-aged men , who look upon Avomen as the property of man . Call me Don Quixote if you will , but I