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A WORD WITH THE WOMEN

(By Ella W. Peattie)

Katrina Trask, one of the most conservative and logical writers of her sex, has the following to say in the last number of the Forum on the subject of woman's duty

Men are not wise enough, nor generous enough, nor pure enough to legislate fairly for women The laws of the most civilized nation depress and degrade women "

In the heat of the debate on the subject of woman suffrage, these words of George William Curtis were flung broadcast in the campaign documents Alas' that women do not realize that by this arraignment of men they condemn themselves Every man who legislates has been conceived of woman, has been influenced by her life, her thoughts her split, during his prenatal existence, has had her impress on his dawning soul, has been led and guided through the first unfolding of his life by her hand has had his susceptible young heart first in her keeping his awakening thought first beneath her sway And if, at last he grows up to make laws which depress and degrade her, there must be some lack of grace or wisdom, some error of nature or of life in woman, which had better be met and overcome as the first step toward he emancipation, that when it comes it may stand upon a firm foundation, upon the impregnable rock of her own fitness and character Warfare and aggression are unlovely methods, and by them women sacrifice much that they can ill afford to lose whereas if they are wise, they will wait the opening of the door As long as men are unjust to women, carelessly selfish and cruel as they too often are woman is sending forth proofs to the world of her own incapacity and failure And she has no right to ask--nay, by her revealed lack of a sense of justice, she forfeits her right to ask--to be made ruler over more things, until she has been faithful to those already committed to her charge.
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Kate Sanborn, the niece of Daniel Webster, wrote a book several years ago on "Adopting on Abandoned Farm," which proved so successful that it enabled her to pay for the farm in question Later she wrote another book entitled "Abandoning an Adopted Farm" With the proceeds of this she bought a country place This seems to be case of tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum working progressively and in harmony
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Nothing more delightful in a social way has come up this year than the dancing teas This is merely a tea served at the usual hours to men and women, the refreshments being light and the orchestra playing dancing music The parlors and corridors are prepared for dancing, and the occasion presents a maximum or enjoyment with a minimum of expense and trouble It is actually a fact that dances for evening have become unpopular because they entail such heavy expense, not only upon those entertaining but, to a degree upon all those participating The young men actually cannot afford to hire carriages at this point in the history of the financial depression And the flowers and other trifles make a sum that would keep a frugal young man comfortably for a week But the ten dances permit the wearing of afternoon toilets, do not entail the necessity of a carriage and have an element of informality about them which is delightful The one drawback to afternoon affairs is apt to be the absence of gentlemen There is a theory that men are too busy to attend afternoon entertainments But it will be noticed that at the few afternoon receptions given in Omaha this season where gentlemen have been invited. that they have attended in large numbers, and seemed to be enthusiastic over the agreeable break in the week a monotonous toil It is a very hard worked man who cannot leave his place of business at 4 o clock now and again, to go to a friend s house for a cup of chocolate and a bit of conversation Both the men and women in this city would be happier if the men would find a little more time for association with the women As it now is, the men are growing dull in every way excepting a business way and the women, with their clubs, their study their round of social pleasures, and their charming and gracious home life are becoming every day more cultivated and more exacting! As a measure of self-preservation the men must bestir themselves if they wish to keep pace with the women in the social and intellectual development of their lives.