146
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
Silverio Borelli of Chicago was found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be hung. When he heard the sentence he bemoaned his fate so violently that "the guard was doubled" to provide against the prisoner doing injury to himself. Strange fatulty of civilization, which will do a man the most hurt, by depriving him of life, yet guard him lest he shall commit the same offense." Strange arrogance, which will permit government to openly commit the crime against nature for which the murderer is held culpable. Can a murderer who is elected by the people and dubbed a sheriff be guiltless because of that election, while the man who merely revenges a private wrong be condemned to mortal and eternal damnation." Tis a sorry tangle, and not for the unraveling of the dull or the conventional.
Every lilac is in bloom, the Judas trees rain purple blossoms, the plum spills white petals and luscious perfume on the air, and the apple and cherry trees are exquisite with bloom. Along the margins of the creeks the willows and aspens have flushed into delicate green, and the prairie grasses have sent up their bright leaves. The great willow 'cane brakes" by the prairie farms look like mammoth tossing plumes and in the little gardens by the farm doors the purple flour de lia shows its royal color. Mystified man, never used to this wonder of the regenerated year, looks at it all lovingly, yet sadly. Never a religion a philosophy or a hope, but framed itself in some way on the roll of the seasons and the miracle of spring. Never a race of people whose poets did not in their earliest similes embody this idea of regenerated and reawakened nature. Never a man or woman who did not feel the heart grow lighter, and leap in the veins, at the joy of it. Never a lover who did not love better for the wonder of the sweet spring time!
The Excelsior is really a bright paper, and fills its honest place in Omaha, but it really ought to be reminded that other books besides "Tillby" have been read by everyone. It is a dear book, but--it is read. Please let it stay on the shelf for the next generation, who will, be sure, enjoy it well, but who do not yet need to be reminded of it. As for the present generation, it can be told nothing more about the book which Mr DuMaurier, in an unguarded moment, wrote.
While one is speaking of the Excelsior, it might not be out of place to suggest that the statement that it is really the men who get out the women's editions of newspapers, comes with poor grace in view of the fact that a great part of the Excelsior is written by women. The best and most professional work done on that paper in its history has been done by Mrs Cannon, who has the newspaper instinct, indefatigable industry, and a good, brisk newspaper style. The women's editions of newspapers are got out by the women. Unfortunately most of these women are novices and labor under the same disadvantages that men would be if taken from their accustomed occupations and put in the newspaper office. But the literature of the womens editions of daily papers is above the average. The work does not particularly amuse the ladies, as the Excelsior says, but it does provide a handsome sum for some charity which needs the support. The Excelsior is a paper written for women. It could not live for the patronage of women for it is a society paper, and women are society. It would therefore be better policy to treat them with fairness. It is not fair to say that they do not do the work they claim to do.
147
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W. Peattie.)
A correspondent wishes to know if it has become obsolete for a married woman to sign her own name, as, for example, Marle Bernard. The custom is, and always has been, to sign Mrs. Henry Bernard to letters of courtesy, and in all formal matters. A married woman signs her Christian name only where some expression of individuality or familiarity is required, as for instance, to a letter to a friend, to an original article for publication, to a check or legal document. For all social, polite and formal purposes a married woman employs her husband's name.
The same correspondent questions the propriety of the term "nee," saying that this means "born and that no one is born already equipped with a baptismal name. It is true that the term is not absolutely accurate in its application, but it is convenient and in common use.
Apropos of names, it is no uncommon thing for a married woman to actually grow homesick for the sound of her own name as she used to hear it when a child. Supposing Winnifred Grey moves to Omaha from Albany N.Y. She has grown up in Albany, and is Winnifred to half the people she knows. She married, perhaps, a comparative stranger--a man she has mel [?] times, and corresponded with a year. They come to Omaha knowing no one. People call. She becomes acquainted and in a short time has plenty of friends. Some of them are very fond of her. But the days for intimacy passed when she left her girlhood associates. She is Mrs. David Grey to the polite world. No one, perhaps, knows her baptismal name. Her husband calls her Mrs. Gray before others, and when alone calls her "dear" or some other easy [?] equivalent for a name. So, after a time, when the novelty of hearing herself addressed by her husband's name wears off, and when "dear" no longer astonishes her into raptures, she longs and longs for some one to say "Winnifred" in the old familiar way.
I have heard many women confess to this desire out here in the west, and most of us are strangers to all the rest, or only acquainted yesterday. However fond we may come to be to each other, we have no associations in common to interest us. We must make our conversation along abstract or current subjects. And one does pine now and then for some one with whom to discuss the days when one was young.
There is one dark, smart and elegant young society woman who is possessed of an ideal "Beardesly mouth." It is sensuously full, indicative of independence, and perhaps something more, but it is withal, a beautiful mouth and an extraordinary one--one which Beardesly might almost think--if he could see it--that he had made himself.
148
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
The literary features of McClure's Magazine for April will include a talk with George Du Maurier, in which he tells the story of his life and how he became an artist and an author. Who would have thought Du Maurier could have been so stupid? As soon as an author clothes himself in self-consciousness he stands convicted of tawdry egotism. Mrs Burnett, William Dean Howells and a number of others have made themselves ridiculous with that sort of thing. But one expected better things of the author of 'Peter Ibbetson.'
In a column devoted to "the new woman' in a Chicago paper there is a description of Lily Langtry's underwear. If Lily Langtry is the new woman, what, in the name of all that is historic was Cleopatra? Was she, also, the new woman? Then so was Eve. The term of the new woman" has always been ridiculous, but if people will insist on using it, why can they not employ it so that it will at least seem to mean something. Langtry, swathed in silks, surrounded by her own portraits, drunk on dreams of her latest lover, studying her dramas with the intensity of a woman who has a mania for power, using her flatteries so adroitly that they enslave all who come in contact with her, making a study of perfumes giving dinners in which her own beauty, her wines, flowers service and surroundings are calculated to bewitch and intoxicate the sense, is not new--no newer than Helen of Troy--no newer than Palagia--no newer than Semiramis.
One of the present London novelists is Henry Harland, who is author of "As It Was Written" and some other books. He gives receptions--receptions are, nowadays, the sequel of all novels--and his wife is said to be a tremendous success. She has attained this success by doing nothing at all. Aubrey Beardsley, the artist who draws wild, weird women with turkey red complexions, admires her intensely. So does her husband.
"Look at her" he says fondly, "probably she doesn't know the name of the president of France at this moment, but isn't she a success?"
The Londoners have made a monstrosity of the clever woman, and are endeavoring to make absolute ignorance a fad. One can fancy that self-conscious commoner, Oscar Wilde, saying
"What perfect ebony nothingness' Is she not superb' How distinguished--to know nothing at all. Really it takes a great deal of originality not to know anything. To go through this world untouched by knowledge requires genius of a high order. This woman is as perfect as a lily. She is unflecked by a gleam of intelligence."
Miss Kountze, who is a very sensible, unaffected and graceful young woman, has in her large establishment one unusual convenience. This is a little page or messenger boy. This little lad wears a tidy uniform, is given plenty of time for study and play, but is expected to be always at hand to convey any messages for Miss Kountze. Every woman knows how many trifling errands there are which consume the time and patience but which must be carefully attended to if all small social duties and household arrangements are to be looked after. To have some one whose business it is to carry notes, send on errands, and carry parcels is such a manifest convenience that is a wonder that the plan is not oftener thought of. It is superfluous to remark that it is a plan which gives to a young boy an opportunity for caring for himself, without being brought into any unfortunate relationship, as is so often the case when a boy is obliged to work in the city.
149
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
The Natchez is one of the "floating mansions' of the Mississippi and is unusual in several ways, but principally in having two captains. One of these is Captain Bowling S Leathers. The other is his wife, Captain Blanche Leathers. Both are well born, well educated, handsome and capable. For fourteen years Mrs Leathers has been associated with her husband on the river, until she knows the stream as well as any pilot. Her education had been of a nature to make the surmounting of technical difficulties easy to her and, as her husband has frequently to be absent from the boat, she determined to secure a license which would give her the right to command in his absence. She passed her examination brilliantly, and the great luxurious steamer, with its large capacity for cargo and passengers, is frequently under her sole control. Captain Blanche Leathers is said to be exceedingly attractive, of elegant manners and stylish garments, and with an air suggestive of a drawing room rather than a deck. Though, upon reflection, one will look through many drawing rooms without finding a gentleman equal in manner to some of the captains of the Atlantic liners. There is no reason, of course, why a woman captain should not also have grace and charm.
When the senior member of this partnership is present the duties of Captain Blanche are to look after the linen of the ship, do the buying, oversee the mending and direct the work of the domestic servants. When in sole command she delegates this to an assistant, and attends to all the duties which ordinarily fall upon a captain. She declares that her life is a very happy one, and that the river travel has become a second nature with her. Her apartments and those of her husband are on the main deck, and are spacious, airy and beautiful. A piano, pictures, delicate fabrics, comforts and luxuries of many sorts, tell of the refined taste of these two married partners. Though Mrs Leathers was raised in an isolated home on a Louisiana plantation, educated by private tutors, and brought up to the old-fashioned southern exclusiveness, she says she could never be content to adopt an idle life--at least no while health and youth last. She is very proud of her opportunity to be one of the worlds producers and the river life has a fascination for her which would make it impossible for her to be contented on land.
At the recent primary election in various cities of Ohio, in nearly every case where there was competition between a man and a woman for membership on the school board, the woman won.
One of the habits of the Century club of Chicago, which was founded in 1884, is conversation. This conversation is not permitted to become desultory, but must confine itself to some chosen subject and while it is spontaneous, it also aims to be elegant. The Omaha Woman's club has need of more spontaneity. At present there is too great a tendency to prepare beforehand everything that is said. This was, perhaps, a necessity at first, with women not used to debate or extemporaneous speaking. But two winters of practice in these lines ought to have equipped them with more confidence.
In a private letter from Detroit, a beautiful young woman writes spoke here Washington's birthday on the subject of 'Lafayette?' He is a great orator--but that is nothing. Plenty of men are orators. But Mr Estabrook is charming. We want you to tell us something about him. He is a bachelor, of course--you can tell that by his looks. We have been talking of him ever since." The letter has not been answered yet. Perhaps Mr. Estabrook might like to be consuited as to the nature of the reply.
150
A WORD WITH THE WOMEN
(By Elia W Peattie)
Some members of the recent grand jury opine that the critisms in this column on thier manner of dealing with the Ninth street problem have been too severe. Certainly those criticisms were not meant ot be oblivious to the excessive difficulties attending any action in in this matter. Most positively nothing said in this column was intended to defend the slavery to which men have reduced those unhappy women of the district referred to So heavy has the tax of rent been placed upon them, so imperative the perfunctory licesnse-for such the fine has become-so tryannical the attitude of the "policemenm who have some to hold the opinion that htey are zar's of this district, so arbitrary and unlawful the limiting of the district itself, that these poor creatures are nothing more than slaves The police are practically their bosses-their drivers-their tyrants. They infrom them where they can and cannot go And the poor women have no choice but to submit or be preosectued endlessly They are not aware that the line whihc limits their unholy district is an imaginary one placed there by a mayor who wished to do the best he could but who was so well aware of the fact taht his act was unlawful that he did not permit and record of its to be taken
"We cannot," said a member of the grand jury yesterday, "put an end to the existence of these women. They are here We must fact that fact We advised enlarging the district only that they might escape the cruel ectorion from rapacious renters, which now forces these women to sink themselves to a depth beyond the depths For rent and fines they must raise $80 every month Over and above this must come living and dressing India itself could not show greater degradation in its bazar caste than that to which these creatures are reduced The absence of rules governing the police force in its dealings with them, the ecercise of personal judgment permitted these officers, and the natural frailty and venality of men in general and policemen in particular, has reduced the inhabitants of this district to the misery of slaves- bondswomen. We only had a thought of protecting them fomr persecution in what we advised We are not endeavoring to protect prostitution"
It must not be supposed that any one thought they were trying to do this What was said in this column and what must be relterated is that the grand jury seemed to forget the state statute which made it a punishable offense for any citizen to use or permit to be used any building owned on leased by him for immoral purposes Either that statute ought to be enfroced or taken form the books Either the city of Omaha ought ot see that its officers enfroce the laws in regard to fune, or else admit that it is a seceder from the sate If Omaha as a municipity does not observe state laws it cannot look upon itself as a law abiding community The grands jury is too imortant a body of men to act inonsistently, or to persevere in the errors which are indugldged in ny the unthinking-and those who think only to attain their own eds The act of the mayor in fixing one illegal boundry does not justify the grand jury from fixing another illegal boundary.
This may be a good place to say that if any woman in the prescribed distict desires to leave the life she is leading, she can do so The Home of the Good Shepherd, standing on one of the hills west of South Omaha will be open to her day or night. She has only to knock at that door to be received with love and sympathy.If she is too ill to remain, she will be sent to a hospital in another she will be sent to a hospital in another town till she shall have recovered If she is in good health she may remain till the end of her days, if she cooses Nor would she find life in the convent in any way sad or diteary There are many pleasures there besides those of a religious nature There are innocent gayeties of many soits strong friendships, the beautiful association of the women who have set their lives apart for the redemption of their kind, good living enought work and order and peace after the misery and pain and shameof that ghastly life in the district Think of the opportunity for the redemption of body, sould an dmind It is like safe harbor after The hurrican-wholesome food after the famine and the plague.
If those women have been crowded out of the cruel rapcity of men who have degraded, defrauded and defied them, it is comfroting to know that if they will they can rurn their own sex with the surety of finding protection and friendship