north america-1-第61章

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his；　that　his　sons　shall　go　forth　and　earn　their　bread；　and　that　his　daughters　shall　remain　with　him　till　they　are　married？　　Is　not　that　the　mother's　wish？　　Is　it　not　notorious　that　such　is　the　wish　of　us　all　as　to　our　daughters？　　In　advocating　the　rights　of　women　it　is　of　other　men's　girls　that　we　think；　never　of　our　own。　But；　nevertheless；　what　shall　we　do　for　those　women　who　must　earn　their　bread　by　their　own　work？　　Whatever　we　do；　do　not　let　us　willfully　increase　their　number。　　By　opening　trades　to　women；　by　making　them　printers；　watchmakers；　accountants；　or　what　not；　we　shall　not　simply　relieve　those　who　must　now　earn　their　bread　by　some　such　work　or　else　starve。　　It　will　not　be　within　our　power　to　stop　ourselves　exactly　at　a　certain　point；　to　arrange　that　those　women　who　under　existing　circumstances　may　now　be　in　want　shall　be　thus　placed　beyond　want；　but　that　no　others　shall　be　affected。　Men；　I　fear；　will　be　too　willing　to　relieve　themselves　of　some　portion　of　their　present　burden；　should　the　world's　altered　ways　enable　them　to　do　so。　　At　present　a　lawyer's　clerk　may　earn　perhaps　his　two　guineas　a　week；　and　he　with　his　wife　live　on　that　in　fair　comfort。　　But　if　his　wife；　as　well　as　he；　has　been　brought　up　as　a　lawyer's　clerk；　he　will　look　to　her　also　for　some　amount　of　wages。　I　doubt　whether　the　two　guineas　would　be　much　increased；　but　I　do　not　doubt　at　all　that　the　woman's　position　would　be　injured。　It　seems　to　me　that　in　discussing　this　subject　philanthropists　fail　to　take　hold　of　the　right　end　of　the　argument。　　Money　returns　from　work　are　very　good；　and　work　itself　is　good；　as　bringing　such　returns　and　occupying　both　body　and　mind；　but　the　world's　work　is　very　hard；　and　workmen　are　too　often　overdriven。　　The　question　seems　to　me　to　be　thisof　all　this　work　have　the　men　got　on　their　own　backs　too　heavy　a　share　for　them　to　bear；　and　should　they　seek　relief　by　throwing　more　of　it　upon　women？　　It　is　the　rights　of　man　that　we　are　in　fact　debating。　　These　watches　are　weary　to　make；　and　this　type　is　troublesome　to　set；　We　have　battles　to　fight　and　speeches　to　make；　and　our　hands　altogether　are　too　full。　　The　women　are　idlemany　of　them。　　They　shall　make　the　watches　for　us　and　set　the　type；　and　when　they　have　done　that；　why　should　they　not　make　nails　as　they　do　sometimes　in　Worcestershire；　or　clean　horses；　or　drive　the　cabs？　　They　have　had　an　easy　time　of　it　for　these　years　past；　but　we'll　change　that。　　And　then　it　would　come　to　pass　that　with　ropes　round　their　necks　the　women　would　be　drawing　harrows　across　the　fields。　I　don't　think　this　will　come　to　pass。　　The　women　generally　do　know　when　they　are　well　off；　and　are　not　particularly　anxious　to　accept　the　philanthropy　proffered　to　themas　Mrs。　Dall　says；　they　do　not　wish　to　bind　themselves　as　apprentices　to　independent　money…making。　This　cry　has　been　louder　in　America　than　with　us；　but　even　in　America　it　has　not　been　efficacious　for　much。　　There　is　in　the　States；　no　doubt；　a　sort　of　hankering　after　increased　influence；　a　desire　for　that　prominence　of　position　which　men　attain　by　loud　voices　and　brazen　foreheads；　a　desire　in　the　female　heart　to　be　up　and　doing　something；　if　the　female　heart　only　knew　what；　but　even　in　the　States　it　has　hardly　advanced　beyond　a　few　feminine　lectures。　　In　many　branches　of　work　women　are　less　employed　than　in　England。　　They　are　not　so　frequent　behind　counters　in　the　shops；　and　are　rarely　seen　as　servants　in　hotels。　　The　fires　in　such　houses　are　lighted　and　the　rooms　swept　by　men。　　But　the　American　girls　may　say　they　do　not　desire　to　light　fires　and　sweep　rooms。　They　are　ambitious　of　the　higher　classes　of　work。　　But　those　higher　branches　of　work　require　study；　apprenticeship；　a　devotion　of　youth；　and　that　they　will　not　give。　　It　is　very　well　for　a　young　man　to　bind　himself　for　four　years；　and　to　think　of　marrying　four　years　after　that　apprenticeship　be　over。　　But　such　a　prospectus　will　not　do　for　a　girl。　　While　the　sun　shines　the　hay　must　be　made；　and　her　sun　shines　earlier　in　the　day　than　that　of　him　who　is　to　be　her　husband。　　Let　him　go　through　the　apprenticeship　and　the　work；　and　she　will　have　sufficient　on　her　hands　if　she　looks　well　after　his　household。　　Under　nature's　teaching　she　is　aware　of　this；　and　will　not　bind　herself　to　any　other　apprenticeship；　let　Mrs。　Dall　preach　as　she　may。　I　remember　seeing；　either　at　New　York　or　Boston；　a　wooden　figure　of　a　neat　young　woman；　as　large　as　life；　standing　at　a　desk　with　a　ledger　before　her；　and　looking　as　though　the　beau　ideal　of　human　bliss　were　realized　in　her　employment。　　Under　the　figure　there　was　some　notice　respecting　female　accountants。　　Nothing　could　be　nicer　than　the　lady's　figure；　more　flowing　than　the　broad　lines　of　her　drapery；　or　more　attractive　than　her　auburn　ringlets。　　There　she　stood　at　work；　earning　her　bread　without　any　impediment　to　the　natural　operation　of　her　female　charms；　and　adjusting　the　accounts　of　some　great　firm　with　as　much　facility　as　grace。　　I　wonder　whether　he　who　designed　that　figure　had　ever　sat　or　stood　at　a　desk　for　six　hours；　whether　he　knew　the　dull　hum　of　the　brain　which　comes　from　long　attention　to　another　man's　figures；　whether　he　had　ever　soiled　his　own　fingers　with　the　everlasting　work　of　office　hours；　or　worn　his　sleeves　threadbare　as　he　leaned；　weary　in　body　and　mind；　upon　his　desk？　　Work　is　a　grand　thingthe　grandest　thing　we　have；　but　work　is　not　picturesque；　graceful；　and　in　itself　alluring。　　It　sucks　the　sap　out　of　men's　bones；　and　bends　their　backs；　and　sometimes　breaks　their　hearts；　but　though　it　be　so；　I　for　one　would　not　wish　to　throw　any　heavier　share　of　it　on　to　a　woman's　shoulders。　　It　was　pretty　to　see　those　young　women　with　spectacles　at　the　Boston　library；　but　when　I　heard　that　they　were　there　from　eight　in　the　morning　till　nine　at　night；　I　pitied　them　their　loss　of　all　the　softness　of　home；　and　felt　that　they　would　not　willingly　be　there；　if　necessity　were　less　stern。　Say　that　by　advocating　the　rights　of　women；　philanthropists　succeed　in　apportioning　more　work　to　their　share；　will　they　eat　more；　wear　better　clothes；　lie　softer；　and　have　altogether　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　restore