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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1896)
HSS THE HESPERIAN I Emma Willard declared her "belief that women wore 'created "with minds in order that they -might be capable of nsofnl work in 'the Worlds that their highest efficiency as "well as their groatost happiness could be se 'crired only by the best 'possible cultivation 'o'f all their powers. A "modern author assorts that a woman lias a conscience like the side of a house. I am not quite snrc that evon this professed con inoissextr of womanhood is right in this mat (tor, but if lie is, it is not surprising that the next stage in the development of the New 'Woman was the anti-slavorv movement: or that 'the third was the 'temperance movement, litis still ft little too early to judge, but we 'may find after awliilo that the noxt stage is l'he municipal reform movement. 1 liave "not 'mentioned woman suffrage liocanse, thougli (generally regarded as the groat liOD-'by of the class, it really is at (present odious to many of 'the best representatives. Neither do I mon ition 'the subject of missions. "Women have 'been missionaries from the foundation of 'the world. It always lias 'been considered peculiarly the duty of the Old "Woman to live and work and die for the heathen. The 'New "Woman shows no marked disposition 'to 'shun this field, thongh she reverses 'the order of 'importance of 'these acts. The creed of 'the New "Womanhood is (founded upon a belief in womankind too't 'tor 'than thut, n 'belief in humahkind. It 'has 'for its first article the 'highest cultivation, Iphysical, morital, spiritual, of the individual Woman for 'her own sake and 'for the sake of 'society. Its socond article is the .groatest service 'to the liomo, the country and 'the WOrld. I trust it will 'not lie long "before :a 'fliird will be addod for the more porfoct uc--complislimont 6f fhe other two, the greatest amount of hoalfhy onJQymont in life us 'fhe 'strongest and pureat stimulus 'for 'being 'and doing. 'The New Woman does ndt'cu't loose 'from 'fhe ipast. She appreciates and soo'ks 'to oul 'tivato 'flio virtues of lior 'fcroJmdfhorB. The modern 'Old 'Woman makes tpublicannounco imTeiit of lior:accomplishmouts!by inviting lior friends and a society teportcr to partake of a meal prepared by her own hands. The New "Woman looks upon the study of domes tic management as a means of self improve ment, and as opening the way to a larger nsef ulness. She aims in that line as in any other to make scientific advancement. In this as in most studios slio uses the "labora tory method.1 Consequently, so far form parading her knowledge as an accomplish ment she looks npon it as a branch of train ing. Her work is "based upon principle. She believes that if slio 'desires to build a 'house slio is nnder as groat obligation to provide for its proper ventilation as to mako tlic walls stand till tiho roof can l?e put on. She stands too for 'excellence. She 'believes 'that any work whothor of the bands or of tlie brain should take its place npon its merits beside any other work of its kind, Tegard less of the sex of the worker. She Relieves in true scholarship in whatever line of work she' adopts, and labors linmbly and 'honestly to attain it for its own sake. She dislikes publicity, and she -over-rides conventionalities only when she 'finds tliem a serious hindrance to worlc or 'development. She lielievcs in cultivating the social 'graces. She appreciates tiho charm of 'refinement fo'f manner, and fools its practical value in every Bp'horo-df life. She is sure she never can too porfoetly a. woman without it. She "believes firmly in true individuality., 'butdistinguishos it from 'eccentricity of manner, droBB or speoeh. Her ideal is distinctly womanly and as 'f arirornovod from masculinity as it 'is tf rom simpering 'sentimentality ;nnd woaknoBS. She lias an admiration for every !sor.t o'f useful work. Therefore she respects -every conscientious and solf-respecting 'worker M alie ;advoctttes woman suffrage it is 'drily uib 'a means of living 'up to 'fhe second larficle df lior croed. If she sliould 'take an office iit would 'be 'for 'fhe su'ke of doing a work tfhrit she 'bdlievod -could not 'bo -dono 'Otherwise. Utocout 'events in 'fhe New Yorkand 'Chicago stroot-dloaning -departments seom to ishow if hat Bhe iB tnotBO imudh lindlined tto 'take ;awsy