THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
8
wo aro nsking you earnestly and solemn
lv will you also bo Just? It is not ado
ration wo wnnt but justice. "Women are
not nil angels but neither arc they all
fools, mid lt is luml'y consoling to bo
called an angei when one has n suspicion
that it is nearly synonymous with the hit
tcr term.
There is a long silence. Israel is re
covering from the effects of his Hood ol
eloquence and I am thinking well, I am
wondering if any one but a woman
knows what it is to be u woman.
Isuakl, (suddenly.) Mimi, what do you
want with the ballot?
Mysklh. Who said anything about the
ballot. You men seem to think nothing
can be said upon the "Woman Question
without "lugging in", (pardon the expres
sion, but it is (.what I mean), the everlast
ing ballot. Why should we not have it?
Israel. Because you caunot afford it.
If you had it your hands would bo tied,
your influence would be weakened, your
disinterestedness in the 'consideration of
all questions would be destroyed and a
flood of corruption would be poured into
the domains of your moral nature. It
would rob you of your peculiar power
a power 'which cannot be too carefully
guarded.
Myself. 'Well done Israel. You have
learned your lesson well. Hut your whole
argument rests ou the assumption that
the ballot is only to be used in seeking
political power and preferment and in the
interests of party. The mass of women
ire not going to rush into politics any
more than the majority of men do. lucre
will bo some demagogues of course.
There are ahead-. But it is an open
question as to which is the better or rath
er the worse, a demagogue or a gossip.
And let us dispose of this question of our
"moral nature" and "peculiar power."
Granting that women possess this power
and those purer instincts and clearer ideas
of right which are attributed to them,
why should they not bring them to bear
upon politics and thus be able to instruct
their sons in the right and teach them to
be pure as themselves. If a mother knows
the temptations to which her sons and
daughters will be exposedos they enter
the lists of life will she not be letter pre
pared to teach them how to guard against
thOEc perils? God knows that a few hon
est words from a mother's lips would
often preserve a son from the very gates
of hell -, but through ignorance or prudery
they arc not spoken and another soul
goes down to darkness. Do not "tell me
that this peculiar influence is best fost
ered by seclusion
Isuabl. But that is what I do say, Eii
phrosync. No woman can enter political
life, mingle witli the men there, compete
with them in the struggles and contests of
parties and not lose that delicacy and pur
ity which is indispensable to our concep
lion of a true woman.
Myself. Then she is no true woman.
Who could place much confidence iu a
virtue that nad never been tried ? If del
icacy and purity can only bo preserved
by seclusion from contact with the living,
pulsing heart of the world, of what real
value are they? It. is not because women
know too much that they so often sin but
because they aro taught too little and so
much more is conceded and left for them
to discover unaided. If a woman is a
true woman, sho will receive sympathy,
respect and affection in politics. If sho
is not, sbo will receive them nowhere
not even iu tlvo deepest seclusion of her
home.
Isiuel. Now who is to take care of the
home ? Our staid old puritan fathers and
mothers always considered that tho wo
man's duty.
Myself. Certainly it is one of her du
ties to make her homo the happiest place
on earth. And it is one of tho man's du
tics to do this also. But it is tho exclu.
sivo -work of neither. They aro co.part
ncrs for that purpose; sho can no more
cftect her part of this duty by entire exclu
sion from public offices than by exclusion
from the home itself. You cannot sepa
rate man and woman so much as that.
You can not say to one, "Your work is m
tho home," and to tho other, "Your work
is out of the home." They are co-workers
everywhere in and out, around and
through all things. Much, far much more
of life is the life of humanity than of
man or of woman. Do you not remem
ber these words ? "I pray not that thou
shouldst take them out of the world ; but
that thou shouldst keep them from the
evil that is in the world."
Isuael. At anyrate,5you are not yet
ready for the ballot. The majority of
women regard it as a calamity aud would
not accept it if it were offered them.
Myself. No, wo are not yet ready.
And what is more, the trouble is of a
complex nature. It is like our prairies
it does not rain because there are no trees
and the trees cannot grow for there is no
rain. So we cannot have the ballot be
cause we arc not ready for it and we are
not ready for it because we caunot have it.
But we desire what is the perfectly good
even though all of us do not yet under
stand exactly what it is, and we believe
with George Eliot, that we are a part of
the power to widen the skirts of light
and make the darkness narrower. We
have the hope, like Eugenic Do Guerin,
tqat if we can not now occupy ourselves
with great matters, sometime we may.
Light is given us though our way is hid
den and Gcd hath not forever hedged us in I
Over head there are light footsteps and
a sweet voice hums the dreamj' measure
of a waltz. Some one comes softly down
the stairs and Marie stands befjro us
while-robed and ready for the dance. Is
rael glances quickly up. Their eyes meet
for a moment only. But that moment
might be an age for the story it tells me.
My heart throbs once and then is calm as
ever, for I know 'tis fate. I fold Marie
tenderly in her wrappings and kiss her
with a kis3 that is the baptism of her
joy. She looks surprised, for I seldom
caress any one, but forgets it soon in her
new happiness. I say "Good Night"
quietly and see them pass out and with
them the hope of my life. "Well "the
gods will it and 'tis right." There are
other things in life, other joys to win,
there is other work to do. Ferhap3 not
what will bring greater happiness, but I
will not mourn over what is lost foiever.
If I have missed that which would have
made my life most complete, no other
shall All the void, my work alone shall be
my thought. It is a lesson women arc
slowly learning that devotion to somcidc
alized man is not their only object in life
and that our existence may be made so
large that loving will not, can not monop
olize it wholly.
Why weep then 0 Heart ? Take up the
burden again with joy for tho timo to
come, for tho calm content that shall be
thine own when thou hast won thy peace!,
Begin thy now course of life with clear
purposo and thy lamentations shall chango
to songs of triumph.
EPILOGUE SrOKEN IJY THE OHOHUB.
"Tho piny is dono,-tho curtain drops,
Slow falling to tho prompter's boll;
A moment yet tho actor stops,
And looks around to say farcwoll."
Truly if I have failed to make you see
tho moral of my talo 'twere better that I
had not written at all. Be suro that if
you see it not 'tis not worth tho tolling
and I shall not detain you to point it. All
tho world's a stage, said one infinitely
wiser than you and I. If my Threo in
playing their short drama have amused
you for a time or perchahco encouraged
you to keep the good true way, Mis all I
ask aud more than I hoped, and I am
glad. One thing only it matters little
"Who misses or who wins tho prize,
Go, lose or conquer as you can."
P. E. H.
Vacation Rambles.
Once more seated in a Saxon railway
carriage we pass from beneath the flying
cinders of Chemnitz' factories. Two 'lours
riding over the largo grain districts of the
kingdom brings us to Leipsic. We find
the city thronged with strangers, who arc
in attendance at the fall messe. Three
times a year these large fairs arc held, and
at every favorable season the city is suffo
catingly crowded with visitors and.tradcs
men. It would be easier to name what
nationalities of Europe are not represent
ed ou these occasions than those that are
represented. The articles for sale are
legion, and prices vary to satisfy tho most
penurious customers. Tho Poland
Jews are an attraction. In a locality by
themselves, they have an eye to ever' per
son who passes their booths, and at the
slightest inclination to purchase, a half
dozen of these northern traders will show
er you with the produce of Poland. They
are ever attired in a large overcoat reach
ing to the ankle, and a bleaching Italicn
sun wouldn't remove the garment. We
noticed one sitting on a street corner iu
Vevey, sweating rrom th.e heat of mid-day,
doubtless waiting for the cooling shades
of evening.
The searcher for historical places does
not fail to visit Leipsic. A short distance
from the city is a monument which des
ignates the spot where Napoleon viewed
one of the bloodiest of modern battles
It was here the forces of-threc great pow
ers met, and, after a desperate struggle
defeated the veterans of France. Napol
eon saw the flower of his army beaten
back through the narrow streets, and the
Elster, itself, tinted by the blood of the
dead and wounded.
Among other favorite rcsorls of Leipsic
is Auerbach's cellar. Visitors arc attract
ed there for its having been the place
where Goethe held his midnight revels, in
company with fellow students, anil with
in its walls he laid one of his scenes in
the tragedy of Faust. All who visit the
place arc expected to purchase a Lottie of
wine, a circu'ar, aud pay a small fee for
seeing some of the rooms not now iu use.
A waiter will be at the door to bid you
"adieu" and you are at liberty to satisfy
him with a groschen.
We leave Leipsic by the Thuringiabuhu.
This railway traverses one of the most
beautiful aud interesting portions of Ger
many. The eye is constantly relieved by
a change of landscape, incduuvnl castles,
with shuttered walls decked with ivy, up.
pear ou neighboring heights, and queer
looking farm houses, built before tho era
of railroads, aro seen from tho car win
dow. Our firbt resting place is Weisen
fels. The only attraction here is the old
achlosz where Adolphus was embalmed.
The young guide first conducted us
through the chapel, a dusky looking hall
bearing the iarks of age and neglect, he
throw open a trap door to the basement
aud we followed him dowu long winding
stairs. Presently two more huge doors
are swung open and we pass into the vault
which contains bodies of former dukes
and members of the royal family. A dim
ray of light made this hall of the dead
look dismal indeed. Our youthful guide
skipped among the metal coffins, repeat
ing his little story, as unconcerned as if
ue were cxuiuiiiug so many luyp. yyu
thought nothing -would become us so well
as tho leaving of that place.
Continuing westward by rail, wo pasa
tho charming towns of Weimar, Erfust arid
Gotha. Names prominent in German lit
erature, aro connected with theso places,
and in Qotlia's cemetery reposo tho bod
ies of Schiller and Goethe. A few miles
further is the ancient littlo city of Else
mach. Hero wo leave the carB for n visit
to tho Castlo of Wartburg, rendered fam
ous from the fact of its being the place
where Martin Luther was detained n pris
oner several years. 0. M. 0.
To a JLady of High Culture.
I think that the greatest misfortune in
the intellectual life of women is that they
do not hear the truth from men.
All men in cultivated society say to wo
men as much as possible that which they
may be supposed to wish to hear, and wo
men are so accustomed to Uiis that they
can scarcely hoar without resentment an
expression of opinion which takes no ac
count of their personal and private feel
ing. Tho consideration for the feelings of
women gives an agreeable tone to society,
but it is fatal to the severity of truth. Ob
serve a man of the world whose opinions
aro well known to you notice tho littlo
pause before he speaks to a lady. During
that little pause he is turning over what
he has to say, so as to present it in tho
manner that will please her best; aud you
may bo sure that the integrity of truth
will suffer in the process. If wc compare
what we know of the man with that which
the lady hears from him, we perceive tho
immense disadvantages of her position.
He ascertains what will please her, and
that is what he administers. He professes
to take a deep interest in things which he
does not care for in the least, and he pass
es lightly over subjects and events which
he knows to be ot the most momentous
importance to the world. The lady spends
an hour more agreeably than if sho
heard opinions which would irritate, and
prognostics which would alarm her, but
she has missed in opportunity for culture,
she has been confirmed in feminine illu
sions. If this happened only from time
to time, the effect would not tell so much
on the mental constitution; but it is inces
sant, it is continual. Men disguise their
thoughts us if to venture into the femi
nine world were as dangerous as travc ing
iu Arabia, or us if the thoughts themselves
were criminal.
The primary cause of this tendency to
say what is most pleasing to women
is likely to be as permanent us tho
distinction of sex itself. It springs di
rectly lrom sexual feelings, it is hereditary
and instinctive. Men will never talk to
woman with that rough frankness which
they use between themselves.
Conversation between the sexes will al
ways be partially insincere. Still I think
that the more women uru respected, the
more men will desire to be approved by
them lor what the are in reality, aim the
lees they will care for approval which is
obtained by dissimulation. I may be ob
served already that, iu the most intellec
tual society of great capitals, men are con
siderably more outspoken before women
than they arc iu the provincial middle
clashes. Whsro womeujiave most culturo
men are modt open and sincere. Indeed
the highest culture has a direct tendency
to command sincerity In others, both be
cause it is tolerant ot variety in opinion,
and because it is so penetrating that dis
simulation is felt to be ot no use. By tho
side of an uncultivated woman a man
feels that if he says anything different
from what sho has been accustomed to
sho will take offense, whilst if he says
anything beyond the narrow rango of her
information he will make her cold and
uncomfortable. The most honest of mcu
in such a position, finds it necessary to
bo very cautious, and cun scarcely avoid
a little insincerity. But with a woman ot
culture equal to lib own, theso causes for
apprehension have no existence, and ho
can safely be more himself.
These considerations lead me to hope
that as culture becomes more general wo
man will hear truth moro frequently.
Whenever this comes to pass, it will bo,
to them, an immense intellectual gain.
Philip Gilbert Hamorton.
We acknowledge the assistance of 'Em
ma L. Williams in preparing tho'foviow
of iho exchnagca. Ed. Uf$v-
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