north america-1-第94章

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ady　said　to　me　in　one　of　the　States　soon　after　my　arrival　in　America。　　〃Pardon　me；〃　I　answered；　〃I　think　we　are　doing　much；　perhaps　too　much。　　At　any　rate　we　are　doing　something。〃　　I　then　explained　to　her　how　Miss　Faithful　had　instituted　a　printing　establishment　in　London；　how　all　the　work　in　that　concern　was　done　by　females；　except　such　heavy　tasks　as　those　for　which　women　could　not　be　fitted；　and　I　handed　to　her　one　of　Miss　Faithful's　cards。　〃Ah；〃　said　my　American　friend；　〃poor　creatures！　　I　have　no　doubt　their　very　flesh　will　be　worked　off　their　bones。〃　　I　thought　this　a　little　unjust　on　her　part；　but　nevertheless　it　occurred　to　me　as　an　answer　not　unfit　to　be　made　by　some　other　ladyby　some　woman　who　had　not　already　advocated　the　increased　employment　of　women。　　Let　Miss　Faithful　look　to　that。　　Not　that　she　will　work　the　flesh　off　her　young　women's　bones；　or　allow　such　terrible　consequences　to　take　place　in　Coram　Street；　not　that　she　or　that　those　connected　with　her　in　that　enterprise　will　do　aught　but　good　to　those　employed　therein。　　It　will　not　even　be　said　of　her　individually；　or　of　her　partners；　that　they　have　worked　the　flesh　off　women's　bones；　but　may　it　not　come　to　this；　that　when　the　tasks　now　done　by　men　have　been　shifted　to　the　shoulders　of　women；　women　themselves　will　so　complain？　　May　it　not　go　further；　and　come　even　to　this；　that　women　will　have　cause　for　such　complaint？　　I　do　not　think　that　such　a　result　will　come；　because　I　do　not　think　that　the　object　desired　by　those　who　are　active　in　the　matter　will　be　attained。　　Men；　as　a　general　rule　among　civilized　nations；　have　elected　to　earn　their　own　bread　and　the　bread　of　the　women　also；　and　from　this　resolve　on　their　part　I　do　not　think　that　they　will　be　beaten　off。　We　know　that　Mrs。　Dall；　an　American　lady；　has　taken　up　this　subject；　and　has　written　a　book　on　it；　in　which　great　good　sense　and　honesty　of　purpose　is　shown。　　Mrs。　Dall　is　a　strong　advocate　for　the　increased　employment　of　women；　and　I；　with　great　deference；　disagree　with　her。　　I　allude　to　her　book　now　because　she　has　pointed　out；　I　think　very　strongly；　the　great　reason　why　women　do　not　engage　themselves　advantageously　in　trade　pursuits。　　She　by　no　means　overpraises　her　own　sex；　and　openly　declares　that　young　women　will　not　consent　to　place　themselves　in　fair　competition　with　men。　They　will　not　undergo　the　labor　and　servitude　of　long　study　at　their　trades。　　They　will　not　give　themselves　up　to　an　apprenticeship。　　They　will　not　enter　upon　their　tasks　as　though　they　were　to　be　the　tasks　of　their　lives。　　They　may　have　the　same　physical　and　mental　aptitudes　for　learning　a　trade　as　men；　but　they　have　not　the　same　devotion　to　the　pursuit；　and　will　not　bind　themselves　to　it　thoroughly　as　men　do。　　In　all　which　I　quite　agree　with　Mrs。　Dall；　and　the　English　of　it　isthat　the　young　women　want　to　get　married。　God　forbid　that　they　should　not　so　want。　　Indeed；　God　has　forbidden　in　a　very　express　way　that　there　should　be　any　lack　of　such　a　desire　on　the　part　of　women。　　There　has　of　late　years　arisen　a　feeling　among　masses　of　the　best　of　our　English　ladies　that　this　feminine　propensity　should　be　checked。　　We　are　told　that　unmarried　women　may　be　respectable；　which　we　always　knew；　that　they　may　be　useful；　which　we　also　acknowledgethinking　still　that；　if　married；　they　would　be　more　useful；　and　that　they　may　be　happy；　which　we　trustfeeling　confident；　however；　that　they　might　in　another　position　be　more　happy。　　But　the　question　is　not　only　as　to　the　respectability；　usefulness；　and　happiness　of　womankind；　but　as　to　that　of　men　also。　　If　women　can　do　without　marriage；　can　men　do　so？　And　if　not；　how　are　the　men　to　get　wives；　if　the　women　elect　to　remain　single？　It　will　be　thought　that　I　am　treating　the　subject　as　though　it　were　simply　jocose；　but　I　beg　to　assure　my　reader　that　such　is　not　my　intention。　　It　certainly　is　the　fact　that　that　disinclination　to　an　apprenticeship　and　unwillingness　to　bear　the　long　training　for　a　trade；　of　which　Mrs。　Dall　complains　on　the　part　of　young　women；　arise　from　the　fact　that　they　have　other　hopes　with　which　such　apprenticeships　would　jar；　and　it　is　also　certain　that　if　such　disinclination　be　overcome　on　the　part　of　any　great　number；　it　must　be　overcome　by　the　destruction　or　banishment　of　such　hopes。　　The　question　is　whether　good　or　evil　would　result　from　such　a　change。　It　is　often　said　that　whatever　difficulty　a　woman　may　have　in　getting　a　husband；　no　man　need　encounter　difficulty　in　finding　a　wife。　　But；　in　spite　of　this　seeming　fact；　I　think　it　must　be　allowed　that　if　women　are　withdrawn　from　the　marriage　market；　men　must　be　withdrawn　from　it　also　to　the　same　extent。　In　any　broad　view　of　this　matter；　we　are　bound　to　look　not　on　any　individual　case；　and　the　possible　remedies　for　such　cases；　but　on　the　position　in　the　world　occupied　by　women　in　generalon　the　general　happiness　and　welfare　of　the　aggregate　feminine　world；　and　perhaps　also　a　little　on　the　general　happiness　and　welfare　of　the　aggregate　male　world。　　When　ladies　and　gentlemen　advocate　the　right　of　women　to　employment；　they　are　taking　very　different　ground　from　that　on　which　stand　those　less　extensive　philanthropists　who　exert　themselves　for　the　benefit　of　distressed　needlewomen；　for　instance；　or　for　the　alleviation　of　the　more　bitter　misery　of　governesses。　The　two　questions　are　in　fact　absolutely　antagonistic　to　each　other。　　The　rights…of…women　advocate　is　doing　his　best　to　create　that　position　for　women　from　the　possible　misfortunes　of　which　the　friend　of　the　needlewomen　is　struggling　to　relieve　them。　　The　one　is　endeavoring　to　throw　work　from　off　the　shoulders　of　men　on　to　the　shoulders　of　women；　and　the　other　is　striving　to　lessen　the　burden　which　women　are　already　bearing。　　Of　course　it　is　good　to　relieve　distress　in　individual　cases。　　That　Song　of　the　Shirt；　which　I　regard　as　poetry　of　the　immortal　kind；　has　done　an　amount　of　good　infinitely　wider　than　poor　Hood　ever　ventured　to　hope。　　Of　all　such　efforts　I　would　speak　not　only　with　respect；　but　with　loving　admiration。　　But　of　those　whose　efforts　are　made　to　spread　work　more　widely　among　womento　call　upon　them　to　make　for　us　our　watches；　to　print　our　books；　to　sit　at　our　desks　as　clerks　and　to　add　up　our　accountsmuch　as　I　may　respect　the　individual　operators　in　such　a　movement；　I　can　express　no　admiration　for　their　judgment。　I　have　seen　women　with　ropes　round　their　necks　drawing　a　harrow　over　plowed　ground。　　No　one　will；　I　suppose；　say　that　they　approve　of　that。　　But　it　would　not　have　shocked　me　to　see　men　drawing　a　harrow。　　I　should　have　thought　it　slow；　unprofitable　work；　but　my　feelings　would　not　have　been　hurt。　　There　must；　therefore；　be　some　limit；　but　if　we　men　teach　ourselves　to　believe　that　work　is　good　for　women；　where　is　the　limit　to　be　drawn；　and　who　shall　draw　it？　It　is　true　that　there　is　now　no　actually　defined　limit。　　There　is　much　work　that　is　commonly　open　to　both　sexes。　　Personal　domestic　attendance　is　so；　and　the　attendance　in　shops。　　The　use　of　the　needle　is　shared　between　men　and　women；　and　few；　I　take　it；　know　where　the　seamstress　ends　and　where　the　tailor　begins。　　In　many　trades　a　woman　can　be；　and　very　often　is；　the　owner　and　manager　of　the　business。　　Painting