north america-1-第95章

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　In　many　trades　a　woman　can　be；　and　very　often　is；　the　owner　and　manager　of　the　business。　　Painting　is　as　much　open　to　women　as　to　men；　as　also　is　literature。　　There　can　be　no　defined　limit；　but　nevertheless　there　is　at　present　a　quasi　limit；　which　the　rights…of…women　advocates　wish　to　move；　and　so　to　move　that　women　shall　do　more　work　and　not　less。　　A　woman　now　could　not　well　be　a　cab…driver　in　London；　but　are　these　advocates　sure　that　no　woman　will　be　a　cab…　driver　when　success　has　attended　their　efforts？　　And　would　they　like　to　see　a　woman　driving　a　cab？　　For　my　part；　I　confess　I　do　not　like　to　see　a　woman　acting　as　road…keeper　on　a　French　railway。　　I　have　seen　a　woman　acting　as　hostler　at　a　public　stage　in　Ireland。　I　knew　the　circumstanceshow　her　husband　had　become　ill　and　incapable；　and　how　she　had　been　allowed　to　earn　the　wages；　but　nevertheless　the　sight　was　to　me　disagreeable；　and　seemed；　as　far　as　it　went；　to　degrade　the　sex。　　Chivalry　has　been　very　active　in　raising　women　from　the　hard　and　hardening　tasks　of　the　world；　and　through　this　action　they　have　become　soft；　tender；　and　virtuous。　It　seems　to　me　that　they　of　whom　I　am　now　speaking　are　desirous　of　undoing　what　chivalry　has　done。　The　argument　used　is　of　course　plain　enough。　　It　is　said　that　women　are　left　destitute　in　the　worlddestitute　unless　they　can　be　self…　dependent；　and　that　to　women　should　be　given　the　same　open　access　to　wages　that　men　possess；　in　order　that　they　may　be　as　self…　dependent　as　men。　　Why　should　a　young　woman；　for　whom　no　father　is　able　to　provide；　not　enjoy　those　means　of　provision　which　are　open　to　a　young　man　so　circumstanced？　　But　I　think　the　answer　is　very　simple。　　The　young　man；　under　the　happiest　circumstances　which　may　befall　him；　is　bound　to　earn　his　bread。　　The　young　woman　is　only　so　bound　when　happy　circumstances　do　not　befall　her。　　Should　we　endeavor　to　make　the　recurrence　of　unhappy　circumstances　more　general　or　less　so？　　What　does　any　tradesman；　any　professional　man；　any　mechanic　wish　for　his　children？　　Is　it　not　this；　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　f