training and education enhanced and exaggerated these deficiencies in the female offspring and eliminated them as far as possible from the male; so that now we have in the average woman a tendency to shirk responsibility, to be babied and coddled, and to have no definite aim or object in life beyond getting a husband to support her. What has she ever done that should render her exempt from economic, industrial service? She surely consumes as much as any husband she will ever get-under present conditions probably consumes more.

"Why does woman suppose that some man will consider it a high privilege to burden himself for life with her maintenance if she is only an idle, extravagant doll? In that case she contributes nothing whatever to the financial support of the family, and unfortunately, neither general society nor employers consider a married man entitled to more pay than he earned at the same labor before he married. Husband and wife and all that may come after them, are supposed to live, move and have their being on what heretofore has sufficed for one. When the wife is a doll, this frequently cannot be done. Where the wife is a worker, this is supposed to be accomplished by her.

"Such a wife is supposed to be happy and contented, simply to bask in the effulgence of her ador

able's beaming smile, while out of the cheapest materials she sets before his astonished gaze a meal that would satisfy an epicure. Her ability to make bricks without straw must be her long suit—if she is to receive even favorable mention from her motherin-law. Like her husband's salary she is not supposed to have any auxiliary aid, even if the family increase be portentous. Neither does the husband work any more hours, nor, in many instances, have less enjoyment than before he increased his responsibilities. His wife on the other hand is simply engulfed in economics and manual tasks, and, in many instances, degenerates into a fretful, sour, unattractive drudge, in whose society no intelligent, progressive man would care to be. Yet there are people who contend that to change these conditions would cause the fabric of our present civilization to crumble and wither like flowers in the oases of the desert at the breath of the dreaded Simoon.

"But change will come; it is now at our very doors. It makes no difference who prefers the old conditions. They, like everything else outworn must step aside for the law of progress which slowly but surely replaces the lower with the higher. Evolution is inexorable, it reaches everything, and it works toward ultimate betterment.

"It may be that human dolls will never be eliminated; but never before were they so unpopular and never before were average women so able or so selfreliant. We are headed toward economic independence and we have already traveled far on our way. When we remember the broader opportunities enjoyed everywhere by women to-day as compared with those of even a hundred years ago, we have much reason to rejoice. Then married life was the only occupation open to women, and unfortunate, indeed, was she who must always prefix "Miss" to her name. Then it was considered a disgrace for a woman to be caught reading a book or a newspaper, and to such as were so caught the ignominious title of "Blue-stockings" was applied.

"As noted a man as Benjamin Franklin, who certainly did as much as any of our Revolutionary forefathers to make this glorious republic possible, had a sister who could neither read nor write. No doubt she was as ideal a house-keeper as could anywhere be found, but imagine the intelligence of a man to-day who would be either satisfied or happy with so ignorant a domestic paragon to share his monthly stipend. Yet the average man still thinks that an intelligent, thinking, cultured woman ought to be perfectly happy and contented in the same old routine of cook

ing, dishwashing, and drudgery for her board and clothing as was Miss Franklin whose brain was developed to no other mode of expression.

"It was not until 1861 that the first college was open for the higher education of women, and that one was opened to women at all was deplored by the "old fogies" of that day. The girls "might much better be married and rocking the cradle than attempting to pry into matters never intended for their limited comprehension and to usurp the prerogatives of man,"-it was said.

"At the beginning of the Civil War, two cultured, educated Southern sisters came North to speak on the great evil of slavery, and were hooted and jeered from the platform. "The idea of women daring to speak in public!" "It was preposterous!" "They had much better attend to their domestic duties and keep in their proper sphere!"

"Who is the judge as to what constitutes a woman's sphere? Are any criticisms ever offered as to a man getting out of his sphere? No! Not even when he assumes to dictate to his wife in matters about which he knows nothing. I contend that a woman has the privilege and the right to do whatever honorable productive labor she can do sufficiently well to create a demand for her service, no matter where or what it

may be; and for said service she is entitled to the same remuneration as man, providing she accomplishes as much in the same length of time and does her work as well.

"In the case of many of you, great cataclysms in your lives have brought you into direct touch with this busy, throbbing, selfish world, and in sorrow and tears, and under great stress of circumstances you have been compelled to depend upon your own wits to provide bread and other necessities, not only for yourselves, but likewise in many cases for others dependent upon you. To some of you doubtless this change came suddenly and unexpectedly; and being cast from an atmosphere of love, care and protection into the cold air of the work-a-day world, there to experience the disinterested indifference of strangers, was even harder on you than all the toil and labor incident to the supporting of yourselves.

"It may have been with some of you, as it was with the mother of a precious youngster who was noted for his ability to spell correctly and give the right definition of words. His teacher asked him to spell matrimony. "M-a-t-r-i-m-o-n-y" was the immediate response. "Now, Johnny, tell me its meaning." "Well, I don't know exactly, but anyway, Ma's got all she