WOMAN'S RIGHTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 46, 15 November 1890, Page 15

WOMAN'S RIGHTS.

7"3 THE EDITOR. SiE. —I ha<d a carious cjieam la-st which I believe, by reading xbe lexiers ihat Lave appeared in your exceSleni paper on iVomen’s Rights. Here it is : — • In the state bexirixt sleeping an-i I fancied my «elf «.*nee more xo the voices of om local orators bolding forth upon *“ Women's Suffrage." •• Ah thought I. wearily. ” why not lex the subject drop ' Ii is already w<o Threadbare : and even if women had a vole, comparatively few would trouble io reeorxi it." While xhus musing xhe voice of the speaker fell on uiy ear. We hear much about women's rights," said he, *’ but too little of women’s wrongs.” Then he went on to tell how, in xhe eyes of xhe law. a wonaan has no right even t«» her own children : how for no fault of her own she may be deprived of them by a capricious or. if he be dead, by his nearest nude relative. Other wrongs he spoke of—wrongs of which we carefully-guarded women had never dreamed, and our faces grew serious, and each one longed io stretch out a helping hand io our poor suffering sisters. ** The laws.” said the -peaker, ’“are made menjbr men. and the w«»men must <>»me to xhe fore t-» help their sisters if i Ley are to Le Then another man rose, and said tuax women were not intellectual. not reasonable e: <»cgh io help choose tLe lawmakers of our nation. “We men.” said he. “will revise xhe unjust laws v Aory ri’wic." And even anol her arose, and he >mileni sweetly uj«.»n the men. and stsii more sweetly upon the w..men. and said in dulce: tones: "Nay, nay. never wish my consent shall women record their botes. They were made not to benefit the w«»rld at large, but one man. or perhaps one family in particular. They have good impulses, b<n little rea- n. and their character is s»> weak that were they to n.iv with men at the polling-booth, nay. e*en t«» take a keen interest in xhe legislation of their own country, they w.»uld le de graded.” T«» speak xhe truth, this man was quite as ilkgica] as a woman is ?>aid to Le. for. after lowering women in this way. he said. •• Thev are r to le allowed to trouble about such matters*" • With the words •• too go»d " ringing in my ears I dept, and met bought I gared upon the road of life. • »n one *ide oi the r’«ad the peuthway was bright an : smooth, and on this j alb way happy, dainty-hiking w..men went tripping along, carefully guarded by tati»eis. brother*, and husbands, who took xhe outside of the pathway, and hel I*4xl them carefully along. I said within myself, ** That is a* it should be," but as 1 watched more closely I saw that the men were oft times enfeebled and wearied, and seemed as if they must drop by the wayside. for. since the number of women wa* greater than that of the men. many of the latter were scarcely able t«» support all th«.«*e who leaned upon them. I >aw that often these supporters were suddenly taken away, and then few of xtse womea were able to walk alone. •• Would it not have been letter," I thought, “‘if their father* ami brothers had. taught them to walk al«»ne. and helped them until they were strong enough to do so?" Then I j«ereeived that a few

were trying to ’io this, but they nx-i with opporitiofi frvci many of the men. who— *ixame to say—trie*: to push the women who tried to walk alone, and e*en to Mp along *i>ters. mother*, and aged fathers, off xhe *n»ooth xaxh. anc hustlethem on lotbe >»tber >; .e’>t* the r\s% . *ating. •'* an.e ‘ it is not seemly that ye should walk uioe «*ur j«axh ; it i~ r«4 w.’manly The • niter *ide—Ah it was pitiful to *ee it bright, laughing women a»< children. ’«**iEg their male wereoidiged t.. take to thi* s: .e-:• i:_:. arc. it wa** Ik*wn it were walking thin, h worn with rough, haro. dirty w««rk : chests contracted with sewing ear.v and late in order to keep tfesdi an-i b»»ee to gether. Men were there ai*-«. i»M«stly p-»r broken wreck*, u.any «»f them staggering on with drunken ha.-*ie to tee r ? v . e - often, alas: dragging with ther women a&i children. Somethsies the women *trove to n-ght aw ay for tberuselves and children over to the <»ther side, ut manv of xiie men. ar.<i 1 grieve tv say wroj.ien. held up their hands in horror, and foreeu them back to the drunken father, because. forsooth, the law ,*ai 1 they were his alone. Then ar>«*e a greai cry from the women : they cried ai««ud for justice : thev cne*i until the beaten* were rent, and the angels looked down pityingly ujon them and said. • How long. »» I»ni, how long mu*x this continue r" • Xow I jereeive«i that the men on the bright *i«le of the pathway were divide*! into two tribes—those of Great Hear: and Little Heart. But the tribe of Great Heart, ahhougit it comprised the best an-, greatest men. w*> l»u: small. And the men and women ■ f the tribe of Great Heart would gladly have helped xhe sufferers ..»n xhe dreary }«a<h «»f life, but those of the xri:-e of Little Heart strove to prevent them. When I looked more closely ujon the «un]e*s side of the rx«a*i. I saw that some of the weary travellers trould not keep even upon that path. They stretched out k*nging hands unto the other side, and in xneir to reach it they *omeriines stumidec! and fell, and were, covered with mire from the road. Xow 1 <>j<*erve«i that ix was alm***! inif<«srible for these poor creature* to walk upright again, and when some tried to do so loth men and women pointed the huger of a: them, aad in their shame and de*|<air they fell a-rain and again, and were trampled «L>w-n. down to hell. Be: a few of those of the tribe of Great Heart tried to help these poor maimed creaiures along, and to hide the stains on their garment* : and many women would gladlr have helped them. Lux the men «»f the trite of Little Heart *aid to lheu women. ” Ye shall not *e~ them : ye <hall not near their cries : ye shall not stretch out a helping hand to them : ye shall not even raise y**ur voice* to* help alleviate this suffering ; ye are “too go.«d t«» nave ought io do with, such." • T-. The women who were ” 100 good " drew aside their skirts an-i pa.s*e< calmly and happilv on. while cries of suffering rent xhe air. and the angels in heaven wept. Meanwhile the men of the trite of Great Heart did what they could, which was but little, while they of the tribe of Little Heart said • Yea, yea. there is’ ye: time, When we have lai i oar railways, builx our bridges, and dug our mines, then we will attend io the*e things : rep we will amend the law* which cause this VAorc /done-* _And MX«e of the women said. " We’have time, let u?» do it." But tne men *ai«i, -Nay. nay. for shame : lx is not seemly that ye should nreddle with la* making : i: i* not woznaniy : yr shall no: do it : ye are i«-.* <rood. ' Anu si ill the cries of suffering rent the heavens, and the angels wept* and men and w*»men fell by the wayside, and helpless mothers saw their children dragged down to j«rdition. and wonten without supporter* w ere pushed off the sunny path by men of the iri!«e of Little Heart. le*t thev should crowd the pavement, and jerchance these men. with their wives and children, should not be able journev *o comfortably : and the men and wonsen of the trite of Great Heart strove to do what they eould. but were almost overwhelmed by the Miperior number* of Little Heart. And xhe trie* of suffering *:id rent the air. and the angel* covered their fare*an : wept, while the women w*.o weie ‘’too good to help.” and the men who *• had no time.” went happily on their way.’ Hoping vou will not fin i this t-<» long. —Yours, etc.. Ferx.