"No doubt she is a little excessive in her views." said the Doctor, "but

in the main I think as she does."

"Bravo, Doctor!" cried the lady.

"What, turned traitor to your sex! We'll court-martial you as a

deserter."

"She is quite right. The professions are not sufficiently open to women.

They are still far too much circumscribed in their employments. They

are a feeble folk, the women who have to work for their bread--poor,

unorganized, timid, taking as a favor what they might demand as a right.

That is why their case is not more constantly before the public, for if

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their cry for redress was as great as their grievance it would fill the

world to the exclusion of all others. It is all very well for us to be

courteous to the rich, the refined, those to whom life is already made

easy. It is a mere form, a trick of manner. If we are truly courteous,

we shall stoop to lift up struggling womanhood when she really needs our

help--when it is life and death to her whether she has it or not. And

then to cant about it being unwomanly to work in the higher professions.

It is womanly enough to starve, but unwomanly to use the brains which

God has given them. Is it not a monstrous contention?"

The Admiral chuckled. "You are like one of these phonographs, Walker,"

said he; "you have had all this talked into you, and now you are reeling

it off again. It's rank mutiny, every word of it, for man has his duties

and woman has hers, but they are as separate as their natures are. I

suppose that we shall have a woman hoisting her pennant on the flagship

presently, and taking command of the Channel Squadron."

"Well, you have a woman on the throne taking command of the whole

nation," remarked his wife; "and everybody is agreed that she does it

better than any of the men."

The Admiral was somewhat staggered by this home-thrust. "That's quite

another thing," said he.

"You should come to their next meeting. I am to take the chair. I have

just promised Mrs. Westmacott that I will do so. But it has turned

chilly, and it is time that the girls were indoors. Good night! I shall

look out for you after breakfast for our constitutional, Admiral."

The old sailor looked after his friend with a twinkle in his eyes.

"How old is he, mother?"




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