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298 THINGS IN GENERAL.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
I Am That —No In Matter Common Who With ...
liand of justice , and tlien—with a cheerful gasp—they will turn right round and say ' Yes , they always thought sohad always
, foretold the coming * change , and were the only people who had in any refined sense been thoroughly consistent throughout . ' "
I . F . " Then let those laugh who win . Only let us take care that we do win ; I am not satisfied with some manifestations
put forth by women sincerely desirous to do good work in their generation . I do not think they place their standard high enough
, and nothing would grieve me more than to see advantage taken of the increased liberality of public feeling in regard to women ' s
work . " " You mean to say that you are sorry when menthrough sheer
, kindness of heart , praise that which is ill done , because they want to help on the worker . "
I . F . " Exactly ; such praise shows a lack of truth quite as unfortunate as that implied in systematically adverse criticismand is
, much more injurious , for it lowers the standard of what good work is . "
" But surely women are judged as impartially as men , and by market price too . Nobody will go to hear a bad singer , or to
applaud a bad actress , merely because she is of the gentler sex . " I . F . " Why no ; where their achievements are actually brought
down to the money test , the result is sure to be tolerably accurate ; unless , like Lola Montes , the lady is of world-wide celebrity , and
Mr . Barnum would assure you that that is after all a genuine qualification . But I do mean to say that the social power of
women , especially of women of rank , in England is so enormous , that if , instigated by that popular feeling which is beginning to
turn the tide in favor of their activity , they get up associations and committees to persuade the public that black is white , they will be
able to do it , —for a time . " You are too severe a critic in your way of judging these
incipient efforts ; be sure that they will right themselves in time also . I hope there is too much sense in the ' wives and daughters
of England ' to allow them long to measure themselves ag * ainst an arbitrary and inferior standard of excellence . "
I . F . " I at least would far rather see them thorough and efficient housewives than meretricious artists and flimsy writers , or
gettersup of charitable institutions , doomed to vanish into smoke or crumble into bankruptcy .
" Now what are you thinking of that you begin to fronger les sourcils in that unpleasing manner ?"
I . F . " Did I ? Well , I was thinking of a visit I paid the other morning to that Koyal Academy where we seem to have no chance
of going this afternoon . " " Pussy cat , pussy cat , what saw you there ? ' "
' I . F . " Why I was rather like the cat in the nursery rhyme , who
And saw ' Went but one tip to littl London e mouse to under see the a Queen chair / ,
298 Things In General.
298 THINGS IN GENERAL .
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), July 1, 1859, page 298, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01071859/page/10/
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