THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

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and mother, with widening opportunities and freedom, to become more and more gen­erally cultured; if this tendency increases I say, a gulf will be fixed between women and all but professional and learned men which will be as hurtful to both as the older forms of sex separation. I hate to see this tendency divide as often as it does today.

I should fear its extreme as a social menace. Therefore, I believe that now that the average woman has learned the delight and value of women’s work with women, for women; the exceptional women should make haste to assume their places as human beings, with men, in associated effort for highest ends. It is time that the most clear­eyed women should cease to spend themselves chiefly in women’s things, and should press wider open the doors now ajar which lead to channels of high commerce of mind and heart transcending sex limits.

And lest a new caste of sex, in which women shall show themselves the selfish superiors, shall be created, I think it high time that women whose husbands are too busy to make, or too ignorant to enjoy, literary and philanthropic clubs, should patiently, sweetly, charmingly woo their other halves to the delights they them­selves feed upon!

Next, the danger of women’s organization.

Did we not agree that sense of individuality preceded power of associated effort in the growth of womanhood?

Then is it not equally clear that in the individual woman all healthful develop­ment must follow the self-same order? Is it not clear that until a woman has some understanding of her own nature, its worth, its use, its social power, its supreme obli­gations, she can gain nothing vital by associated life with others? Mind, I do not say the ignorant woman must grow wise before she belongs to a club seeking wisdom. On the contrary, in the associated scheme she may gain far more, and sooner learn to give as she gains, than in any separate study. But this I do say, the ignorant woman must know her ignorance artd long to grow wise before she can gain anything but a foolish, make-believe knowledge from the brightest club.

Mind, I do not say the religious woman must first outgrow her selfishness before she can join with profit a society for philanthropic effort. But this I do say, the selfish woman must sense her selfishness and long to grow nobler before she can gain much but self-righteousness even from the communion of saints.

Mind, I do not say the woman, stung by some personal injustice to a new appre­hension of sex wrongs, must first learn impartial and abstract justice before she can usefully work with other women for equal rights. But this I do say, the woman who does not sense her union to what has been and what shall be, and long to understand it, can never gain true breadth of view even from the sages of woman’s leadership.

Today the organization of woman’s effort in thought and action has reached a position of such dignity, such power, such charm, such helpfulness, that small natured, pretentious, vain and selfish women see its advantages, and seek to share them in some form or other. And the chief danger of it all lies just here, that on the one side the leaders will be “ leveled down ” as the membership is leveled up, and a half­growth only be secured; and on the other hand that pride of form, devotion to the letter of woman’s association, shall kill its spirit. Look at the question as it relates to religion and charity, the first specialties of woman’s associated effort. An item from a society journal which I clipped not long ago will illustrate my thought In the column of ‘‘Correspondence” the question is asked, “ How may I, a stranger in New York, with ample means, but with no first-class letters of introduction, best acquire social standing? ” The response was this: “ Hire an eligible sitting in a church fre­quented by people of high social influence, join two or three popular charitable asso­ciations managed by society women, subscribe liberally to their work and get elected if possible on their boards of directors.” Comment on this seems unnecessary, but I wonder if any of us fully realize how degraded from its high uses a church and a char­itable organization must become, if a majority of its membership considered it only in the light of a ladder to social distinction.