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Leader (1850-1860), 16th May 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 472

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      career in the world , and maintain a position by ber own efforts . So she can , you say . She may become an artist—if she has the faculty . She may become a governess—perhaps to be treated worse than a domestic servant . She may turn dressmaker . So can the son of a clergyman turn journeyman tailor . She may make watches , suggests Mr . Bennet ; but suppose she does not belong to the class which makes watches , or does slopwork , or elaborates I / UCt ' s mantle , or builds up the tower of frame and flounce ,

      in which is lost all that was classic in the shape of Ababeiia . Forty-three women out of a hundred are unmarried . Therefore , not being wives or mothers , it is mere irony to talk of their domestic duties ; a large proportion of them , at least , have no home or other establishments to administer . And is the unprovided widow , whatever her former station , to become a teacher , or a flowermaker , or a hat-liner , or a map-colourer , or

      an embroideress , or a button-coverer , such being the principal occupations open to her sex ? " At present the language practically held by modern society to destitute women may be resolved into Marry—Stitch—Dieor do worse , " says the Times . They cannot all marry ; it would be disgraceful to compel them all to stitch ; ' die' scarcely be entered among the injunctions of political economy ; but c do worse' is our eleventh commandment .

      What else can they do ? Miss Babbaba Smith has prepared a reply well worth consideration : *— - Apprentice 10 , 000 to watchmakers ; train 10 , 000 for teachers for the young ; make 10 , 000 good accountants ; put 10 , 000 more to be nurses under deaconnesses trained by Florence Nightingale ; put some thousands in the electric telegraph offices over all the country ; educate 1000 lecturers for mechanics ' institutions ; 1000 readers to read the best books to the working people ; train up 10 , 000 to manage washing-machines , sewing-machines , &c .

      You may smile at the notions of a female accountant ; but is a distressed needlewoman better ? Compare the type of a decayed gentlewoman with that of a lady lecturer—why should a woman not cultivate eloquence as well as tragedy ? For ourselves , we have a weak conviction that it is more womanly to occupy an independent position in the public view than to be shown into a heavily-furnished dining-room , in which some citizen ' s lady intimates that four children are to be

      instructed and walked out morning or evening five miles into the country for half-a-crown a day . The young people must be hardened against all sorts of weather , so that no delicate persons need apply . A few happy instances there are in which a woman of high spirit and rare accomplishments can maintain an independent position , even as a governess ; but the reverse is the rule . We

      shall be satisfied to hear the orthodox language about feminine timidity , shrinking from the gaze of the world , and separate spheres , when all this has been remedied . It seems at least as repulsive to womanly modesty to live among vulgar strangers , who speak of her as a ' young person , ' and to tend a flock of children daily in the parks , as to follow out Mrs . Jameson ' s views , and develop a higher set of qualities than are essential in an

      ordinary governess . This is an old question , and has frequently been discussed ; yet it is peculiarly a topic of to-day . Society has been confessing its sins , and pitying the miserable among women . There are , howovor , gradations in misery , and it would be well to arreat the process before it has reached its last stage , when little remains but remorse , penitence , and death .

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      * Women and Work . By Barbara Leigh Smith , Boaworth and Harrison ,

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      TO MARRY OR NOT TO MARRY ? Cobbett once affirmed that he could find an able-bodied man who would competently transact all the business of a prime minister for five hundred a year . Prime ministers do not agree with Cobbett . When Lord John Russeli- was Prime Minister , he was examined before the Committee on Official Salaries , and stated that he never was in debt before he attained the highest political position in the realm . " I am paying it off now , "

      he added ; but complained of being obliged to receive ambassadors with splendour , having tall servants lolling in the hall , and other appurtenances , undoubtedly costly , and supposed to be dignified . Lord John Rttssei / Tj was troubled by the social difficulty of keeping up appearances . We are are all doing the same , and we , who are veteran and wellestablished , are counselling young people not to marry . Not because they could not live comfortably if married , but that their income

      will pay for no appearances . As to young men who inhabit the colder edge of the temperate zone of the social sphere—with small salaries and slender prospects—we have alwaj-s held that marriage is economy ; but the curse of appearance confronts us . It is all very well for a bachelor to have quietly-furnished rooms so long as his coat is unexceptionable ; but an establishment must be an

      establishment , and he must not risk the happiness of another . Besides , the parents of ' another ' have an eye to the dulness of the times , and it is not convenient at this particular moment to ' in ' for a grand wedding . Now , holding special views on that subject , we must allow the possibility of being wrong ; but why should Latjra , who is about to inhabit a tenement at forty pounds a year , be charioted to the altar at the tail of a

      train of friends , the cost of whose equipages , for one day only , would redeem G-eorgke Fkedebtck from two years of taxation ? Why should her bridal table glow superciliously with borrowed plate , when her domestic table is to display none but unpresuming crockery ? Why should Dives be feasted at the table of Lazarus ? The Rajpoots were accustomed to kill the majority of their daughters to avoid the ruinous expenditure of marriage festivals ; it was easier to murder the babies than to mitigate

      the extravagance . And we have no right to cavil at the Rajpoots if they have one way , and we have another . Costly weddings , then , among people of moderate means , are immoral farces , but the contagion of expensive habits spreads further . Everything now mus t be costly , and we cannot help saying that Great Exhibitions have given an impetus to the love of superfluity . You cut and carve , you line and lace , you dye and bedeck , you insist on doing ' the thing ;'

      and if you cannot do it , economists warn you not to marry . We might as easily find Cobbett ' s prime minister as two plighted hearts , in a respectable sphere , that arc willing to wear the golden link irrespective of upholstery considerations . The fact seems to be , that most persons have what are called grand friends , and they must have houses at which these grand friends can call . There is a youthful beauty ,

      but one summer since made a brido , who stints her own and her servant ' s table , and sacrifices all daily comfort , simply that she may not be ashamed of her curtains when Lady Mahy calls . But it is only through an accident that she is married at all . The betrothal took place years ago , but something turned up lnat spring which allowed of a furnishing speculation , and the- two dewdrops melted into one , on the strength of an arabesque floorcloth , a Brussels carpet , and cut-glass decanters . Yot , to keep up the

      arabesque floorcloth and cut-glass decanter system , it is necessary to keep down the necessaries of life supplies , and my heart ' s own dwells with my only love , doing things well , but intensely pinched and uncomfortable . And all- resulting from the passion tbat makes Robsons and Redpaths—the worship of wealth , the craving for display . " He wanted more money poor people for to give , " said the sympathetic ballad of the Seven Dials concerning the dealer in

      transfers , late of Chester-terrace , now of Newgate , and soon , probably , of Bermuda ; but he only drank while others thirsted . It is for damask and ormolu , for velvet-pile and brocade , for buhl and marqueterie , that societ } hungers , and the intellect commits suicide in quest of these illusions . Yet why talk in this commonplace manner ? We have the question to answer—Is it right and wise to marry when young?—and on that point perhaps we had better say nothing .

      Thunderstorm at Reading . —A very violent storm of thunder , lightning , and rain burst over Reading and the vicinity on Monday afternoon . A great deal of damage was done . Wargrave church has been struck , and much injured ; and on the Oxfordshire hills a ball of fire fell , which shattered some trees . Entire Rebuilding of the Gaol of Newgate . — " Workmen were engaged on Tuesday in making preparations for pulling down and entirely rebuilding the interior of this gaol , and at present it is not known whether the outer walls which front the Old Bailey will not give place to new ones . The interior is to be rebuilt upon the model of the Pentonville prison and the Holloway House of Correction . The separate system will be enforced . At present , the prisoners are confined in one half of the gaol , while the other part is being altered .

      The Ballot Society . —At the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the Ballot Society , a letter was read from Mr . Cobden to Mr . Thomas Prout , the treasurer , enclosing his annual subscription of 10 / . Mr . Cobden remarks : —" Now is the time for agitating your question . Mr . Grote was accustomed to say he was always well supported in the first session of a new Parliament , for that then the wounds of the electors were fresh and green from the electoral battle-field . I hope and to

      you will be able to set up branch societies , gather in subscriptions all over the country . " A letter has been received by the agent of the Ballot Society in Manchester from Mr . Whitehurst , the Vice-President . We here read : —" In reply to an inquiry addressed to you whether the society intends now to make a vigorous effort to obtain the ballot , you may with perfect truth reply , ' Yes . ' The degree of the vigour of that effort depends upon the amount of money which the friends of free and protected ^ voting will place at our disposal . met last

      Convocation . — The two Houses Saturday . In the Upper , certain formalities with respect to some amendments by the Lower House on the Address ( which were ultimately omitted ) were got through , and the House was prorogued to the 20 th of May . The Lower House was also prorogued to the same day , after discussing several motions . In the course of the sitting the Rev . Mr . Claughton presented a gravamen on the subject of presentments of churchwardens , so far as they relate to notorious offenders . By the canons of the Church , churchwardens arc required to present notorious offenders , and the clergy to announce such offenders at the time of service . Such a proceeding has become practically impossible , and the gravamen prayed that it should be reconsidered . The gravamen was referred to the usual coinmittco on such documents .

      Sir I-Iknky Uawlinson on Mohammkkah , — ou Henry Rawlinson , on Monday evening , delivered at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society a very mtorosting lecture on Mohammorah and the Shftt-ol-Arai > , with reference to the late operations at the mouth oi Hie Euphrates . There has been n groat deal of dispute as « whether Mohammorah belongs to Persia or lurlcoy . imvery situation is not clearly definoil . The town is gone rally assigned to Persia , and said to bo seated on tm-Knroon river ; but Sir Houry believed that tho p lnco •« aitunted on the Euphrates , in which ciiho it would bolonft l hod en

      to Turkey . The Turkish Government , wdooj , tored a protest against our attacking it . 1 »« P "; " position of Sir James Outrain , « n the opinion of the lot turor , would be unhealthy during the summer months , but by moving up the Karoon very salubrious quart * - " might y bo reached . Sir Honry referred to the Ins ory ol Mohammorah from tho anrlloat times . Jt vrne generally known that Mohammorah wan , formerly 8 ofavory fa , no » H Greek kingdom Although 11 mifa not have boon the capital , it formed part oi tho k > fe < ' ^ of Kuraknia and MohhIiiu ! . , It was a oity of « ro t > portnnoo , and thoro wore oxtnnt coins which «»»« ° ' Us mint . Alexander tho Great founded « ooloiiy »»« ; and named it l ' ollioan , aftor bin native p lace , l ouu , Macedonia .

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      £ j 2 T H E Ii EA DEB . [ No . 373 , Saturday , ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' ¦ ' ' " ' ' "" —^^—^ i ^ tm ^ i ^ M^^——_

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 16, 1857, page 472, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2193/page/16/