THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAN jy SUNDAY HORNING, NOVEMBER 1 5, . 1903
10
9
WOMEN
if
4
Have Fine Clothes Made
the Female an Anomaly
in Nature? 7
F, ladies, at any time in the Phoebus
.course of your climb to the zenith, of
j grandeur you should ' encounter Dr.
Andrew MacPhail, you may be tempted to
jab d hatpin into his frame, and jao it hard.
This Dr. MacPhail has the scientific
effrontery to declare that you arc all anoma
lies. ' -'-i;'
He has precipitate himself and his
opinion into the arena of publicity hitherto
devoted exclusively to rivalry in aduLtion of -your
perfections; and now he proposes to take
the very clothes off thou areas of your ad
mirable backs which fashion still permits to
remain covered.
The hatpin is recommended merely be
cause it will always be ttandy. But even your ;
gentle souls, when you learn all that Dr.
MacPhail has said of you, may incline to
some ancient and more fitting punishment-
something lingering, with d touch, of boiling
oil to it. . . 1
Whatever you do to him, when you
catch him, you will consider deserved, per
haps not simply because of his accusations
against you, but because he has started whole
choruses of the tyrant man into echoing
shouts. Ever other scientists have had the
temerity to agree with him.
YOU may remember having seen picture! of those
bygone days In Europe, when the cavaliers, .In
all their glory of One raiment, had gorgeous
' King Solomon hitched In the dressing room,
while the dames and damosels of that pitiful epoch
meandered about In a simplicity of garb beside which
most women of today are splendidly arrayed.
That's the state of affairs which Dr. MacPhail Is
quoted as declaring to be natural and proper. But he
Is far from being satisfied with a simple, sartorial rev
olution. If he had his way, not only would man re
turn to his Innate love of finery, while women should
be shorn of her plumes and prettlnesses, but suffraget
tlng would be as far from her thoughts as flying was
from man's twenty years ago; her proud pre-eminence
in social functions would vanish like Cinderella's glass
slipper and the other fairy things, and she would be
relegated to the nursery and the household, where, de
Clares this scientist, she belongs.
The new assertion, that " woman the American
woman especially is an anomaly, Is based upon the
general regulations of nature. In the animal kingdom,
nature makes the male "the gaudy, strutting crea
ture"; the female, usually, la quietly garbed and less
ostentatious In manner. The lion Is a more magnifi
cent, showy animal than the lioness; the peacock as
sumes all the gaudlness of the" peafowl family.
Should not man, then, and not woman, be " the gor
geously attired representative of the human family T
Dr. MacPhail lives in Montreal. Canada, As an aid
to Identification and capture. It may be mentioned that
he stands very high In his profession, and. In Eng
land, receives such deference when he writes his
philosophlc-srlentlflo opinions that solemn and learned
periodicals are not only willing to publish them, but
to go a long way toward Indorsing them.
When the recent discussion over the alleged extrav
agance ana Dad taste of New York society broke out,
be slipped the leash, and England's Journals opened
wide the door of print, and thereby aroused a mighty
debate In all that land. "
"It is not the -American woman peculiarly," said
Dr. MacPhail. "The American women, in the mass, are
sound enough. The American woman of the Indict
ment Is to be found elsewhere than In the United
States in Canada, England France, throughout the
modern world. But she la morex visible In America
because she Is more adulated and mere advertised
there."
The accusers of women barked back to a romantlo
illustration of the changed face of affairs. When the
old-fastttoned American novelist was pressed' for an
explanation of the waywardness of his heroine, ha
found that she had a French mother. The novelist of
today finds another explanation of the caprice of his
heroine: She Is simply an American' woman,
THE DANGERS OF WEALTH
To the American woman of Action, It Is the life of
luxurious Idleness which alone appeals.
, While the reasons are largely beyond her control,
it Is nevertheless the fact that the primitive funotlona
of woman-such as the preparation of food and cloth
ling have become less, incumbent upon her. '
"With the one exception of maternity," the scientist
observes, "those functions have been usurped by the
male, or been placed in the hands of hirelings. , Every
advance In Industrial development continually makes '
for. the destruction of the family. The country lias
grown rich; but the family is destroyed.
"There Is money and Idleness for the women of the
well-to-do: idleness alone for the women of the poor.
For the daughters of the poor there Is the refuge of
the factory; for the daughters of the rich there is
nothing but idleness, and both classes arc more un
happy than when they lived in the trees."
. That was going pretty far back back to some
where which was very close to the state of nature.
And the state of nature was precisely the precedent
.appealed to. , ' ; . ., .V'
Gate to be eloquent about it upon the gorgeous
peacock. Is he a lady f By no means, remark the
critics of womankind. He Is the original, genuine
male of his species,, holding. on like grim death to all
the plcturesqueness that is coming to the peafowl '
family. . " ... ,";.;... . . ' l.
; He swells around with his daxsllng Iridescence
flashing in the sunshine, s creature so magnificent
thai, the juen of fcneUa would be a kitchen ma.d be-
side him.. The hen is so Inferior that she is scarcely
'noticeable. She is An her proper place laying eggs and -
hatching them. - -
Gaze, likewise, upon the superb lion of the desert.
- lie carries a mane that is as magnificent as It Is orna- ' '
mental; his carriage suggests dignity and lordly'"
' power; he Is thet embodied picture of strength arid '
greatness, while the poor lioness has to go around
-wun no greater supply or ornament man a bull pup.
,nou me rooster ana
t
he cock robin both
111 US4
;
3P
: r
tratlug a natural law in showing ths resplendence of
the male creature; the magnificently antlered, kingly
looking male of the deer family and the meek-looking
female.
And then, holding the mirror up to art, gase on
woman.
"In the state of nature." remarks Dr. MacPhail, "It
is ordained that the female shall go quietly. But In
the race to which we belong. It Is the woman who Is
glorious; and this burden of splendor, falling upon an
organism which Is unqualified for the task, breaks it
down hopelessly and renders It unlit for the perform
ance of Its proper functions.
"The possession of splendid apparel Involves the
necessity for its display, and out of that arise vanity,
jealousy, rivalry and all uncharltableness."
Have you ever witnessed the performance of a
troupe of trained animals dogs, for Instance? The
doctor finds in them a parallel for the modern woman.
He pities the animal that is compelled to perform a
new and uncongenial task the dog in a dance, for ex-
ample.
NERVES WEAR OUT EVEN DOGS
Off the stage, he avere. the animals are subject to
fits of ill temper, to outbursts of emotion, to d, scon
ten l, they crave excitement more and . more eagerly
until, finally, they break down under the nervous
strain.
Symptoms of a somewhat similar nature have been
observed in the case of the American woman as the
result of her performance.
While the function pf maternity necessarily re.
F. .ihOfflfe..0t womn- care of the offspring
bee nnel. over to the male or to female hire
lings, and the wide outlet for physical and mental ac
tivity of woman has been effectually stopped.
P-P!i.Ve? 5.the re hr chlldrenAa woman suf
fers a diminution of affection, which li replaced by a
noisy senttmentallsm. equally disastrous for the
mother, the child and the husband
pkJ.'i lJLtJ,e ma5ernaI 'nt,not running riot Dr. Hie
Phall finds that It exhausts Itself upon the Infant,
leaving none for the growing child, to whom It might
jo value "The American mother." h K-
So" of hef?h7ld."0r Ca" f her lnaDt and htt
1. l ,Kn-.rear"ty- mer',v n ""ifteur In a role that
ts new to her. In a society which has grown up by a
KlMi'". "'P,n? th" eou!,, of IOW -nturles.
the woman performs her duties easily, almost uncon-
S
VRAL attractive titles still remain in the
.list of British peerages that might be cap
tured by American girls of charm or wealth.-
or both. . . ......
: While, aimcst any sort of a title seims to ap
peal to the young and old, for that matter women
of this titleless country,, the highest value is set
upoa British titles. . - v tx
A British peerage is inherited only by the
possessor's eldest son or nearest heir, and so the
list is restricted subject only to such additions as
the king may choose to make from time to time. ;
. On the other hand, in many countries of con
tinental Europe aA the children of the ownfer of a
. title have- titles themselves. ; Hence, the enormous ,
crop of Italian counts, German barons and Russian
princes. ?"-:"r; ,,' a, v.,.: -- --
1 J '
' I - . -. - - . "
If
n
Mil
' ii 1 rule, the possessor of a British title
doesn't hare to go begging to induce some fair one
to share it with him.. Among the rather small list
of wifeless peers at present are some who are con
sidered remarkably good "catches."
F
OR instance; there ts the duke of Leinster. who
became of age aomethlng less than a year ago.
although he succeeded to the title nearly fifteen
yearsago, Recently he was appointed master
of the horse- to' the lord lieutenant of Ireland, a post
. tion carrying with It many special, privileges In the
royal and vice regal households. - '
Besides his title, a handsome fortune and high
position at oourt, the duke can offer his bride two,
magnificent homes "Carton." one of the most beautiful
estates in Great Britain! and a splendid town house in
. Dublin. .. - ; . . r-, -. .
Some years ago' his V trustees sold' Kllkea Castle,
where the duke was born; and Its Immense surrounding
estate for, something like ft.O00.0OO, They also sold.
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to Mrs John W. Mackay the duke's London house for a
large sum. So the duke la not hard up, probably, for
spending-money.
One of the richest unmarried peers is Lord Howard
da Walden, who owns a big slice of the West tilde of
London, and whose rent roll is said to be nearly as
million dollars a year.
Lord 4e Walden Is a fine looking young man, with
some reputation in amateur sports, being especially
proficient with the folia
He Is devoted to his mother, now Lady Ludlow, and
. has announced repeatedly that he does net propose to
, marry until he finds a woman just like her.
AudleyEnd, near Cambridge, the De Walden country
aeat. ts one of the Ones! ettiai.es In Kugiand. Xhe nouaa '
was built in the time of Henry VUL and was onue de
scribed by James I as "far .too magnificent for a
monarch." '. - --
Lord Percy has more to promise In the way of title
than be now possesses, as he Is heir to the proud duke
dom of Northumberland. He seems, to be a young man
Of considerable ability, "and for that reason, entitled
to distinction among- the titled youngsters of the
t
V
it f
- 1
,-.uv,i.1'v,'
sclously. But In a society that Is the product of only
a generation, the woman pays the penalty of aspira
tions beyond her primitive functions. . -
, Of the American man. the critic In Canada has com
paratively little to say; and that little la mora merciful
than caustic
The men are primarily to blame. Simple-minded,
old-fashioned creatures, they have the notion that the
balluiarlt of poverty is the spectacle of woman work
ing. In general, the men of America belleva they have
extricated themselves from poverty's curse when they
have relieved their womankind of the necessity of
doing anything. ' . .. ' i
The women have taken more than kindly to tha
theory. The ambition of the American, woman, it la
asserted, is to live In Idleness. , ,
MEN STICK TO WORK
As for society, the American man finds In It some
thing mysterious, occult, beyond his own understand
ing 80 he is content to stick to bis specialty plain,
hard work and to leave the arrangement of all social
activities to the women. m ,
It is more than a mistaken kindness. It Is posi
tively cruel folly. The man. with his sturdy physique,
his steady nerves, bis faculty ror organization and his
habit of exercising the mental faculties, is qualified to.
manage his social affairs as readily, as efficiently aa
ne directs his business Interests.
But. allowing the whole burden to fall upon the
woman, he is both recreant to his responsibilities and
, cruelly careless of her inborn weakness. She may
Imagine that she Is indulging her own free, sweet
will; but she is headed straight for tha emotional
breakdown that befalls all victims of misdirected
n6he'ls. says Dr. MacPhan. an anomaly of nature.
kingdom. He took high honors in his university course
at Oxford, has won repute aa an explorer of the remote
territory of Asiatic Turkey, and has written several
booka v ' ' ''" - j '
In addition, he has begun making a career In publla
life; he has done good service as a member of tha
House of Commons and as an under secretary In the
British Foreign Office. , ;
It seems to ba pretty well assured that the future
Lady Percy and Duchess of Northumberland will not
have a personal nonentity for a husband.
Lord Rocksavage, whose years are. yet compara
tively few. is heir to the title and estates of the mar
quis of Cholmondeley, lord great chamberlain of Eng
land. This post will ba inherited in due time by young
Lord Rocksavage. : V"-
It may be well to remember, in passing, that the
lord great chamberlain is a mighty personage in the
picturesque ceremonies of state, at least.
He haa entire charge of things whenever the king
visits Parliament or takes part in any royal function
in Westminster Abbey; he is also in charge of the
Houses of Parliament and the adjoining government
buildings vi . ; '?v -'.";-.::' . ; ;
Houghton Hall, near King Edward's country place
at Sandrlngham, is. the principal home of the Chol
mondeley family. ;
. About two years 'ago tha young marquis ef Angle
sey., head, of the famous old house Of Paget, came ol
age . . . . . . . r . . ' . '
HIS predecessor, tha lata marquis, a cousin, wss
theatrical almost .crasy in his ways; In fact, he de
veloped a notorious mania lor appearing before tna
footiighta. The present bolder of the tiue is aalj ij
be a quiet and sensible young ma n.
He has a good income over u,008 a year, It !
said much of it from mines on his estates, wttu-n Id
elude about 80,000 acres; own two fine country n. ,!,-,
filled with valuable art object a, eld furniture ana t t
luoma '.
Among other unmarried peers are tha dukx et r
' Albans and Lord Dalroeny, son of Lord Uoti:H'r ; i
heir to tha Kosebery title and eslatea. In tiua .' t
does not Include the dukes of Atho.l ar,.i c '
who are elderly widowers and apparently i.-ivo i , ,
of seeklnir new wives. -
Perhaps the duke of SL Albans will nev r n. i t v
he Is a confirmed invalid. SaoulJ he tin no, t. .. ,
will enjpy, a privilege that oine;wt.o u r-- ii -
the queen that of drlvtnir wltu her h-jr-Kai.-i I ...
Rotten Kow, In Hyde Park.
That fashionable way Is Hplwl'f'v f r t
riders; only the king ami qu'-tt : i .
duchess of Ft. Albans are pfr :- ri . ,
This rivile(?e was.roni-rt-1
natural son. along with t'. 9 :
"anl other lienors.