ON BEING A WOMAN.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR, —Being a woman, and a woman who, from the very nature of her work in the world, is using direct power, it is with considerable interest that I have read, in the Spectator of August 29th, the article entitled "On Being a Woman;" —with interest not because of its truth, but because it reveals how utterly incapable the writer—evidently a man—is of understanding a true woman, or really appreciating her uniquely great work in this world. And first I will take the liberty of pointing out a few most contradictory statements in this masculine idea of "being a woman," which to my thinking convict the writer of the fallacy of his own old- fashioned notions. In the opening portion it is said, "The life of a woman is passed in settling an everlasting succession of details," and yet later on she is described as "an invaluable adviser to man,"—we must therefore conclude that to advise man is a "mere detail." Again, the sage remarks :—" The narrowness of a great number of women comes from a perpetual contemplation of minutiee. Their eyes are out of focus for the larger events of life." Yet, afterwards we are told that—" To many a great man the advice of an Egeria, even
an Egeria of an obviously inferior intellectual calibre to him- self, is almost essential." Now if a woman's life be spent merely in the settling of a succession of details, then man's life and work, which it is even here admitted she guides and directs, must be one of the "mere details," which unfor- tunately in many eases it is, though the writer of "On Being a Woman" would be the last to admit the fact.
But the article is illogical throughout, and in the course of its development shows that the writer is not one of the favoured few who can, in any sense, realise the position he strives vainly to assume, for he fails to grasp even the outer fringe of a true woman's life, and as for the inner depth—the true life—well, he has evidently never been admitted into that sanctuary, for the article from begin- ning to end deals solely with the natural life, the spiritual life being ignored either as a thing that is not or as some- thing not worthy of note. Then, again, as to direct and indirect power ;—man alone, we are to believe, possesses direct power, woman having only indirect power through man; in other words, influence, a very much inferior quality in the writer's estimation. Yet he likens man to an elephant' and woman to the mahout who guides and governs its brute force, herein unconsciously giving us the truth,—viz., that man possesses brute force, woman divine influence. Which, I ask, is really the greater and most lasting power ?
But enough of man's idea of "being a woman" and one word, in conclusion, on woman's inestimable birthright. To be a woman is—to a true woman of to-day—a blessing beyond all price. Her womanhood alone links her truly to the mother of the human race, but moreover to the mother of our Lord. It links her to those true and noble souls who never "forsook him and fled," and almost guarantees to her a knowledge of the eternal verities that is utterly unknown to man except in so far as he obtains such knowledge from woman. The world as God made it was very good; the world as it has become under man's direct power is not good; the world as it may become under woman's indirect and, I predict, direct power too, is yet a thing of the future, though it will come in spite of man's refusal to acknowledge his utter- failure and recognise that the old order of things is rapidly passing away never to return ; that the woman of to-day does not exist merely to perpetuate the race; that she is an individual soul possessing an individu- ality as highly organised and as great as man's ; that she is man's equal, though no comparison between the complementary parts of a perfect whole be possible ; and as all- powerful in this world, which she invariably recognises to be God's world, as man, who, unfortunately, too often vainly endeavours to make it his own world, and is even blind enough to believe that he is master of both it and all that therein is— woman included,—sad mistake, which he invariably has to. acknowledge in sackcloth and ashes. If men would try to understand and appreciate a true woman they would not so- easily become the dupes and abject slaves of the bad. With apology for the undue length of this epistle.—I am, Sir, 8re.,
EDITH SHARP.
[Oar correspondent is herself in error. The author of the article is a woman, a married woman, and a very able one.— ED. Spectator.]
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