To you it
says--"Work;" and to us it says--"Seem!" To you it says--As you
approximate to man's highest ideal of God, as your arm is strong and your
knowledge great, and the power to labour is with you, so you shall gain all
that human heart desires. To us it says--Strength shall not help you, nor
knowledge, nor labour. You shall gain what men gain, but by other means.
And so the world makes men and women.
"Look at this little chin of mine, Waldo, with the dimple in it. It is but
a small part of my person; but though I had a knowledge of all things under
the sun, and the wisdom to use it, and the deep loving heart of an angel,
it would not stead me through life like this little chin. I can win money
with it, I can win love; I can win power with it, I can win fame. What
would knowledge help me? The less a woman has in her head the lighter she
is for climbing. I once heard an old man say, that he never saw intellect
help a woman so much as a pretty ankle; and it was the truth. They begin
to shape us to our cursed end," she said, with her lips drawn in to look as
though they smiled, "when we are tiny things in shoes and socks. We sit
with our little feet drawn up under us in the window, and look out at the
boys in their happy play. We want to go. Then a loving hand is laid on
us: 'Little one, you cannot go,' they say, 'your little face will burn,
and your nice white dress be spoiled.
Pages:
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243