tea-table talk-第12章

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nning　seals　alive。　　'I　feel　so　sorry　for　the　poor　creatures；'　she　murmured；　'but　they　say　it　gives　so　much　more　depth　of　colour　to　the　fur。'　　Her　own　jacket　was　certainly　a　very　beautiful　specimen。〃

〃When　I　was　editing　a　paper；〃　I　said；　〃I　opened　my　columns　to　a　correspondence　on　this　very　subject。　　Many　letters　were　sent　to　me　most　of　them　trite；　many　of　them　foolish。　　One；　a　genuine　document；　I　remember。　　It　came　from　a　girl　who　for　six　years　had　been　assistant　to　a　fashionable　dressmaker。　　She　was　rather　tired　of　the　axiom　that　all　women；　at　all　times；　are　perfection。　　She　suggested　that　poets　and　novelists　should　take　service　for　a　year　in　any　large　drapery　or　millinery　establishment　where　they　would　have　an　opportunity　of　studying　woman　in　her　natural　state；　so　to　speak。〃

〃It　is　unfair　to　judge　us　by　what；　I　confess；　is　our　chief　weakness；〃　argued　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃Woman　in　pursuit　of　clothes　ceases　to　be　humanshe　reverts　to　the　original　brute。　Besides；　dressmakers　can　be　very　trying。　　The　fault　is　not　entirely　on　one　side。〃

〃I　still　fail　to　be　convinced；〃　remarked　the　Girton　Girl；　〃that　woman　is　over…praised。　　Not　even　the　present　conversation；　so　far　as　it　has　gone；　altogether　proves　your　point。〃

〃I　am　not　saying　it　is　the　case　among　intelligent　thinkers；〃　explained　the　Philosopher；　〃but　in　popular　literature　the　convention　still　lingers。　　To　woman's　face　no　man　cares　to　protest　against　it；　and　woman；　to　her　harm；　has　come　to　accept　it　as　a　truism。　　'What　are　little　girls　made　of？　　Sugar　and　spice　and　all　that's　nice。'　　In　more　or　less　varied　form　the　idea　has　entered　into　her　blood；　shutting　out　from　her　hope　of　improvement。　　The　girl　is　discouraged　from　asking　herself　the　occasionally　needful　question：　　Am　I　on　the　way　to　becoming　a　sound；　useful　member　of　society？　　Or　am　I　in　danger　of　degenerating　into　a　vain；　selfish；　lazy　piece　of　good…for…　nothing　rubbish？　　She　is　quite　content　so　long　as　she　can　detect　in　herself　no　tendency　to　male　vices；　forgetful　that　there　are　also　feminine　vices。　　Woman　is　the　spoilt　child　of　the　age。　　No　one　tells　her　of　her　faults。　　The　World　with　its　thousand　voices　flatters　her。　Sulks；　bad　temper；　and　pig…headed　obstinacy　are　translated　as　'pretty　Fanny's　wilful　ways。'　　Cowardice；　contemptible　in　man　or　woman；　she　is　encouraged　to　cultivate　as　a　charm。　　Incompetence　to　pack　her　own　bag　or　find　her　own　way　across　a　square　and　round　a　corner　is　deemed　an　attraction。　　Abnormal　ignorance　and　dense　stupidity　entitle　her　to　pose　as　the　poetical　ideal。　　If　she　give　a　penny　to　a　street　beggar；　selecting　generally　the　fraud；　or　kiss　a　puppy's　nose；　we　exhaust　the　language　of　eulogy；　proclaiming　her　a　saint。　　The　marvel　to　me　is　that；　in　spite　of　the　folly　upon　which　they　are　fed；　so　many　of　them　grow　to　be　sensible　women。〃

〃Myself；〃　remarked　the　Minor　Poet；　〃I　find　much　comfort　in　the　conviction　that　talk；　as　talk；　is　responsible　for　much　less　good　and　much　less　harm　in　the　world　than　we　who　talk　are　apt　to　imagine。　Words　to　grow　and　bear　fruit　must　fall　upon　the　earth　of　fact。〃

〃But　you　hold　it　right　to　fight　against　folly？〃　demanded　the　Philosopher。

〃Heavens；　yes！〃　cried　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃That　is　how　one　knows　it　is　Follyif　we　can　kill　it。　　Against　the　Truth　our　arrows　rattle　harmlessly。〃



CHAPTER　VI



〃But　what　is　her　reason？〃　demanded　the　Old　Maid。

〃Reason！　　I　don't　believe　any　of　them　have　any　reason。〃　　The　Woman　of　the　World　showed　sign　of　being　short　of　temper；　a　condition　of　affairs　startlingly　unusual　to　her。　　〃Says　she　hasn't　enough　work　to　do。〃

〃She　must　be　an　extraordinary　woman；〃　commented　the　Old　Maid。

〃The　trouble　I　have　put　myself　to　in　order　to　keep　that　woman；　just　because　George　likes　her　savouries；　no　one　would　believe；〃　continued　indignantly　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃We　have　had　a　dinner　party　regularly　once　a　week　for　the　last　six　months；　entirely　for　her　benefit。　　Now　she　wants　me　to　give　two。　　I　won't　do　it！〃

〃If　I　could　be　of　any　service？〃　offered　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃My　digestion　is　not　what　it　once　was；　but　I　could　make　up　in　qualitya　recherche　little　banquet　twice　a　week；　say　on　Wednesdays　and　Saturdays；　I　would　make　a　point　of　eating　with　you。　　If　you　think　that　would　content　her！〃

〃It　is　really　thoughtful　of　you；〃　replied　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃but　I　cannot　permit　it。　　Why　should　you　be　dragged　from　the　simple　repast　suitable　to　a　poet　merely　to　oblige　my　cook？　　It　is　not　reason。〃

〃I　was　thinking　rather　of　you；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet。

〃I've　half　a　mind；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃to　give　up　housekeeping　altogether　and　go　into　an　hotel。　　I　don't　like　the　idea；　but　really　servants　are　becoming　impossible。〃

〃It　is　very　interesting；〃　said　the　Minor　Poet。

〃I　am　glad　you　find　it　so！〃　snapped　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃What　is　interesting？〃　I　asked　the　Minor　Poet。

〃That　the　tendency　of　the　age；〃　he　replied；　〃should　be　slowly　but　surely　driving　us　into　the　practical　adoption　of　a　social　state　that　for　years　we　have　been　denouncing　the　Socialists　for　merely　suggesting。　　Everywhere　the　public…houses　are　multiplying；　the　private　dwellings　diminishing。〃

〃Can　you　wonder　at　it？〃　commented　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃You　men　talk　about　'the　joys　of　home。'　　Some　of　you　write　poetrygenerally　speaking；　one　of　you　who　lives　in　chambers；　and　spends　two…thirds　of　his　day　at　a　club。〃　　We　were　sitting　in　the　garden。　　The　attention　of　the　Minor　Poet　became　riveted　upon　the　sunset。　　〃'Ethel　and　I　by　the　fire。'　　Ethel　never　gets　a　chance　of　sitting　by　the　fire。　　So　long　as　you　are　there；　comfortable；　you　do　not　notice　that　she　has　left　the　room　to　demand　explanation　why　the　drawing…room　scuttle　is　always　filled　with　slack；　and　the　best　coal　burnt　in　the　kitchen　range。　　Home　to　us　women　is　our　place　of　business　that　we　never　get　away　from。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　the　Girton　Girlto　my　surprise　she　spoke　with　entire　absence　of　indignation。　　As　a　rule；　the　Girton　Girl　stands　for　what　has　been　termed　〃divine　discontent〃　with　things　in　general。　In　the　course　of　time　she　will　outlive　her　surprise　at　finding　the　world　so　much　less　satisfactory　an　abode　than　she　had　been　led　to　supposealso　her　present　firm　conviction　that；　given　a　free　hand；　she　could　put　the　whole　thing　right　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　There　are　times　even　now　when　her　tone　suggests　less　certainty　of　her　being　the　first　person　who　has　ever　thought　seriously　about　the　matter。　　〃I　suppose；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl；　〃it　comes　of　education。　Our　grandmothers　were　content　to　fill　their　lives　with　these　small　household　duties。　　They　rose　early；　worked　with　their　servants；　saw　to　everything　with　their　own　eyes。　　Nowadays　we　demand　time　for　self…development；　for　reading；　for　thinking；　for　pleasure。　Household　drudgery；　instead　of　being　the　object　of　our　life；　has　become　an　interference　to　it。　　We　resent　it。〃

〃The　present　revolt　of　woman；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet；　〃will　be　looked　back　upon　by　the　historian　of　the　future　as　one　of　the　chief　factors　in　our　social　evolution。　　The　'home'the　praises　of　which　we　still　sing；　but　with　gathering　misgivingdepended　on　her　willingness　to　live　a　life　of　practical　slavery。　　When　Adam　delved　and　Eve　spanAdam　confining　his　delving　to　the　space　within　his　own　fence；　Eve　staying　her　spinning…wheel　the　instant　the　family　hosiery　was　completethen　the　home　rested　upon　the　solid　basis　of　an　actual　fact。　　Its　foundations　were　shaken　when　the　man　became　a　citizen　and　his　interests　expanded　beyond　the　domestic　circle。　　Since　that　moment　woman　alone　has　supported　the　institution。　　Now　she；　in　her　turn；　is　claiming　the　right　to　enter　the　community；　to　escape　from　the　solitary　confinement　of　the　lover's　castle。　　The　'mansions；'　with　common　dining…rooms；　reading…rooms；　their　system　of　common　service；　are　springing　up　in　every　quarter；　the　house；　the　villa；　is　disappearing。　　The　story　is　the　same　in　every　country。　　The　separate　dwelling；　where　it　remains；　is　being　absorbed　into　a　system。　　In　America；　the　experimental　laboratory　of　the　future；　the　houses　are　warmed　from　a　common　furnace。　　You　do　not　light　the　fire；　you　turn　on　the　hot　air。　　Your　dinner　is　brought　round　to　you　in　a　travelling　oven。　　You　subscribe　for　your　valet　or　your　lady's　maid。　　Very　soo