From the PREFATORY NOTE:
"The first essay in this volume, "Ought Women to learn the Alphabet?" appeared originally in the "Atlantic Monthly" of February, 1859, and has since been reprinted in various forms, bearing its share, I trust, in the great development of more liberal views in respect to the training and duties of women which has made itself manifest within forty years.
There was, for instance, a report that it was the perusal of this essay which led the late Miss Sophia Smith to the founding of the women's college bearing her name at Northampton, Massachusetts.
The remaining papers in the volume formed originally a part of a book entitled "Common Sense About Women" which was made up largely of papers from the "Woman's Journal." This book was first published in 1881 and was reprinted in somewhat abridged form some years later in London (Sonnenschein). It must have attained a considerable circulation there, as the fourth (stereotyped) edition appeared in 1897. From this London reprint a German translation was made by Fraulein Eugenie Jacobi, under the title "Die Frauenfrage und der gesunde Menschenverstand" (Schupp: Neuwied and Leipzig, 1895)."
--T.W.H. -CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
CONTENTS:
I. OUGHT WOMEN TO LEARN THE ALPHABET?
II. PHYSIOLOGY
Too Much Natural History
Darwin, Huxley, and Buckle
The Spirit of Small Tyranny
The Noble Sex
The Truth about our Grandmothers
The Physique of American Women
The Limitations of Sex
III. TEMPERAMENT
The Invisible Lady
Sacred Obscurity
Virtues in Common
Individual Differences
Angelic Superiority
Vicarious Honors
The Gospel of Humiliation
Celery and Cherubs
The Need of Cavalry
The Reason Firm, the Temperate Will
Allures to Brighter Worlds, and leads the Way
IV. THE HOME
Wanted--Homes
The Origin of Civilization
The Low-Water Mark
Obey
Woman in the Chrysalis
Two and Two
A Model Household
A Safeguard for the Family
Women as Economists
Greater Includes Less
A Copartnership
One Responsible Head
Asking for Money
Womanhood and Motherhood
A German Point of View
Childless Women
The Prevention of Cruelty to Mothers
V. SOCIETY
Foam and Current
In Society
The Battle of the Cards
Some Working Women
The Empire of Manners
Girlsterousness
Are Women Natural Aristocrats?
Mrs. Blank's Daughters
The European Plan
Featherses
VI. STUDY AND WORK
Experiments
Intellectual Cinderellas
Cupid and Psychology
Self-Supporting Wives
Thorough
Literary Aspirants
The Career of Letters
Talking and Taking
How to Speak in Public
VII. PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT
We the People
The Use of the Declaration of Independence
Some Old-Fashioned Principles
Founded on a Rock
The Good of the Governed
Ruling at Second Hand
VIII. SUFFRAGE
Drawing the Line
For Self-Protection
Womanly Statesmanship
Too Much Prediction
First-Class Carriages
Education via Suffrage
Follow Your Leaders
How to Make Women Understand Politics
Inferior to Men, and near to Angels
IX. OBJECTIONS TO SUFFRAGE
The Facts of Sex
How will it Result?
I have all the Rights I want
Sense Enough to Vote
An Infelicitous Epithet
The Rob Roy Theory
The Votes of Non Combatants
Mmanners repeal Laws
Dangerous Voters
How Women will Legislate
Individuals vs. Classes
Defeats before Victories
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