Itmayevenbethattheenterpriseowesitshonorificvirtue,asameansofenhancingthedonor’sgoodrepute,totheimputedpresenceofthisnon-invidiousmotive;butthatdoesnothindertheinvidiousinterestfromguidingtheexpenditure。Theeffectualpresenceofmotivesofanemulativeorinvidiousorigininnon-emulativeworksofthiskindmightbeshownatlengthandwithdetail,inanyoneoftheclassesofenterprisespokenofabove。Wherethesehonorificdetailsoccur,insuchcases,theycommonlymasqueradeunderdesignationsthatbelonginthefieldoftheaesthetic,ethicaloreconomicinterest。Thesespecialmotives,derivedfromthestandardsandcanonsofthepecuniaryculture,actsurreptitiouslytodiverteffortofanon-invidiouskindfromeffectiveservice,withoutdisturbingtheagent’ssenseofgoodintentionorobtrudinguponhisconsciousnessthesubstantialfutilityofhiswork。Theireffectmightbetracedthroughtheentirerangeofthatscheduleofnon-invidious,meliorativeenterprisethatissoconsiderableafeature,andespeciallysoconspicuousafeature,intheovertschemeoflifeofthewell-to-do。Butthetheoreticalbearingisperhapsclearenoughandmayrequirenofurtherillustration;especiallyassomedetailedattentionwillbegiventooneoftheselinesofenterprise——theestablishmentsforthehigherlearning——inanotherconnection。
  Underthecircumstancesoftheshelteredsituationinwhichtheleisureclassisplacedthereseems,therefore,tobesomethingofareversiontotherangeofnon-invidiousimpulsesthatcharacterizestheante-predatorysavageculture。Thereversioncomprisesboththesenseofworkmanshipandtheproclivitytoindolenceandgood-fellowship。Butinthemodernschemeoflifecanonsofconductbasedonpecuniaryorinvidiousmeritstandinthewayofafreeexerciseoftheseimpulses;andthedominantpresenceofthesecanonsofconductgoesfartodivertsucheffortsasaremadeonthebasisofthenon-invidiousinteresttotheserviceofthatinvidiousinterestonwhichthepecuniaryculturerests。Thecanonsofpecuniarydecencyarereducibleforthepresentpurposetotheprinciplesofwaste,futility,andferocity。Therequirementsofdecencyareimperiouslypresentinmeliorativeenterpriseasinotherlinesofconduct,andexerciseaselectivesurveillanceoverthedetailsofconductandmanagementinanyenterprise。Byguidingandadaptingthemethodindetail,thesecanonsofdecencygofartomakeallnon-invidiousaspirationoreffortnugatory。Thepervasive,impersonal,un-eagerprincipleoffutilityisathandfromdaytodayandworksobstructivelytohindertheeffectualexpressionofsomuchofthesurvivingante-predatoryaptitudesasistobeclassedundertheinstinctofworkmanship;butitspresencedoesnotprecludethetransmissionofthoseaptitudesorthecontinuedrecurrenceofanimpulsetofindexpressionforthem。
  Inthelaterandfartherdevelopmentofthepecuniaryculture,therequirementofwithdrawalfromtheindustrialprocessinordertoavoidsocialodiumiscarriedsofarastocompriseabstentionfromtheemulativeemployments。Atthisadvancedstagethepecuniaryculturenegativelyfavorstheassertionofthenon-invidiouspropensitiesbyrelaxingthestresslaidonthemeritofemulative,predatory,orpecuniaryoccupations,ascomparedwiththoseofanindustrialorproductivekind。Aswasnoticedabove,therequirementofsuchwithdrawalfromallemploymentthatisofhumanuseappliesmorerigorouslytotheupper-classwomenthantoanyotherclass,unlessthepriesthoodofcertaincultsmightbecitedasanexception,perhapsmoreapparentthanreal,tothisrule。Thereasonforthemoreextremeinsistenceonafutilelifeforthisclassofwomenthanforthemenofthesamepecuniaryandsocialgradeliesintheirbeingnotonlyanupper-gradeleisureclassbutalsoatthesametimeavicariousleisureclass。Thereisintheircaseadoublegroundforaconsistentwithdrawalfromusefuleffort。
  Ithasbeenwellandrepeatedlysaidbypopularwritersandspeakerswhoreflectthecommonsenseofintelligentpeopleonquestionsofsocialstructureandfunctionthatthepositionofwomaninanycommunityisthemoststrikingindexofthelevelofcultureattainedbythecommunity,anditmightbeadded,byanygivenclassinthecommunity。Thisremarkisperhapstruerasregardsthestageofeconomicdevelopmentthanasregardsdevelopmentinanyotherrespect。Atthesametimethepositionassignedtothewomanintheacceptedschemeoflife,inanycommunityorunderanyculture,isinaverygreatdegreeanexpressionoftraditionswhichhavebeenshapedbythecircumstancesofanearlierphaseofdevelopment,andwhichhavebeenbutpartiallyadaptedtotheexistingeconomiccircumstances,ortotheexistingexigenciesoftemperamentandhabitsofmindbywhichthewomenlivingunderthismoderneconomicsituationareactuated。
  Thefacthasalreadybeenremarkeduponincidentallyinthecourseofthediscussionofthegrowthofeconomicinstitutionsgenerally,andinparticularinspeakingofvicariousleisureandofdress,thatthepositionofwomeninthemoderneconomicschemeismorewidelyandmoreconsistentlyatvariancewiththepromptingsoftheinstinctofworkmanshipthanisthepositionofthemenofthesameclasses。Itisalsoapparentlytruethatthewoman’stemperamentincludesalargershareofthisinstinctthatapprovespeaceanddisapprovesfutility。Itisthereforenotafortuitouscircumstancethatthewomenofmodernindustrialcommunitiesshowaliveliersenseofthediscrepancybetweentheacceptedschemeoflifeandtheexigenciesoftheeconomicsituation。
  Theseveralphasesofthe“womanquestion“havebroughtoutinintelligibleformtheextenttowhichthelifeofwomeninmodernsociety,andinthepolitecirclesespecially,isregulatedbyabodyofcommonsenseformulatedundertheeconomiccircumstancesofanearlierphaseofdevelopment。Itisstillfeltthatwoman’slife,initscivil,economic,andsocialbearing,isessentiallyandnormallyavicariouslife,themeritordemeritofwhichis,inthenatureofthings,tobeimputedtosomeotherindividualwhostandsinsomerelationofownershiportutelagetothewoman。So,forinstance,anyactiononthepartofawomanwhichtraversesaninjunctionoftheacceptedscheduleofproprietiesisfelttoreflectimmediatelyuponthehonorofthemanwhosewomansheis。Theremayofcoursebesomesenseofincongruityinthemindofanyonepassinganopinionofthiskindonthewoman’sfrailtyorperversity;butthecommon-sensejudgmentofthecommunityinsuchmattersis,afterall,deliveredwithoutmuchhesitation,andfewmenwouldquestionthelegitimacyoftheirsenseofanoutragedtutelageinanycasethatmightarise。Ontheotherhand,relativelylittlediscreditattachestoawomanthroughtheevildeedsofthemanwithwhomherlifeisassociated。
  Thegoodandbeautifulschemeoflife,then——thatistosaytheschemetowhichwearehabituated——assignstothewomana“sphere“ancillarytotheactivityoftheman;anditisfeltthatanydeparturefromthetraditionsofherassignedroundofdutiesisunwomanly。Ifthequestionisastocivilrightsorthesuffrage,ourcommonsenseinthematter——thatistosaythelogicaldeliveranceofourgeneralschemeoflifeuponthepointinquestion——saysthatthewomanshouldberepresentedinthebodypoliticandbeforethelaw,notimmediatelyinherownperson,butthroughthemediationoftheheadofthehouseholdtowhichshebelongs。Itisunfeminineinhertoaspiretoaself-directing,self-centeredlife;andourcommonsensetellsusthatherdirectparticipationintheaffairsofthecommunity,civilorindustrial,isamenacetothatsocialorderwhichexpressesourhabitsofthoughtastheyhavebeenformedundertheguidanceofthetraditionsofthepecuniaryculture。“Allthisfumeandfrothof’emancipatingwomanfromtheslaveryofman’andsoon,is,tousethechasteandexpressivelanguageofElizabethCadyStantoninversely,’utterrot。’Thesocialrelationsofthesexesarefixedbynature。Ourentirecivilization——thatiswhateverisgoodinit——isbasedonthehome。“The“home“isthehouseholdwithamalehead。Thisview,butcommonlyexpressedevenmorechastely,istheprevailingviewofthewoman’sstatus,notonlyamongthecommonrunofthemenofcivilizedcommunities,butamongthewomenaswell。Womenhaveaveryalertsenseofwhattheschemeofproprietiesrequires,andwhileitistruethatmanyofthemareillateaseunderthedetailswhichthecodeimposes,therearefewwhodonotrecognizethattheexistingmoralorder,ofnecessityandbythedivinerightofprescription,placesthewomaninapositionancillarytotheman。Inthelastanalysis,accordingtoherownsenseofwhatisgoodandbeautiful,thewoman’slifeis,andintheorymustbe,anexpressionoftheman’slifeatthesecondremove。
  Butinspiteofthispervadingsenseofwhatisthegoodandnaturalplaceforthewoman,thereisalsoperceptibleanincipientdevelopmentofsentimenttotheeffectthatthiswholearrangementoftutelageandvicariouslifeandimputationofmeritanddemeritissomehowamistake。Or,atleast,thatevenifitmaybeanaturalgrowthandagoodarrangementinitstimeandplace,andinspiteofitspatentaestheticvalue,stillitdoesnotadequatelyservethemoreeverydayendsoflifeinamodernindustrialcommunity。Eventhatlargeandsubstantialbodyofwell-bred,upperandmiddle-classwomentowhosedispassionate,matronlysenseofthetraditionalproprietiesthisrelationofstatuscommendsitselfasfundamentallyandeternallyright-eventhese,whoseattitudeisconservative,commonlyfindsomeslightdiscrepancyindetailbetweenthingsastheyareandthingsastheyshouldbeinthisrespect。Butthatlessmanageablebodyofmodernwomenwho,byforceofyouth,education,ortemperament,areinsomedegreeoutoftouchwiththetraditionsofstatusreceivedfromthebarbarianculture,andinwhomthereis,perhaps,anunduereversiontotheimpulseofself-expressionandworkmanship——thesearetouchedwithasenseofgrievancetoovividtoleavethematrest。
  Inthis“New-Woman“movement——astheseblindandincoherenteffortstorehabilitatethewoman’spre-glacialstandinghavebeennamed——thereareatleasttwoelementsdiscernible,bothofwhichareofaneconomiccharacter。Thesetwoelementsormotivesareexpressedbythedoublewatchword,“Emancipation“and“Work。“Eachofthesewordsisrecognizedtostandforsomethinginthewayofawide-spreadsenseofgrievance。Theprevalenceofthesentimentisrecognizedevenbypeoplewhodonotseethatthereisanyrealgroundforagrievanceinthesituationasitstandstoday。Itisamongthewomenofthewell-to-doclasses,inthecommunitieswhicharefarthestadvancedinindustrialdevelopment,thatthissenseofagrievancetoberedressedismostaliveandfindsmostfrequentexpression。Thatistosay,inotherwords,thereisademand,moreorlessserious,foremancipationfromallrelationofstatus,tutelage,orvicariouslife;andtherevulsionassertsitselfespeciallyamongtheclassofwomenuponwhomtheschemeoflifehandeddownfromtheregimeofstatusimposeswithleastlitigationavicariouslife,andinthosecommunitieswhoseeconomicdevelopmenthasdepartedfarthestfromthecircumstancestowhichthistraditionalschemeisadapted。Thedemandcomesfromthatportionofwomankindwhichisexcludedbythecanonsofgoodreputefromalleffectualwork,andwhichiscloselyreservedforalifeofleisureandconspicuousconsumption。
  Morethanonecriticofthisnew-womanmovementhasmisapprehendeditsmotive。ThecaseoftheAmerican“newwoman“
  haslatelybeensummedupwithsomewarmthbyapopularobserverofsocialphenomena:“Sheispettedbyherhusband,themostdevotedandhard-workingofhusbandsintheworld……Sheisthesuperiorofherhusbandineducation,andinalmosteveryrespect。Sheissurroundedbythemostnumerousanddelicateattentions。Yetsheisnotsatisfied……TheAnglo-Saxon’newwoman’isthemostridiculousproductionofmoderntimes,anddestinedtobethemostghastlyfailureofthecentury。“Apartfromthedeprecation——perhapswellplaced——whichiscontainedinthispresentment,itaddsnothingbutobscuritytothewomanquestion。Thegrievanceofthenewwomanismadeupofthosethingswhichthistypicalcharacterizationofthemovementurgesasreasonswhysheshouldbecontent。Sheispetted,andispermitted,orevenrequired,toconsumelargelyandconspicuously——vicariouslyforherhusbandorothernaturalguardian。Sheisexempted,ordebarred,fromvulgarlyusefulemployment——inordertoperformleisurevicariouslyforthegoodreputeofhernaturalpecuniaryguardian。Theseofficesaretheconventionalmarksoftheun-free,atthesametimethattheyareincompatiblewiththehumanimpulsetopurposefulactivity。Butthewomanisendowedwithhershare-whichthereisreasontobelieveismorethananevenshare——oftheinstinctofworkmanship,towhichfutilityoflifeorofexpenditureisobnoxious。Shemustunfoldherlifeactivityinresponsetothedirect,unmediatedstimulioftheeconomicenvironmentwithwhichsheisincontact。Theimpulseisperhapsstrongeruponthewomanthanuponthemantoliveherownlifeinherownwayandtoentertheindustrialprocessofthecommunityatsomethingnearerthanthesecondremove。