ACTIVE AND LESS IMPASSIONED WOMAN. 15 



Although the active unimpassioned woman of ordi- 

 nary intelligence is what she is from organisation and 

 parentage, it must not be supposed that she is 

 beyond the reach of surrounding influences. No 

 possible circumstance can transform a markedly active 

 and unimpassioned into a markedly contemplative and 

 impassioned nature, but poverty, misfortune, an un- 

 quiet bringing up, a bustling husband and bustling 

 children aggravate her special characteristics. Tran- 

 quil circumstance, comfort, kindly training, and es- 

 pecially restful companionship, tone them down. 



Men and women who are capable of deep anger are 

 never scolds. Shakespere, with all his marvellous 

 insight into character, made the mistake which our 

 own lexicographers make, or, perhaps more correctly, 

 the word " shrew " was once used more widely and 

 vaguely than it now is by those who measure their 

 words. The fundamental features of character are 

 never changed; shrews are never changed into n on - 

 shrews. Catherine was no shrew; she was precisely 

 the reverse ; she was a passionate and rebellious 

 woman. One passion may be changed into another, 

 or its object may be changed, or its motive. Pas- 

 sionate rebellion may be changed into passionate 

 obedience. 



If the somewhat less emotional woman possesses ex- 

 ceptional capacity she is often able by reason and will, 

 habit and circumstance, to reach a level of character 

 which cannot be easily surpassed. In purely intel- 

 lectual matters, indeed, the unimpassioned and the 

 impassioned woman differ but little when both are 

 highly gifted. It is when the capabilities are poor 

 that slight emotions, or strong emotions, tell so 

 strikingly in character 



