328 



FOOT-NOTES TO EVOLUTION. 



from a man's standpoint, not from that of humanity. 



From the standpoint of the race, the sexes can not be 



unequal. The one sex balances the other. 

 Woman from ^^^ y^^^ j^ ^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ 



man s stand- , , n rr • r 



. evenly and equally. If m any race of 



people the woman does not do her share 

 of the life work, the process of natural selection sets this 

 race aside in favour of some one more normally con- 

 stituted. 



As road menders, soldiers, workmen, we may admit 

 the inferiority of woman. I have seen women har- 

 nessed with dogs in Holland, drawing 



through the canals a vessel on which 

 competition. . 



a man sits to steer. It is said in Italy 



that " women are better than dogs for carrying bur- 

 dens, but not so good as mules." This may be, but it 

 is not well for Italy that its women are brought into 

 competition with its mules. 



"You can get more in your market for a quart of 

 milk than a quart of blood," says Thoreau, " but yours 

 is not the market heroes carry their blood to." Nor 

 should womanhood be forced to compete in a market 

 which values only physical strength. But this labour 

 market of Italy or Holland does not represent the per- 

 manent relations of life. The work of the woman lies 

 primarily with the young. In the nursery and the 

 schools of to-day the history of to-morrow is written. 

 Doubtless the investigations of man, his ingenuity, and 

 his force have been tremendous factors in the history 

 of civilization. It is not necessary to belittle them to 

 recognise the helpfulness of woman. The making of 

 men is the woman's part. The home and the schools 

 are as large a factor in human progress as the railway 

 and the telegraph. The work of woman looks forward 

 to the future. As her work is important so is her edu- 



