0¥ THE HYPOTHESIS OF EVOLUTION. 159 



tics of women, we observe two classes of traits — namely, those 

 which are also found in men, and those which are absent or but 

 weakly developed in men. Those of the first class are very 

 similar in essential nature to those which men exhibit at an early 

 stage of development. This may be in some way related to the 

 fact that physical maturity occurs earlier in women. 



The gentler sex is characterized by a greater impressibility, 

 often seen in the influence exercised by a stronger character, as 

 well as by music, color, or spectacle generally ; warmth of emo- 

 tion, submission to its influence rather than that of logic ; ti- 

 midity and irregularity of action in the outer world. All these 

 qualities belong to the male sex, as a general rule, at some period 

 of life, though different individuals lose them at very various 

 periods. Ruggedness and sternness may rarely be developed in 

 infancy, yet at some still prior time they certainly do not exist in 

 any. 



Probably most men can recollect some early period of their 

 lives when the emotional nature predominated — a time when 

 emotion at the sight of suffering was more easily stirred than in 

 maturer years. I do not now allude to the benevolence inspired, 

 kept alive, or developed by the influence of the Christian religion 

 on the heart, but rather to that which belongs to the natural 

 man. Perhaps all men can recall a period of youth when they 

 were hero-worshipers — when they felt the need of a stronger arm, 

 and loved to look up to the powerful friend who could sympathize 

 with and aid them. This is the " woman stage" of character : in 

 a large number of cases it is early passed ; in some it lasts longer ; 

 while in a very few men it persists through life. Severe discipline 

 and labor are unfavorable to its persistence. Luxury preserves its 

 bad qualities without its good, while Christianity preserves its 

 good elements without its bad. 



It is not designed to say that woman in her emotional nature 

 does not differ from the undeveloped man. On tlie contrary, 

 though she does not differ in kind, she differs greatly in degree, 

 for her qualities grow with her growth, and exceed in potuer many 

 fold those exhibited by her companion at the original point of 

 departure. Hence, since it might be said that man is the unde- 

 veloped woman, a word of explanation will be useful. Embryonic 

 types abound in the fields of nature, but they are not therefore 

 immature in the usual sense. Maintaining the lower essential 

 quality, they yet exhibit the usual results of growth in individual 



