THE WOMAN BOTANIST. 93 



She may be said to lead a double life, if 

 doing twice as much as an ordinary woman is 

 a scale of measure of her achievements. 



"Ah!" you say, "this is not the lady we 

 know, who is an M. So. or Ph. D., and who 

 calmly works in a laboratory, unharassed by 

 household cares or maternal duty." 



It is an extreme case, of course,* but I am 

 glad to quote it, since it shows conclusively 

 that wome n may jbej.mbued with a love of sci- 

 ence for it s own sake, and pursue it m^spit e 

 ofobstacles7~The qualities of mind are similar 

 in the sexes. We reap what we sow: twaddle 

 and tittle-tattle in the one, aggressive war and 

 crime in the other, under suitable culture, or 

 a high standard of personal responsibility in 

 both, if we so demand. 



But w hile th e road to scientific attainment 

 is for the man broad and well-pav^d^throxigh 

 centu ries of use, t here is generally; forjwoman, 

 when she dar es to walk therein, a look askance 

 and a cold reception. But she will not mind 

 that greatly — the woman who truly loves Na- 

 ture. She will be instant in season and out 

 of season, and it need not discourage her if 

 her devoted friends arrive at the conclusion that 

 it is the latter. 



Disappointments, discouragements, adversi- 

 ties constitute food for hardy natures, and no 

 other need attempt the road of science. 



