Man and the Community. 205 



transformed and illuminated her life. Women as 

 a class doubtless show a preponderance of what 

 may be termed feminine characteristics, as greater 

 altruism, stability, less power of variability, but 

 these feminine characteristics are everywhere modi- 

 fied by the action of masculine characteristics. 



In the higher type of woman the best and high- 

 est masculine characteristics have been fused with 

 the best and highest development of the feminine 

 characteristics. Altruism, for instance, has been 

 rationalized and guarded by the exercise of greater 

 reasoning power; stability or inertia has been les- 

 sened and prevented from forming an insurmount- 

 able barrier to progress. The tendency to vary 

 has been strengthened ; the more negative nature 

 has progressed to a more positive condition. Cour- 

 age, inventiveness, and greater strength of intellec- 

 tual perception have been fostered in civilized 

 woman. Her submission to man gradually lessens 

 before the upward progress of her mind. She 

 places herself as his equal, — as the other half, 

 without which his half-life cannot be complete. 



Although less inventive than man, she still in- 

 vents. Genius, that crown of the power of varia- 

 bility, is not denied to her. 



In the internal, individual struggle for the higher 

 existence woman develops such masculine char- 

 acteristics as enhance her power and her attrac- 

 tiveness. Retaining the highest and best of her 

 feminine qualities, she fuses with them the highest 



