h
strange confidence, it regarded itself as the very summit of
civilisation. It may be that such a phase was necessary before the
awakening of a social conscience could arise. Old conceptions have
become foolish in a New Age. A great motive, an enlarging dream, a
quickening understanding of social responsibility, these are what we
have gained.

Above all, this common Faith of Progress has brought a new birth to
women. Many are feeling this force. There are two, says Professor Karl
Pearson,[1] and it might almost be said only two great problems of
modern social life--they are the problem of woman and the problem of
labour. Regarded with fear by many, they are for the younger
generation the sole motors in life, and the only party cries which in
the present can arouse enthusiasm, self-sacrifice, and a genuine
freemasonry of class and sex.

There is something almost staggering in the range and greatness of the
changes in belief and feeling, in intellectual conclusions and social
habits, which are now disturbing the female part of humankind. How
complete is the divorce between the attitude of the woman of this
generation towards society and herself, and that of the generation
that has passed--yes, passed as completely as if hundreds and not
units represent the years that separate it from the present.

It is instructive to note in passing what was written about woman at
the time immediately preceding the present revolt of the sex. The
virtue upon which most stress was laid was that of "delicacy," a word
which occurs with nauseous frequency in the books written both by
women and men in the two last centuries.[2] "Propriety," wrote Mrs.
Hannah More, "is to a woman what the great Roman citizen said action
is to an orator: it is the first, the second, and the third
requisite."[3]

"This delicacy or propriety," it has been well said,[4] "implied
not only modesty, but ignorance; and not only decency of
conduct, but false decency of mind. Nothing was to be thoroughly
known, nothing to be frankly expressed. The vicious concealment
was not confined to physical facts, but pervaded all forms of
knowledge. Not only must the girl be kept ignorant of the
principles of physiology, but she must also abstain from
penetrating thoroughly into the mysteries of history, of
politics, of science, and of philosophy. Even her special
province of religion must be lightly surveyed. She was not
required