city are women whose sphere can not be home alone. It is upon
this ground that there is pressed home upon us the consideration
of the demands for a wider sphere of work for woman, that she
shall not be cut off from this and that means of getting a
living, which are freely opened to man, but from which woman is
excluded, through prejudices and fears. Let the wide sphere of
work be opened to woman, that she may select from it, just as man
does, whatever her strength and skill are sufficient for her to
accomplish. She is not to be shut up, it is claimed, and justly,
to a few poor, small, and wretchedly-paid employments, by which
she can, with her own hands and skill, gain a living, but is to
be allowed and encouraged to open to herself every variety of
employment wherein she shall be paid an equal sum with that which
man is paid for doing the same work; a claim which has been too
long ignored and set aside, but which will press itself until its
manifest justice shall compel its admission. The woman who has
not the care of a family is to be encouraged to expand her
powers, her talents, and genius, and to apply them to the purpose
of securing a livelihood, without any obstacle whatever being put
in the way; for when we talk of man's sphere and woman's sphere,
it is all a farce. There is no one sphere fitted for all men, any
more than for all women. Some men can not make good business men,
and must fail if they try; and some men can not possibly write
books, or preach, or speak in public, and must fail if they try.
They do not try, because they have wisdom enough to know that
they could not succeed. So it will be with women. People commonly
think, that if you grant this claim of woman's right to make her
own sphere, that all women will immediately rush into public
speaking, and be crowding to the platform, or into the pulpit, or
writing books, or carving statues, or painting pictures. There is
not the slightest danger of that. Of course, if either of these
is the true sphere of any woman, she ought to go there; but those
who have not a talent for these things will not try them.

If the right to vote was granted to woman--from which I do not
see how we can escape--I do not suppose that all women would go
to the polls, for I know that many men do not, alth