s. 'Fourteen women were
graduated from the university of New York Law School last night, among
the number being Mrs. George B. McClellan, daughter-in-law of the late
General McClellan.' But I well know there have been women associated
with their husbands in the law. Women also with their own offices,
doing a large and important business.
"In England, civil service is open to them; and though it does not
correspond of course with our law, still the same strict education is
needed for success.
"Here is a paper which states the terms on which ladies enter the
civil service.
"'They enter as second-class clerks, receiving $325 a year, rising by
fifteen dollars a year to $400. Here the maximum, which is certainly
small, is reached; but there is promotion by merit to clerkships,
rising to $550 a year, and a few higher places, which go up to $850.
Three lady superintendents each receive up to $2,000, and four
assistant superintendents each $1,000. The work is not difficult, and
the hours are seven a day. An annual holiday of a month is allowed.'
"These wages are no larger than would be paid here for the same
services. I know women have no difficulty, if once elected, in filling
clerkships and secretaryships, and they even have important places in
the treasury department at Washington. A very telling record might be,
probably has been, made of their successes there.
"In the medical profession we all know how rapidly they have risen to
the front. Stories that sound almost fabulous are told of the income
some of the most talented receive; and to show the popularity this new
movement has attained, it is only necessary to state that at the
present day it would be hard to find a town, north, south, east, or
west, which has not its woman doctor. The medical colleges have large
classes of them; and in Europe names of many American girls, if they
do not lead in number, do at least in ability."
Here there was a resolute stamping and clapping, which pleased Miss
Ashton too much for her to attempt to stop it.
"If I had more time I could tell you some wonderful but entirely true
stories of difficult surgical operations being performed in foreign
hospitals by young American women in so remarkable a way that they
excited not only the applause of the fellow-students, but won prizes.
"As this is only one of the professions, I must hurry on to the
ministry. We all know that in some of our denominations there are
numbers of wome
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