ing, and devoted all her
energies towards helping him to become what she felt, under better
conditions, she herself might have been. It was enough in those
early days to be the _mother_ or _sister_ of somebody. Women were
almost as abject in this particular as the Thracian woman of old,
who said:

"I am not of the noble Grecian race,
I'm poor Abrotonon, and born in Thrace;
Let the Greek women scorn me, if they please,
I was the mother of Themistocles."

There are women still left who believe their husbands, sons, or
male friends can study, read and _vote_ for them. They are like
some frugal house-mothers, who think their is no need of a dinner
if the good-man of the family is not coming home to share it. Just
as if the man-half of the human family can "eat, learn and inwardly
digest," to make either physical or mental strength for the other
half!

Maria Mitchell of Massachusetts became Professor of Astronomy and
Mathematics at Vassar, in 1866, the first woman in the country to
hold such a position. Since that time women have become members of
the faculty in several of the large colleges in the country.

In the early days of the commonwealth women practiced midwifery,
and were very successful. Mrs. John Eliot, Anne Hutchinson, Mrs.
Fuller and Sarah Alcock were the first in the State. Janet
Alexander, a Scotchwoman, was a well-trained midwife.[147] She
lived in Boston, and was always recognized as a good practitioner
in her line by the leading doctors in that city. Dr. John C. Warren
of Boston invited this lady to come to this country. His biography,
recently published, contains a short record of the matter, in which
he says: "We determined to recommend Mrs. Alexander. She was a
Scotchwoman, regularly educated, and having Dr. Hamilton's
diploma." Quite a storm was raised among the younger physicians of
Boston by this attempted innovation, because they thought Dr.
Warren was trying to deprive them of profitable practice. But Mrs.
Alexander, supported by Dr. Warren, and perhaps other physicians,
continued her occupation and educated her daughter in the same
profession. Dr. Harriot K. Hunt practiced in Boston as early as
1835. She sought admission to the Harvard Medical School, and was
many times refused. She was not what is called a "regular
physician." In her day there existed no schools or colleges for the
medical education of women, but she studied by herself, and
acquired some knowledge of diseas