riends, who thought the other wanting in clearness. "By man, I mean
both man and woman: these are the two halves of one thought. I lay no
especial stress on the welfare of either. I believe that the development
of the one cannot be effected without that of the other."

In the name of a common humanity, then, Margaret solicits from her
readers "a sincere and patient attention," praying women particularly to
study for themselves the freedom which the law should secure to them. It
is this that she seeks, not to be replaced by "the largest extension of
partial privileges."

"And may truth, unpolluted by prejudice, vanity, or selfishness, be
granted daily more and more, as the due inheritance and only valuable
conquest for us all!"

The leading thought formulated by Margaret in the title of her
preference is scarcely carried out in her work; at least, not with any
systematic parallelism. Her study of the position and possibilities of
woman is not the less one of unique value and interest. The work shows
throughout the grasp and mastery of her mind. Her faith in principles,
her reliance upon them in the interpretation of events, make her strong
and bold. We do not find in this book one careless expression which
would slur over the smallest detail of womanly duty, or absolve from the
attainment of any or all of the feminine graces. Of these, Margaret
deeply knows the value. But, in her view, these duties will never be
noble, these graces sincere, until women stand as firmly as men do upon
the ground of individual freedom and legal justice.

"If principles could be established, particulars would adjust themselves
aright. Ascertain the true destiny of woman; give her legitimate hopes,
and a standard within herself.... What woman needs is not as a woman to
act or rule, but as a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a
soul to live freely and unimpeded."

She would have "every arbitrary barrier thrown down, every path laid
open to woman as freely as to man." And she insists that this "inward
and outward freedom shall be acknowledged as a _right_, not yielded as a
concession."

The limits of our present undertaking do not allow us to give here an
extended notice of this work, which has long belonged to general
literature, and is, perhaps, the most widely known of Margaret's
writings. We must, however, dwell sufficiently upon its merits to
commend it to the men and women of to-day, as equally interesting to
both, and