The Woman Of The Middle West

The woman of the west is the spirit of energy. It is an inheritance from her iminediate ancestors, who worked unceasiugly as founders of States. She has not yet been seized with the weary satiety of overcivilization aud feels a joy in labor and its fruits. She prefers activity, aud if life offers her leisure she adopta a ehild or a career and works for her self sought object. The doublé task of inaking a home and developing the country has been through her so thoroughly accomplished that, with all our vast territory, we have scarcely a district that might truly be spoken of as the frontier. This achievenient liberates for other uses the energy of woman, and, true to the spirit of the times, she easts a bout her for a career other than a domestic oue. Even in the small townsof newly settled districts the daughters of thefamily do not settle down to an interminable round of spiritless honsework, trat instead start out with their brothers to their day's work as stenographer, typesetter, clerk or teacher. None is idle or filis the position of lady of leisure, for such would be cornpanionless. The woinen with germine business ability test it in a little boat near shore, and, meeting success, go farther to venture more. The woman with a talent or a voioe migrates to a city favorable for its cultivution, and the old profession of teaching bas its countless aspirants, all enger to learn new methods. Besides all these are the young wennen who could load a life of uueventful comfort at home in larger places, but who prefer the hazards of self support in tho world to monotony in a smaller sphere. So there comes a day when these, too, join the army thronging to the large cities. The education of books and colleges is of primary importaiice in their mind jast now, but by and by they will realize ha the world bestows inore of its veulth (and that means power) on those vlio possesa kiiowledge of nieii ana au ability to recoguize opportunity wheil it s met aud to seize it betere it has fled. Another lessou tho girl of the phiins must learii is that marnier aud address enbance what other claims to succesa ho may posaess and are not to be depised as evidence of decadeuce or effeteness. All lionesty is not rade, and a polshed marnier enables one to meet auy man on advantageous ground, while a 'aulty manuer is acceptable only to ;hose whose ways are equally defective. The effect of refluement and oivilizaion, by making uil conform to giveu tandards, is to reduce all to the samo nold. The woman of the west need not 'ear that her rugged individuality ■svill je thus obliteratedi for shv Uves too aear to nature's heart. The freedom of he plains, the large liberty of her naive land, have been infused into her )lood, artd slie will remain as she is - a voimm whose labor is the result of ihonght, whose opinions ;m the result of honest conviction, and wliose love of elf is lost in love of mankind and of country. -