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Show WISE ADVICE TO ERRING ONES. BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX. Whatever the obstacles which confronted con-fronted women' who had in any way erred and desired to reform fifty years ago, it is an indisputable fact that today to-day the world is not mercikrs toward such a woman. It gives her a chance to live down her mistakes. She does not tread a path stivwn with roscc: yet she is not pursued pur-sued by fiery-tongued strpenus of condemnation con-demnation at every step, as of oid. Were the "Scarlet Letter" to appear for the fircft time today we would (.onKn;n it as an impossible tale. Time w is-when is-when it required heroism for any man or woman to stand forth as the champion cham-pion and friend of women whose record bore any blemish. Today ccores? of good people are always ready to give her a helping hand and a cheering word, though absolute social recognition recogni-tion b' not accorded. Even that is not impossible if ehe posveses family prestige. Among our fashionable people more than one woman could be pointed out whose indiscretions had blemished her reputation for a time, but whese social influence was sufficient to make the world forgive if not forget her errors. It is a curious fact, too, that it is usu- 0h ' x m lit ELLA WHEELER WILCOX. ally men, not women. In this age who place the greatest obstacles in the way of a woman's reform. The world ueed to bemoan woman's inhumanity to woman, but any observer today will find that facts do not verify the accusation againet us; nor do they illustrate man's greater generosity and breadth of judgment. A wife is often ready to call upon some woman whose reputation has suffered suf-fered by gossip's tongue, and the husband hus-band objects. The wife says: "We do not know that these stories are true she may be the victim of malice, and at all events she is conducting herself discreetly tow and the acfioelation with good women might encourage her to continue." But the husband shakes hip head: "You would be more likely to put yourself your-self down than to pull her up in public opinion, ne says. ".Better go slowly in that direction." A man often seems to befriend a woman who has been gossiped about by appearing with her -in public: but at the same time he would not allow his sister or mother to be seen with her. It is a love of notoriey. not a spirit of chivalry which actuates him. Sometimes, however, he marries her, and then he is indignant if other men's mothers and sisters do not call cron her. The fact that he .considers her good enough to be his wife he feete should render her good enough for all the world. If he is strong in his social position he usually succeeds in making the public accept his belief. Women do not sit in moated granges or ivied towers and grow melancholy mad over old sorrows and sins as they aid in curlier times. They leave the scenes of their troubles as soon as possible pos-sible and go out in the world and busy themselves in some of the numerous avenues open to them. They let the grass grow over the graves of past follies, fol-lies, and claim the privilege men have always enjoyed of beginning new lives. I Of course, no woman ever forgets a grave of this kind as men forget them. As nature placed greater physical obstacles ob-stacles and penaltles'in the way for her, if she transgressed, so it gave her mind a more pursuant memory and her oul a more relentless remorse. From these she cannot escape, however how-ever he may be released from the persecution? per-secution? of the world. Woman's greatest punishment .for folly comes not from the speech of society, so-ciety, but from, the voice of her -wn higher self. When time or custom silences this voice from within, .she will cease to te a woman. |