The Forerunner Part 132

"Blind Brute!" said the Artist. "How terrible it is to be unappreciated! This Fool Incarnate can never realize what it is ignoring! And it will give me no reward! When I am dead it will see my Beauty!"

Now the World had its feelings, and did not enjoy the att.i.tude of the Artist; so verily it gave him no reward. And he died. Nevertheless what he foretold was by no means fulfilled, for his work was for himself alone, and perished with him.

Then arose the second Artist, and he was not only an Artist, but a Merchant.

And he said, "I perceive that this my brother has died because he did not please the World, and it would give him no reward. I shall be wiser."

Then he studied the tastes of the World; Dull, Hungry, Tired and Ugly; a Neglected Child.

And he carefully catered to its ignorance, its prejudices and its childish tastes; he tickled with cheap pleasures, he gave it what its lower nature liked, and the Dull World found his Amus.e.m.e.nt amusing, and paid for it; and the Hungry World found his food palatable, and paid for it; and the Tired World received his Inspiration as if it were genuine, and paid for it; and the Ugly World eagerly grasped his poor prettiness as if it were Beauty, and paid for it; so the second Artist did not die--until he died; and then he was dead; and his work with him.

But the third Artist, who was also a Citizen, thought long of his task.

"I am an Artist," he said, "and this is my World. Of what avail is my Beauty if the World does not see it? How do I know that Worlds to Come will see it?--even if it lives? _This_ World needs Beauty, _now!_ If I work to express myself alone, I die, lean and angry; and my work dies with me. If I basely cater to this Neglected Child, I die, though fatter; and my work dies with me. How shall I feed the World?"

But he was an Artist, and very powerful, so he essayed his task.

He earnestly studied the needs of the World. "Shall I feed a lamb on beef?" said he, "or a cat on pie?"

By the exercise of his intelligence he learned the needs of the World, which were many and conspicuous; by the exercise of his Art he met them.

He gave it Amus.e.m.e.nt which was within reach of the tastes of that Neglected Child, yet which was in truth Amusing; and the World was Amused, and loved him.

He gave it food both palatable and nouris.h.i.+ng; and the World was fed, and loved him.

He gave it Inspiration which struck to the heart, yet was drawn from Eternal Truth; and the World was Inspired, and loved him.

And he poured forth his very soul in Beauty; Beauty as simple as the common flowers the whole world loves, and as true as the stars in heaven, Beauty that ravished the soul of the Neglected Child, opened its eyes to Radiant Joy, and lifted it along the ages. And the World bathed in Beauty, and loved him. Also its taste improved continually under the influence of his Art. And the Artist was happy, for he fulfilled his mighty task.

"My glorious World!" he said; "What happiness! To be allowed to serve the World!"

And he watched it grow; well-nourished now, full of sweet merriment, strong in steady inspiration, rich in unfolding beauty.

For the World lived, and the Artist lived, and his work lived forever,--in the world.

IN HOW LITTLE TIME

In how little time, were we so minded, We could be wise and free--not held and blinded!

We could be hale and strong--not weak and sickly!

Could do away with wrong--and do it quickly!

Riches of earth, enough for all our keeping; Love in the heart, awake, no longer sleeping; Power in the hand and brain for what needs making; Joy in the gift of power, joy in the taking!

In how little time could grow around us A people clean and fair as life first found us!

One with the under-earth, in peaceful growing, One with the over-soul, in doing, knowing.

Labor a joy and pride, in ease and beauty; Art that should fill at last its human duty; This we could make and have, were we not blinded!

In how little time--were we so minded!

WOMAN AND THE STATE

[A Discussion of Political Equality of Men and Women. To be read in connection with chapter 12 of Our Androcentric Culture, in this issue.]

Here are two vital factors in human life; one a prime essential to our existence; the other a prime essential to our progress.

Both of them we idealize in certain lines, and exploit in others. Both of them are misinterpreted, balked of their full usefulness, and humanity thus injured.

The human race does not get the benefit of the full powers of women, nor of the full powers of the state.

In all civilized races to-day there is a wide and growing sense of discontent among women; a criticism of their a.s.signed limitations, and a demand for larger freedom and opportunity. Under different conditions the demand varies; it is here for higher education, there for justice before the law; here for economic independence, and there for political equality.

This last is at present the most prominent Issue of "the woman question"

in England and America, as the activity of the "militant suffragists"

has forced it upon the attention of the world.

Thoughtful people in general are now studying this point more seriously than ever before, genuinely anxious to adopt the right side, and there is an alarmed uprising of sincere objection to the political equality of women.

Wasting no time on ignorance, prejudice, or the resistance of special interests, let us fairly face the honest opposition, and do it justice.

The conservative position is this:

Men and women have different spheres in life. To men belong the creation and management of the state, and the financial maintenance of the home and family:

"To women belong the physical burden of maternity, and the industrial management of the home and family; these duties require all their time and strength:

"The prosperity of the state may be sufficiently conserved by men alone; the prosperity of the family requires the personal presence and services of the mother in the home: if women a.s.sume the cares of the state, the home and family will suffer:

Some go even farther than this, and claim an essential limitation in "the female mind" which prevents it from grasping large political interests; holding, therefore, that if women took part in state affairs it would be to the detriment of the community:

Others advance a theory that "society," in the special sense, is the true sphere of larger service for women, and that those of them not exclusively confined to "home duties" may find full occupation in "social duties," including the time honored fields of "religion" and "charity":

Others again place their main reliance on the statement that, as to the suffrage, "women do not want it."

Let us consider these points in inverse order, beginning with the last one.

We will admit that at present the majority of women are not consciously desirous of any extension of their political rights and privileges, but deny that this indifference is any evidence against the desirability of such extension.

It has long been accepted that the position of women is an index of civilization. Progressive people are proud of the freedom and honor given their women, and our nation honestly believes itself the leader in this line. "American women are the freest in the world!" we say; and boast of it.

Since the agitation for women's rights began, many concessions have been made to further improve their condition. Men, seeing the justice of certain demands, have granted in many states such privileges as admission to schools, colleges, universities, and special instruction for professions; followed by admission to the bar, the pulpit, and the practice of medicine. Married women, in many states, have now a right to their own earnings; and in a few, mothers have an equal right in the guardians.h.i.+p of their children.

We are proud and glad that our women are free to go unveiled, to travel alone, to choose their own husbands; we are proud and glad of every extension of justice already granted by men to women.