Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 23.djvu/125

Rh would inevitably produce it in a less favorable climate.

Dr. Walton also refers to the want of statistics from here with regard to the results of the treatment in individual cases. The habit, almost universal, of cases of phthisis moving from place to place in Florida, after a few days' or a week or two's residence, renders the collection of such statistics impossible. And this is one of the reasons why the cases do not get the full benefit of this admirable climate. Even when they are improving rapidly in one location, they get tired and start off to some other, or because some one member of the party fancies a change, or because they have a friend or pleasant acquaintance somewhere else, although a physician may assure them that the change will be for the worse. Even patients who are referred to me by prominent physicians, and told to get my advice as to treatment and locality, go off to some entirely unsuitable place, contrary to my advice, and on that of some casual acquaintance. So much has this come to be the rule, that I now cease to waste my breath in trying to talk them out of their notions.

To the Editors of the Popular Science Monthly:

The subjoined letter accidentally fell into my hands, and, as it bears upon a certain much-discussed topic, I venture to send it to you for publication.

O. B. B. New York, April 1, 1883.


 * When Suse and me got to the city we found Cousin Ralph at the depot to meet us, and we went right home with him. We had a real nice supper, and as nobody was by but Cousin Lucy, I just told Cousin Ralph plain that Suse and me had come to New York to get what some folks call a higher education. Cousin Ralph, who is real pert, said that some folks he knew, would like to hire an education, but I told him that if we could hire an education all right, but we wanted a first class education anyhow, right off, and that Pa was already to pay for it. I said that we had gone through our semnary at home and learned all that old Mrs. Bookup could teach us, and that was why we come to York. Well, Cousin Ralph laughed a little, and then he looked serious, and told us things that made our hair stand on end. Why it taint no use trying to get a first class education here in York because the mean nasty men folk wont let us women get it. What do you think-Cousin Ralph says that they have six police, man before the big liberay they call the Astur liberay to keep women from getting at the books there. He says the street is just full of women a wanting to get into that liberay, but these police officers with their clubs wont let em. There are lots and lots of books in that liberay, Cousin Ralph says, big histories, and big ologies, and big dictionaries, and big books upon ever so many things, and women might get ever so much education by just sitting down and studying them books, but the men are afraid of educated women, so they just put police-men there to drive off everybody that is a female. I declare its a burning shame. Why, Ma, Suse and me might learn all about Bible times, and about astronomy, and geology, and geography, and about Julius Cesar, and Cristófer Columbus, and I don't know what else, and get a higher education all by ourselves if it werent that the men wont let us. I know it will make you real mad when you read this, just as it does Suse and me.

But that isnt all Ma. Would you believe that they won't let women buy books at the bookstores, because if they did they might get a higher education unbeknown. Cousin Ralph says that women cant get nothing but novels to read. The book-stores are just full of books that teach everything you can think of, and yet even when women have got the money to buy them the men wont let them do so. Cousin Ralph says there are books full of learning by somebody called Spensur, and some one called Hucklee, and another man called Tindell, but that it is as much as a woman's life is worth to go in and buy one. Cousin Ralph thinks she couldnt get out alive, at least he says he never saw a live woman come out of a book store with one of them books. All women would have to do to get a real first class education would be to go and get books out of the book stores, but the mean jealous men say they shant do it, and so keep them just as ignorant as they can be. And then Cousin Ralph says they wont let women go to lectures on history, and the siences as folks say. There are lectures given free at what I think Cousin Ralph called the Hooper Union, but he says if women went there to get lectures free, theyd be just driven off by policemen. Lots of things might be learned by going to lectures, but the poor women arent allowed to. Its real dreadful what a time we women have in trying to get learning.

And then Cousin Ralph says that the publishers wont publish books anymore with learning in them. Why they just print lots and lots of trashy novels which women have got to buy because they wont print nothing else. There's what is called the Franklin square liberay and the Sea side liberay, that keep on printing good for