Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/334

328 to interet them, have not a tate for literature, and they find politics dry, becaue they have not acquired a love for mankind by turning their thoughts to the grand puruits that exalt the human race, and promote general happines.

Beides, various are the paths to power and fame which by accident or choice men purue, and though they jotle againt each other, for men of the ame profeion are eldom friends, yet there is a much greater number of their fellow-creatures with whom they never clah. But women are very differently ituated with repect to each other—for they are all rivals.

Before marriage it is their buines to pleae men; and after, with a few exceptions, they follow the ame cent with all the perevering pertinacity of intinct. Even virtuous women never forget their ex in company, for they are forever trying to make themelves agreeable. A female beauty, and a male wit appear to be equally anxious to draw the attention of the company to themelves; and the animoity of contemporary wits is proverbial.

Is it then urpriing that when the ole ambition of woman centres in beauty, and interet gives vanity additional force, perpetual rivalhips hould enue? They are all running the ame race, and would rie above the virtue of mortals, if they did not view each other with a upicious and even envious eye.

An immoderate fondnes for dres, for pleaure, and for way, are the paions of avages; the paions that occupy thoe uncivilized beings who have not yet extended the dominion of the mind, or even learned to think with the energy neceary to&ensp;