The Prayer of the Modern WomanBy Josephine Conger(Published in various Suffrage Journals.)(See page 177)
By Josephine Conger
(Published in various Suffrage Journals.)
(See page 177)
Unbind our hands. We do not ask for favor in this fightOf human souls for human needs. We ask for naught but right,That we may throw the burden from our backs, and from our brainsThe thrall of servitude. We are so weary of the painsThat crush our hearts and cramp our wills, reducing all desiresTo childish whims, while great hopes lie like smould’ring firesWithin our brains, or burst distorted from some weak, unguarded point,Leaving ruin and anguish in their track. With woman bound, the whole world’s out of joint,For women are the mothers of the race. We cannot boastOf natural rights, of liberty, while mothers of the hostMust know they’re classed in common law with idiots and slaves,Must stand aside with criminals, with imbeciles and knaves.The sturdy sons nursed at their breast cannot be wholly free,For what the mother is, the child will in a measure be.You are not granting Favor when you give us equal power;The shame is, you’ve withheld from us so long our dowerOf earth’s inheritance. We do not beg for alms, for charity.We do not want our rights doled out; we want full libertyTo grow, to be, to do our part, as Nature meant we should.We want a perfect sister-, as well as brother-hood.
Unbind our hands. We do not ask for favor in this fightOf human souls for human needs. We ask for naught but right,That we may throw the burden from our backs, and from our brainsThe thrall of servitude. We are so weary of the painsThat crush our hearts and cramp our wills, reducing all desiresTo childish whims, while great hopes lie like smould’ring firesWithin our brains, or burst distorted from some weak, unguarded point,Leaving ruin and anguish in their track. With woman bound, the whole world’s out of joint,For women are the mothers of the race. We cannot boastOf natural rights, of liberty, while mothers of the hostMust know they’re classed in common law with idiots and slaves,Must stand aside with criminals, with imbeciles and knaves.The sturdy sons nursed at their breast cannot be wholly free,For what the mother is, the child will in a measure be.You are not granting Favor when you give us equal power;The shame is, you’ve withheld from us so long our dowerOf earth’s inheritance. We do not beg for alms, for charity.We do not want our rights doled out; we want full libertyTo grow, to be, to do our part, as Nature meant we should.We want a perfect sister-, as well as brother-hood.
Unbind our hands. We do not ask for favor in this fightOf human souls for human needs. We ask for naught but right,That we may throw the burden from our backs, and from our brainsThe thrall of servitude. We are so weary of the painsThat crush our hearts and cramp our wills, reducing all desiresTo childish whims, while great hopes lie like smould’ring firesWithin our brains, or burst distorted from some weak, unguarded point,Leaving ruin and anguish in their track. With woman bound, the whole world’s out of joint,For women are the mothers of the race. We cannot boastOf natural rights, of liberty, while mothers of the hostMust know they’re classed in common law with idiots and slaves,Must stand aside with criminals, with imbeciles and knaves.The sturdy sons nursed at their breast cannot be wholly free,For what the mother is, the child will in a measure be.You are not granting Favor when you give us equal power;The shame is, you’ve withheld from us so long our dowerOf earth’s inheritance. We do not beg for alms, for charity.We do not want our rights doled out; we want full libertyTo grow, to be, to do our part, as Nature meant we should.We want a perfect sister-, as well as brother-hood.
Unbind our hands. We do not ask for favor in this fight
Of human souls for human needs. We ask for naught but right,
That we may throw the burden from our backs, and from our brains
The thrall of servitude. We are so weary of the pains
That crush our hearts and cramp our wills, reducing all desires
To childish whims, while great hopes lie like smould’ring fires
Within our brains, or burst distorted from some weak, unguarded point,
Leaving ruin and anguish in their track. With woman bound, the whole world’s out of joint,
For women are the mothers of the race. We cannot boast
Of natural rights, of liberty, while mothers of the host
Must know they’re classed in common law with idiots and slaves,
Must stand aside with criminals, with imbeciles and knaves.
The sturdy sons nursed at their breast cannot be wholly free,
For what the mother is, the child will in a measure be.
You are not granting Favor when you give us equal power;
The shame is, you’ve withheld from us so long our dower
Of earth’s inheritance. We do not beg for alms, for charity.
We do not want our rights doled out; we want full liberty
To grow, to be, to do our part, as Nature meant we should.
We want a perfect sister-, as well as brother-hood.