“Hardly that, I think.”
“Then it must be because they are considered inferior, and you seek to hide your real feeling, which is one of commiseration, by a false show of politeness.”
“That sounds harsh,” said the doctor, “and I believe you are not correct.”
“Oh, I do not mean to criticise you personally,” Zenith made haste to say, “but the system. It seems to me that you, Doctor, try to be sincere; and assuming that to be so, let me ask you why you are more ceremonious in your manner to your neighbor’s wife than to your neighbor’s husband.”
“Well, let me see. Why do I instinctively make a special show of respect in meeting a woman? I never analyzed my feeling, but I will try to do so for you. I think one principal reason is because it is so very conventional that she would expect it, and think me either piqued or ill-bred if I omitted it. Then, deeper than that is a desire to tell her that I recognize in her and admire those graces and amenities which are supposed to be peculiar to her sex. And I suppose there is, also, a little selfishness in it, as if I were asking her to take note that I knew what were the usages of good society.”
“But would you not also tell her in effect by your flattery, if you will excuse the word, that she and the rest of her sex are by birth not quite equal to men, and you are trying to make up the difference all you can by politeness?”
“I am not conscious of such a feeling, I am sure,” answered the doctor. “It seems to me that woman is entitled to some extra attention because she is physically weaker than man.”
“True,” said Zenith; “that is a good reason why she should be protected.”
“And should we not maintain and practice toward her the spirit of true courtesy?”
“Most certainly. But women should also exercise the same spirit toward men. The duty is reciprocal. The days of knight-errantry, when men were chivalrous and women were merely beautiful, should not last forever; women, too, should learn to be chivalrous. Do not imagine I would have you less considerate or thoughtful of anyone, or less demonstrative in your feelings, if you will only remember that men and women are equal, have equal duties and privileges, and should have similar treatment. Great respect should go where it is deserved, whether to man or woman. If I were an inhabitant of the earth and a woman, I should try to have some such thought as this: one man of character knows another good man is his equal; therefore as they treat each other so I would have them treat me, for then I would know that they held me, also, as an equal, and not as a doll, pretty and well dressed perhaps, but brainless, nor as a child who must not be told things too deep for its mind.”