Webb--Emma Goldman--Margaret Dreier Robins--Ellen Key: surely in these
women,[see also the chapter "Freewomen and Dora Marsden."] if anywhere,
is to be found the soul of modern feminism!

One may inquire why certain other names are not included. There is
Maria Montessori, for instance. Her ideas on the education of children
are of the utmost importance, and their difference from those of Froebel
is another illustration of the difference between the practical minds of
women and the idealistic minds of men. But Madame Montessori's relation
to the feminist movement is, after all, ancillary. A tremendous lot
remains to be done in the way of cooperation for the management of
households and the education of children before women who are wives and
mothers will be set free to take their part in the work of the outside
world. But it is the setting of mothers free, and not the specific kind
of education which their children are to receive, which is of interest
to us here.

Again, one may inquire why, since I have not blinked the fact that the
feminist movement is making for a revolution of values in sex--why I
have not included any woman who has distinguished herself by defying
antiquated conventions which are supposed to rule the relations of the
sexes. This requires a serious answer. The adjustment of one's social
and personal relations, so far as may be, to accord with one's own
convictions--that is not feminism, in my opinion: it is only common
sense. The attempt to discover how far social laws and traditions must
be changed to accord with the new position of women in society--that is
a different thing, and I have dealt with it in the paper on Ellen Key.

Another reason is my belief that it is with woman as producer that we
are concerned in a study of feminism, rather than with woman as lover.
The woman who finds her work will find her love--and I do not doubt will
cherish it bravely. But the woman who sets her love above everything
else I would gently dismiss from our present consideration as belonging
to the courtesan type.

It is not very well understood what the courtesan really is, and so I
pause to describe her briefly. It is not necessary to transgress certain
moral customs to be a courtesan; on the other hand, the term may
accurately be applied to women of irreproachable morals. There are some
women who find their destiny in the bearing and rearing of children,
others who demand independent work like men, and stil