Text: N. P. Willis (?), Review of Margaret Fuller, Two Books on Women, Evening Mirror (New York), March 1, 1845, vol. 1, no. 21, p. 336, top of col. 1

[page 336, column 1:]

Two Books on Woman.

We mentioned yesterday Miss Fuller's new books, and to-day a very able friend has handed to us a comparative notice of this and another, lately published in England on the same subject — the latter called “The Rights of Woman.” Our friend says — The spirit of these two production is eminently characteristic of the two opposing parties on the subject of the character, duties and capabilities of Women.

The former is bold, generous, aspiring, and somewhat ideal, — the latter is critical, caustic, and not a little contemptuous. Miss Fuller regards woman as she ought to be — as every high-minded, whole-souled man wishes her to be — refined and refining, noble and ennobling; the Quarterly looks on women as they are, legally and (from education) intellectually inferior — a necessity, a convenience, a luxury, a something for man — and such the writer wishes them to remain. He puts little faith in women's “facts” or “women's moral,” believing the inference pretty plain that men only should deal with “fact” and the “moral.” Miss Fuller thinks that “woman” is something of herself, and may be much more — that when she becomes what she should be for herself, she will be also what she should be for man — and not till then. We believe so too, and in the meantime we would rather trust with her than sneer with the Quarterly.

But Miss Fuller does something more and better than merely to believe and trust. She utters a hopeful prophecy for her sex and her kind, an, not content with that, sets about fullfiling it.

“Be ye warmed” is sometimes not ill; “ye will be warmed” encouragingly spoken is oftentimes well; but better than all is to set about kindling the fire. This Miss Fuller does, and he must be cold, indeed, who does not catch some glow from her warm and animated page.