A woman whose husband owns a sugar mill or hacienda and calls herself a Spiritist or Christian should not seek to load herself down with jewelry, nor make useless purchases. She should visit the families of her peons, who produce the wealth she and her husband possess and who continue increasing it, and observe how they live, if they lack items that are useful or necessary, like chairs, beds, and other utensils. And she should notice if their roof doesn�t leak, and if the inhabitants can live in the house in sanitary conditions, that it is sufficiently clean so that she would want to live there herself. After visiting their peons, she should explain to her husband the state and conditions of these unfortunate souls that produce her family�s capital and obtain a salary increase for them, and she should do so discretely and frugally instead of using fancy garments and other useless adornments on her body or in her home. She should go to them consoling and healing the sad homes of those victims of exploitation. Take them clothes, footwear, books and attempt to instruct them by reading to them and by making sure that there are schools in the neighborhood to educate the children of these employees. How beautiful and comely she would be, woman sowing goodness, fulfilling her obligation to humanity! What brilliant flashes of light would illuminate her soul! How sweet and free of vexation would be her life! The woman who begins to practice these actions and establish a modicum of fraternity and social equality, would elevate herself to a level so far above human mean-spiritedness and egotism, that her name would be inscribed in everyone�s consciousness and she would occupy a sacred place in every heart that worshipped her. And in her future, what would await her? Her deeds of love and justice would blaze a shining path would lead her to enjoy the fruits of the good she had sown. Woman, you are able to sow justice and are willing to do so; do not be upset, nor get upset, do not become restless, do not flee; move forward! And for the good of future generations place the first stone of the edifice for social equality serenely and resolutely, with all the rights that pertain to you, without bowing your head, since you are no longer the material and intellectual slave you once were. Your initiative will be crowned by success, being achieved by your own efforts, and your soul will be luminous and beautiful like a sun of truth and justice. Woman of wealth! You can redeem your exploited brothers. Redeem them and the glory of heaven will be yours! And if you find opposition from your husband, if he is cruel and egotistical and becomes an obstacle to your great and just aspirations, do not blame him and do not fear him; because in him, you will see the symbol of ignorance, trying to hold on to its power. Do not fear him and continue marching forward because, like Isabel of Hungary, your contributions will become beautiful and perfumed roses that will lighten your step and will save you the displeasure of contradicting your tyrant. Oh woman! You will set a great and dignified example by breaking all traditional customs, which are unjust and tyrannical, the symbols of ignorance, in order to establish the realm of Freedom, Equality, and Fraternity, symbols of truth and justice! For more about Luisa Capetillo, who got arrested in 1915 for wearing men's trousers, please visit https://www.arte.uh.edu/view_book.aspx?isbn=1558854274 |
||