Astronomeress

Positively, these Frenchwomen are wonderful creatures!—There are plenty of clever Englishwomen,—but they are to the manner born. The discreet damsels who write about Political Economy have been swaddled in foolscap and dieted from their youth upwards on printer’s ink; while the astronomeress of forty was made to play with baby-house orreries at four years old.

He proposed that all renowned women should be admitted to the franchise:—“Why should not Miss Caroline Herschell^([sic]) and Mrs. Somerville, the astronomeresses; the late Mrs Hannah More, Mrs. Fry, and Mrs. Barbauld; Lady Lovelace, the mathematicianess; Mr. Bloomer, Betty Martineau, and hundreds of others, have had the franchise—or any woman who possessed a 40s. freehold?

London, November 7, 1857. / Dear E., / […] In the evening, Miss Mitchell, our astronomeress was there, and we had a good chat about mutual friends, &c. She is here for a year or so. I hope to meet her again in Rome. […] / Yours, sincerely, / T. A. TEFFT.

Grammar.—“So you have finished your studies at the seminary? I was much pleased with the closing exercises. The author of that poem—Miss White, I think you called her—bids fair to become a known poet.” / “We think the authoress will become celebrated as a poetess,” remarked the young lady, pertly, with marked emphasis on two words of the sentence. / “Oh!—ah,” replied the old gentleman looking thoughtfully over his gold spectacles at the young lady: “I hear her sister was quite an actress, and under Mr. Hosmer’s instructions will undoubtedly become quite a sculptoress.” / The young lady appeared irritated. / “The seminary,” continued the old man, with imperturbable gravity, “is fortunate in having an efficient board of manageresses. From the presidentess down to the humblest teacheress, unusual talent is shown. There is Miss Harper, who as a chemistress is unequaled, and Miss Knowles has already a reputation as an astronomeress. And in the department of music, few can equal Miss Kellogg as a singeress.” / The young lady did not appear to like the chair she was sitting on. She took the sofa at the other end of the room. / “Yes,” continued the old gentleman, as if talking to himself, “those White sisters are very talented; Mary, I understand, has turned her attention to music and the drama, and will become famous as an actress and painteress, and even as a lecturess.” / A loud slamming of the door caused the old gentleman to look up, and the criticess and grammarianess was gone.

Another exercrable innovation is the misuse of the termination ess. Years ago Thackeray protested against “authoress,” but it holds its ground among illiterate writers; and we have twice seen “manageress,” and “supperioress.”^([sic]) Last week the most frightful coinage in the World—“preacheress.” Where is this debasement of language to stop? If a woman who preaches is thus styled, surely a lady who drives is a driveress, and one who dreams is a dreameress, and so on to the end of the chapter. Was Caroline Herschel an astronomeress? These corruptions of our fine and flexible language ought to be resisted.

[…] taxed to its utmost to give even an approximate estimate of the number of young amateur astronomers and astronomeresses who are sitting up by twos these pleasant evenings to make sure that the brilliant stranger does not escape their observation, […]

Glimpsewood / Dublin, N.H. / July 9, 1893 / Dear friend / I don’t like not to know more about you & the book too. Do you think my chapter will go in as it is, or do you wish for change; & will you send me proofs? I wish you were coming up here, as your sister astronomeress, Mrs. Pickering, did last year. I am sure there is plenty to consult about. Shall you be in Amherst? / Ever cordially / T. W. Higginson

Since trade has assumed a dignity and importance that the most deeply rooted prejudices of aristocracy have given way to, salesmanship is a word that has a natural right to a place in the dictionary. But against a special form for the feminine gender, all guardians of good English and womanly dignity will be unalterably opposed. They would have no more use for salesladyship than for astronomeress or mathematicianess.