We have now reached the point in our consideration of the women of our own land where we are free to turn to the story of the American woman as she is generally known the woman of the United States. Of course scientific ethnology recognizes no such nomenclature, giving the title of "American" only to the aborigines of this continent; but we who write and read this work are not concerned to be scientific but rather perspicacious on the one side and perspicuous on the other, and the generally accepted nomenclature will be adopted here and the woman of the United States and the mother-colonies spoken of as being, by right as well as acceptation, the American woman to all other lands and ages. Before entering upon the history of the woman of our country, it seems needful to cast a glance upon some general conditions which must be reckoned with in our estimate and appreciation of the women of America and their history. As a preliminary, the story of the Blue Fairy will be related,--a story so old that it may be new to most of the readers of this volume and which, fairy story though it be, has yet a meaning in the study of the history of women, if we will but seek it out. Here is the story, as told by Stahl: "One day the Blue Fairy descended to earth with the courteous intention of distributing to all the young girls of in the different nations the treasures of beauty that she brought with her. "Her dwarf Amaranth sounded his horn, and instantly a young girl of every nation presented herself at the foot of the Blue Fairy's throne. Then, after having made a short speech, she proceeded to distribute her gifts. "She gave to the young girl who represented all the Castiles locks so black and long that she could make a mantilla of them. "To the Italian she gave eyes as bright and burning as an eruption of Vesuvius in the middle of the night. "To the Turkish girl, a figure as round as the moon and as soft as eider-down. "To the English girl, an aurora borealis to tint her cheeks, her lips, and her shoulders. "To the German, teeth like her own, and a tender heart. "To the Russian, the dignity of a queen. "Then, going into details, she put gayety on the lips of the Neapolitan _wit in the brain of the Irish girl_ good sense in the heart of the Flemish girl; and, when nothing remained to be given, she arose to take her flight. "'And I?' said the Parisian to her, detaining her by the floating border of her tunic. "'I had forgotten you.' "'Entirely forgotten, madam.' '"I overlooked you. But what can I do? My bag of gifts is empty.'