Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1853-12-10
From the Philadelphia Saturday Gazette
The Ladies-God Bless Them!

The Ladies-God Bless Them.
What would we do without the ladies
That's the question which puzzles US to-da,
and which has puzzled many better MAJ
before Us for many day They cheer ou
firesides, coddle US when we're sick, spen
our surplus funds for us. turn Chestnut stree
into parterre of living flowers, make fool
OF us when young men, and pet US whel
we're DID, in short do almost every thins
that's kind, bewitching beautifying AM
considerate, for US poor male mortals, in thi
"world of Woe"
But what We should do without the ladie
is not the only question which the presence
OF the dear creatures involves. What shall
we do with them has come to be in thess
| nlneteenth century times, question quite
as popular, even if not so profound. Tenn
| perance Conventions Woman's Rights Con
ventions: and other Conventions without
number are agitated by this problem. Even
sage dlvInes, venerable bishops are moved
by this momentous issue. The opinions Of
no less than two eminent clergymen. on this
question, are now before US: one from the
North, the other from the South; one that oI
a man who claims to be priest. preacher
Prelate, everything: the other that of good.
| sound, old orthodox bishop of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
First hear the prelate! In late article
on the Emory College, female institute of
| the State of Georgia, Bishop Andrews is
sadly bewidered lest all the young women
educated there, aud in similar academies.
should NOT find husbands He SAYS that
while fifteen hundred girls are annually.
polished off" at fashionable schools in
Georgia, only six hundred young men are
sent out from the colleges for males. OF
course SIX hundred husbands among fifteen
hundred pretty girls is rather short allow.
ance for the latter.
VI course also the idea is not to be listen.
ed to that anything short of college bred
gentleman should be considered worthy of
mating with handsome, intelligent and
accomplished young lady, who dresses "to
Kill, , who sings like Sontag. who can nlap
make love-we beg pardon have love made
to her-in half dozen different languages
"Where in the name of common sense"
says the good Bishop, are one half of these
finished young women to find suitable hus-
bands!" Echo, that is ourself, answers
.where" Truly the worthy hits the nail
on the heard, when he says little later,
that, if these things go on-if the girls are
to be cared for. at this rate, and the boys
neglecOd-the rel gn of woman's rights will.
in few years be brought about, without
the necessity for "speech makers in petit
coats" The Bishop evidently thinks that
the want of husband is what makes most
of the turbulent female agitators of the day.
We can only say, as the chap in the crowd
did. thetn's our sentiments exactly"
Next comes Theodore Parker. reformer,
revolutionist, most reverend of reverends
He divides women into three classes, DOM
estc drudges, domestic dolls, and domestic
women. The first are those females who
are entirely absorbed, he says. in house
keeping, ohild-keeping and husband-keep-
ing. Their housekeeping he asserts, is a
trade and no more; and alter they have
dcne that, there is no more they can do
The second are those who are wholly taken
up, he declares, with the vain show that
delights the eye and ear alone; the fashion
able lady, We presume. is what he means.
who dances and dresses but is capable of
nothing higher The third are those, he
says, who order house, but are not mere
drudges, and adern it without being mere
dolls: and these are, in his opinion, the true
WON IN of America. who con Join the useful
and beautiful. yet have a grea; deal left
besides. Pretty good this: Mr. Parker! But
il would have been better, it scenes to US,
if you had been more definite. AS for the
woman who takes care of large family,
yet is always dressed prettily, and has
besides plenty Of time for :: high philosophy"
she is, We take il, rather curiosity in her
way We confess to have never met one
ourself. Such feminine .Jacks-of-all Trades
are precious rare. Most women, at least
hereabo1ts. are charming. in proportion as
they combine the useful, the pretty and the
intellectual according 10 the tastes of those
about them; for as to any one having all
these in absolute perfection, as Mr.. Parker
hints, that's mere clerical sell" 1t may
pass as a compliment to Yankee girls; but it
won't pass for truth, we fear.
But this is not the only question which
the ladies-Heaven bless them have set
going by their presence in this mundane
sphere. While Bishop Andrews is puzzled
where to find husbands for the dear crea-
lures: and while NJ Parker is recommend
ing them TO try and holdthree apples, and
assuring them that in spite of the boy whom
Dr.. Franklin tells us Of, they can do it easily
enough; while both these reverend gentle
men, we repeat, are kindly telling woman
what she ought to do with herself. they
seem 10 have forgotten that, perhaps, the
ladies know as we'll as Others. what is for
their good, and that, if they are half as wise
as they are told they are. they know in fact
great deal better. For ourself, We don't
pretend, even after such high examples, to
advise the ladies'. We have always found
that they understand their own business
well enough. They are no fools. They
make out at least, to manage US men in the
len O run !: and If we lords of creation are
50 wise, what must they be, who twist US
around their fngersq IT'S an old saying tha.
still water runs deep. The sex don't make
much noise, but they have their own way
and that's more than we men have always
The good Bishop need not be alarmed
He mag take our word for il that not one ol
the fifteen hundred pretty girls whose pro
bable husbandless fate, he depIoreS ..ns
concerned in the least BIT about it. The
simplest Of them has no fears but that she'll
catch a lord and master" just as soon as
she wishes She will have but to blush a
e,,,.o ,y,ntIonI,nsS anno,ranco and frf him