Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-04-27


reparation in my power by placing it in the
identical spot / stole it from. r..-
Since when have you become SO scrupu-
lous You needn't have troubled yourself
I'd much rather you'd retain it. ..
But the conscientious fellow insisted upon
the reparation, after which he added another
kiss by way of appendix, and then my conf
cal cousin was so obliging as to render him.
self finally scarce -..-a-r... ...-. ...
Long after the evening callers had departed
did sit up that night, indulging in kind of
reverie, in the foreground of which stood Rose
Weston and Fred Fortescue. Among other
things / thought of Freds strongly expressed
aversion to female authors, and wondered if
he would love my gifted friend any the less
because she held the pen of ready writer
feared his thoughtless 2ngers would strike
out some discordances from my sweet Roses
harpsichord already saw in my minds eve
the rising Of the little cloud no bigger than
mans hand,' which might overfrown their
bright sky of existence, and send down great
drops of bitterness into the placid lake of life.
| especially recurred to conversation held
with cousin Fred some time before, wherein
his denuncation of all the learned feminines
raised my choler-not my standing collar. l
wore one of the ladies la Byron at the
time-and brought up perfect nonsense OF
eloquence, convinciatory of my sex's right to
,Urite. The discussion was brought on by my
extolling the sentiment and pathos of some
verses written by Rose under her usual nonme
de plume.
/ don't believe these lines were written by
a woman said cousin Fred; there is too
much power in them
'As if aught but a woman could write thus
tenderly and heartfully 7 | exclaimed.
How proud you would be to have the au-
thor for cara sposa, nevertheless, added |.
Ny wife a blue stocking = cried Fred with
an air deprecatory. I'd as soon hang myself
beside library at once, as marry girl who
was an avowed blue; kept her mind, portman-
teau, reticule, workbox and thimble case
editions of all the known and unknown authors.
Could she roast me my mutton. or sew on my
buttons, or save my poor house from disorder?
Nay she would prate cOmposedly of the
standard authors whilst her husband standing
collar Topped dejectedly down at the MOUTH
she would be working up poetry instead of
pastry, giving me a quote from Festus in
stead of coat from her own fingers; and if
there should happen IN the colrse OF human
events'-to be hole worn in my hose, leav-
ing me to-darn it y
Your satires might have answered for the
times of Dean Swift, and poor old bachelor
Pope, but they don't apply to the female lit
erati of the present day. There are but few
of them who do not unite the polish and charms
of mind with the domestic graces. Have YOU
not proofs that such is the casel AS speci-
men numbers look at Mrs. S-y, Mrs.
H, Mrs. E-g, and Fanny Forester
instances under our own knowledge.
1t must be so Plato thou reasonest well!'
said Fred. Now, most convincing Coz,
dudi, alteram, partum, I'll give you bit of
ma experience in the matter. was once sill
" enough to solicit an interview with one Of
intended visit, sooth to say she made her ap-
pearance with rumpled hair, loose wrapper
Of faded stuff, and fingers ostentatiously
blotched with ink, and though | must do her
I'll IL ebo
masculine ability, it was not sufficient to re-
move the impression her slovenly dress had
made upon me-.
No doubt your vanity was wounded be-
cause she did not receive so illustrious per-
sonage in all the pomp and pageantry of an
evening drawing room As you acknowledge
she gave you glimpses Of the jewels Of mind,
think you might have excused her if she did
fail to bejewel her person for the occasion.
Pshaw I'm like Carlyle, | would none
of their :" rose water imbecilities." ,"
BE good enough to remember interposed
|, that it was mans, not romdn's work Of
which Carlyle spoke SO sneeringly.'
Cousin Fred was oblivious to this remark,
but continued Woman should not be al
lowed to usurp the prerogatives of our sex,
either in mind, manners or dress
You are only jealous Of their power, you
envious, tyrannical lords of creation. You
cannot bear they should outstrip you in the
race of ambition and fame. You would shac-
kle their intellect, as the Cubans do the limbs
Of their slaves. Poor, jealous bipeds, 'twould
be indeed mortifying to your vanity to have
little insignificant woman grown to overtop
your pyramidical pile. Then, when she has
reached this height without your essaying to
assist her with even so much as the tip of your
finger, you begin to throw the pebbles Of your
mighty indignation upon her, and ask her how
she has dared to have the presumption to
write her name upon the scroll of science, art
and the bellies lettres, SO far above your own.
began to feel lofty; my nose-that large and
expressive feature-is kind of thermometer
of my feelings, and it must now have intimated
zero up to one hundred. | sank back exhaus-
ted with this Herculean effort Of oratory, but
rallying, l continued: Yes In a dog-in-
the-manger spirit you Say, If cannot obtain
to this height, do you suppose | will allow
others, when | can prevent it q And thus,
as Cicero says, you condemn what YOU do not
,ndoretand uor do ,o+ ,,rdo~~....I