New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-02
LETTER FROM CLAIRE. a *
The hour of marriage ends the family reign,
And we give all we have itobuy Chain;
Hire men to be be our lords who were our slave

Hire men TO ne DO Ii 80 go r.
q And bride our lovers to be peT3ured knhves-
II ID queer, Crescent, with what pertinacty some
folk will portray the beauties of matrinony, and yet
methinks. upon close inspection Of their pictures we
will find their colors have been well ground in the
mortar of domestic unhappiness, and their pehcA
sharpened by knife thoroughly whetted on the
grindstone of disappointment, to enable them TO
sketch aud shade their tints SO wildly for none can
so gowingly imagine matrimonial sweetness as lhose
who have fully slipped or rather drank It's gan anu
aconite. .aa .IG4lF
In my letter to you a week or two since, comment
ing upon Catos letter, did not wish to be under
stood that all married men must necessarily pc e!ter
vulgar, obscene, or blasphemous but simply put 'he
question, how could a woman " love, respect, OF DC
proud of man who was, and certainly I" belia M
will admit that are fully entitled TO all thfee
epithets. am not myself believer IN the od aaaee
that no woman ever had tioo good husbands, but l
have had slight fancy that it seldom occurs. NO
thing teaches us SO readily as experience, and IL
Bella has had the trial of tco she may still yied
me the precedence, for I've had three.
I know from experience what it was to many a man
who professed to worship the ground upon which
trod, and know what it was to be his neglected
wife while faithfully performing my duties as wlte
and mother; know what It was to many man
who made but few promises, yet who truthsuly
kept those lie made, and again know what it was to
many man whose wish was very law, and to whom
my pleasure was happiness, and who still was man
of determination and character for it does not neces
sarily follow, as many seem to think, that wife
must rule because her husband studies her comfort
and pleasure, nor does mans fear of being thought
tied to his wfes apron strings in any way aid their
domestic comfort No will ever neglect his vile
from any such apprehension and yet many so-called
"lords Of creation y do 80. -.l... IN1.IJ@
l cannot agree with "Bela " that good husbands
always make wives, and kno,o that good wives do
not always have good husbands and also feel well
assured that must be endowed with superhu1nan
degree Of. reason y when they can make themselves
content and happy while looking upon and listening
to the mau Hin rawlings of dissipated husband or
wife. g Bella " should not object to my remarks
upon matritnony, for after all she but advocates my
own doctrine, that man should " deal erGctiy" by
his wife he would she should deal by him, and
would ask of her there exist disquiet and Earring
where each party has moral right upon their sde?"
I think not.
will lay slight wager with "1Bella that if she
look around her very extensive circle of acquaint-
ance" for erery happy wife she finds she can safely
put down three who, ii they will canddly speak, will
say marriage is a curse, free me- restore to me my
youth, my broken health and energies and with it let
me retain my present experience, and naught on
earth could tempt to again enter its bonds. And
how often has she heard men who called men Of
intellect men who had amiabe and intelligent wives,
pretty and interesting daughters Just oversteppng the
threshold Of womanhood, say that women were in
ferior beings given as an accommodation for man,
sort of upper servant woful necessity but not
companion? Look at the laws of Great Britain and
of some Of the States of our own Union and in what
better light is woman viewed? IT'S true own State
is somewhat more lenient in its laws but even it
scarce protects the wife of mans bosom as it does
his slave.
And must woman, then, spaniel like, cares the
hand that cuffs her, and write and talk romantic nom
sense upon matrimony, detesng herself the while in
her secret heart for her hypocrisy in doing? No!
woman is mans equal in marriage at least she was
given him of God as a companion, not bond SER
vant and His laws are alike binding on both-n fact
rather more upon the than upon the wife, for He
has said, Man shall leave father and mother and
ceave unto his wife, while mention is not made of
woman so doing.
But, Crescent, when a couple do marry, they should
both do with firm determination to do their sew
eral duties with a truthfulness and sngleness of
heart The husband should not expect all from the
wife, she in her turn be exgeant let each bear
and forbear be faithful and sincere and in constant
increase of happiness they will find meet reward.
Yours as ever, Crescent, in sunshine aud shade,