New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-12-25
Women IN France.

Professor Brney. who has spent long time ID lie
rural districts Of France and who, to Judge 81 hs
sketches, is more practically acquainted with he
ninuter points Of French life than any American Of
estimate in which women ID really held in that cen-
try. Some Of his pictures are exceedingly araph1c
but the idea Of woman inferiorfy runs through fksm
with fearful distinctness. We take the following
boat
The captain invited ~ On board = or IN min
ute. says he Here, vie, hitch up It once
complexion and toilette much the worse for hard
usage, emerged from below. She stepped on the
quarterback 70 wish q good morning, and put ON
her clogs then stepped ont on the bank. Putting
expecting to gee the captains lady lead out from
some neighborng stable the famous animal that was
TO make our Prov cIt the glad blue wateD of the
canal Instead q this she unrolled the tow-line,
stretched to ~ full length, and dropping ever her
own head the broad leather loop at ifs end, bowed
herself to the work of towing She was the beast Of
draught her husband had Dragged Of. The boat WAS
too much for her strength. Jules ran to help her
and the captain, surrenderng the rudder to NE aided
by polling at the sides. In few moments We were
moving steadily forward. Jules sprang back on the
quarter-deck the captain ceased polling and amused
himself by whistliDg the Marseiles hymn and looking
ont very cheerfuy over the landscape and the cap
tans wife tuggiDg away, leaning down to it at an
angle Of about forty-fve.
. Jules" said l. what do you think Of the poor
woman bent double on the tow.path ~
Think! She ID better off than am. She and
her husband own the whole boat load-she told me
SOL - ~
Her being turned into beast of draught did mot
shock his preudices in the least he had been accus-
toned to witness this degradation. We went ON in
silence for an hour. During this time we met three
boats, two Of them drawn BY women and one by
man and boy The captain came aft to take the
rudder.
"Well, captain" said I, q you have famous mare,
it is true but what would you do if she would go
Wouldn't go! he exclaimed with disdainful
laugh. piece Of stout cord, about four feet Icing,
was lying at his feet. He pushed il toward me with
the toe Of his clog and added, there's ropes end
that would bring her to her reason"
"But you wouldn't whip your wife 2"
"Let her deserve it and you'll see.p
"You haven't the right to-"
Why not? II my donkey won't go wallcp
him. 3''-'' sf
!" You don't compare your wife to your dopkey.,
Generally she is good creature enough but
sometimes she is the most stubborn of the two.'
That makes no difference it is dastardIy to fly
| into passion with woman F.lTg.. ''t.Ft
Z" There you are right said he, with laugh. at
am never in passion when correct her." aa
And the brute was so pleased with his repartee in
defence Of his right of property that he showed
into the cabin to cook the dinner, and went on
shore and entered into conversation with his wife.
She was very communicative, and told me they got
on very well in the world, and would soon have
enough to buy cabin and garden-patch that her
husband was generally kind to her be corrected her
sometimes, but it was when she vexed him and
when he got in liquor he thought it fine fun to pitch
her into the water the canal was not deep, and she
always waded out and waited until he got sober
before going back to the boat. The poor woman did
not suspect herself Of being unhappy and did not
hint to her that l thought her SO. Why should {
trouble her peaceable existence when could intro
duce no higher one2 expressed my sympathy, and
went back to the boat. 80
This custom of whipping ones wife is widely HON
ored by observance among the peasants and working
classes. 1t has been "entaedn on them by the mid
die ages. Then it was sanctioned by law :; the hus-
band had right to punish his wife moderately, so
that death did not ensue" r. r7ss-Zf -