True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-01-21
NeapOlitan Women.

Carlos, are the two things which every
lady must have in Naples, and which are
enough to make her perfectly happy
How some OF the ladies get their fine
clothes and their tickets, and carriages fol
the theatre, with their small incomes
would frequently be mystery, were il
not well known that husbands permit their
wives to accept such indulgences from
their mate acquaintances, or lovers, when
they are unwilling or unable To pay for
them themselves. When q girl is not
married at thirteen or fourteen years oil
age, which now happens less frequently
than formerly, she rarely fails 10 have a
lover, when, in Northern countries, she
would be considered still child and the
tender interest Of such connexion en-.
trely engrosscs her oung mind, and all
thought Of further education is at an end,
at the very time when its influence is
most required. After marriage, no idea
of rendering home comfortable or agree
able TO their husbands ever enters the
minds of the women; they seem rarely
to have "a sense that any duties are attach
ed 10 the union they have formed. Utter
y ignorant Of domestic concerns, as well
as Of the affairs of life, the young wife
too often finds that her influence over the
affections of her husband is of short du.
ration. 1t rarely survives the birth oil
her first child. Neglected and betrayed,
and without principles to direct her course,
or check the fiery passions of her nature.
it can scarcely be wondered at, that a
young creature, under such circumstan.
ces, listens to the advances of the first
lover that pleases her fancy and the sol lid
happiness Of her life is destroyed forever
Her mind, engrossed by passion, her chill.
dren, if she has the misfortune 10 have Q
family, are neglected and left to the care
of some wreIched servant, who, the con
fdante of her mistress shame, however
abandoned or dishonest she may be, ~cau
neither be reproved nor dismissed the
household falls into disorder, and by de-
grees the woman thus lost advances in
years, she becomes callous to the stings
Of conscience, or the language of freproaoh
and pursues her course without scruple
or shame.
From the cradle 10 the grave, the Nea.
politan women may be said 10 think o.
no tomorrow. The pleasure of the day,
and the qualification Of some momentary
passion, are their sole pursuits. Their
modes of thinking are totally different
from the virtuous females of Northern
countries and yielding 10 the influence
of every transilory impulse, which with
them is passion, they are utterly igno.
rant of all those feelings of delicacy and
scruples of innocence and shame, which
spring from righteous principles and ma
tive modesty. Even the chaste are with.
out those sentiments OF truth and digni.
fed virtue which awaken respect. The
injured wife will breathe her sorrows t.
her washerwoman or her cook, with the
same trusting confidence that she relates
them to her friends ; for though their po
sition may be different, education has
made little distinction between her and
her menials. Though decked in fine
clothes, and able, perhaps, to sing or play
it is too often the case that she remains
as essentially vulgar in mind and conduct
as the washerwoman she chooses as her
confdante. Divorce being impossible
husbands, to save their own honor, are
externally polite and with such sane
ton, society receives the most corrupted
women, without questioning the character
of her who has not too openly infringec
lis laws. Thus vice glides on unpunish
ed and unshiinking to old age, ,-when-i
remorse is,at length awakened by super
stilion--iI benefits no other human bein,
but the priests, from whom il seeks t
purchase consolation and absolution.