True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-08-11

regards this as the ordinary and prevail.
ing history Of the innumerable cases Of
courlship and engagement going on daily
in the many varied circles of society, is
deluddd by specious tattle. and altogether
mistakes the true condition and relation
of the parties, as he may convince him
self by a little of that "sharpened, nice,
inspection" so useful in all the intricate
affairs of life. Whoever will make the
observation will in little :ime be sur
Prised 10 discover how many relations of
this sort are "begun, continued and end.
ed" by those so enormously supposed to
be mere passive victims to the pursuasions
and enticements of their great natural
and prosecuting enemy, man.
So says the Chicago Times, We
agree with it, to a considerable extent
and We insist that this is as it should be-
What is woman, who prefers or is even
Indifferent to single life. She must be a
rare exception, because she is perfectly
unnatural. Woman can moi be true to
herself cannot fill her place in society,
cannot be developed in "this breathing.
painting, loving world" unless she has
something to love, something for which
to live and labor. Therefore the great
features of her existence are marriage and
its dulies-without them she is soul.
less, artificial being. she not only is. but
seems 10 be, blank. Is it strange, then,
that she should seek marriage! Such
are the conventionaliIies Of social inter.
course, that she can only seek her per-
manent and satisfying friendship, the
connections which support and strengthen
her inner life, and invigorate and ennoble
her feminine nature, within limitet
number and during a brief period. If
then, she would not be "like tree grow
ing close to a stone wall, only one.half o
which caught the air and sunshine" she
must seek TO be married.
| On the other haud, a man who LA
every opportunity Of choosing from al
whom he may meet when and as he will
or who can care for and protect himself
and do the major parts Of his duty. with
out marriage, is comparatively Indifferent
He knows that his life need never be
blank, and though lie have suAicien
feminine element in his nature to neet
womanly sympathy, the lack of it doe
not cripple his energies or deprive him O
} an object in life.
Nevertheless, the desire of some victo
, ry to achieve, some obstacle to overcome
! high sense of the worth of woman an
the value Of wife, and the effect Of
T false education upon majority Of womer
combine to induce zest or incentive an
an earnestness of pursuit on the part {
man, which is far more general than ou
contemporary would have his reader
! believe.
. We rejoice that this is the case, for tn
] pursuit Of woman 10 which our contem
f porary refers) before marriage, is quit
. as effectual in the preservation and emo
bling Of men, in this country, at least, q
i any other social influence we recognize
9 Though we deprecate these external Q
: fects Of our present social organization
!, which we have referred in connectio
v with this subject, we would rather n,
d destroy them in either sex. We wouI
simply modify them. Man should see
{ woman, and woman should WELDON
man. Marriage is the natural conditic
# of very large majority of both sexes
e quite as necessary to the development
It though perhaps not so indispensable
o the happiness Of both.