The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-08-28

known, we suspect it would be seen that
tits not necessary for a man to be a
scholar and an author to make an i'm
prudent marriage. All marriages out of
the literary class are not necessarily hap
py ones, any more than all marriages in
those classes are necessarily unfortunate;
but other men do not attraetso much at
tention as your novelists, poets, and so
forth nor are common men fond of
making their domestic woes subjects for
their pens and tongues. It may be true
that literary men do wrong to marry !;
but it is true only in the sense that all
men do wrong to marry-which seems to
have been the deliberate opinion of so
good man and so profound a philosopher
as Thales. But what an idea It is, that
the very first civil and religious institu-
ton made by God after the creation of
man and woman, and one necessary for
the virtuous continuance of humanity,
should not only be unadapted to the
condition of the human race, but should
be found specially calculated to develop
misery for the most cultivated members
of that race.
A word or two for poor Xanthippe,
whose name has become convertible
term for shrew and scold. Perhaps there
is nothing but Justice in the common es-
innate of her character. But had she no
cause to be angry with her husband ?
Socrates was an astonishing man, but as
tonishing men generally make but indif-
ferent husbands, and your great reformer
is too often small creature at home. So
crates had "a mission" and he went about
Athens questioning and cross-questioning
people until he had made nuisance of
himself, and enemies of all men, save a
few philosophic bores,-and finally he
was got rid of through means of dose Of
hemlock, which he had brewed for him
self. This was very reprehensible pro-
ceeding on the part of the Athenians, but
it was not quite so unprovoked as is gen.
orally supposed. Now, a man cannot re-
form the world, and take care of his own
household. Instead of minding his own
business, which was that of statuary,
or stone cutter, he must needs take to re-
modelling blockheads, most dangerous
pursuit, as it bears Immediately upon the
feelings of the great majority of men.
Then tits notremunerative. Socrates got
low in the world. He was poor indeed.
He hadn't shirt to his back, and it is a
matter ofrecord that he went barefoot in
the dead of winter. 1t is not at all proba-
bic that his family Jared better than him.
SELF 1t is not the way with philosophers
to treat others better than they treat them
selves. They think their duty to society
requires them to look very sharp after a
liberal supply of butter for their own
bread, which bread is always of the very
best of flour, and capitally made-at
other peoples expense Mrs. Socrates
probably bore with this state of things
as long as she could bear with it, but
when the house rent long remained un-
paid, when the butcher, the baker, the
grocer, were sent away empty, when her
crinoline collapsed for the want of susie
nance. when the gas was turned off, and
the Coehituate was cut of, and when
there was not a stick of wood or a hod.
full of coal left-then she broke out, as
it was her duty to do, and literally gave
her husband piece of her mind, renew
ing the gift frequently, and as Socrates
happened to have the speaking and writ
ing portion of Athenian society on hi:
side, they gave her bad character, which
has endured like that which Thucydide:
gave to Cleon. There is, indeed, nothing
like bad character for permanence. Il
"wears" long and washes well. That
Xanthippe was only, at the worst, assert.
| ing the real "rightS'' of woman, is plain
on the face of things, and we have the ev.
idence of Socrates own words, as reported
by his friend and disciple Xenophon
that she was women of excellent do
mestic qualities on many points and So
crates was truthful man in words, anC
would not have praised herif she had no
deserved his praise. Her name and mem
DRY should be vindicated by some eompe.
tent scholar.