The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-05
written for'the Council Bluffs Nouparei
SKETCHES OF COUNCIL BLUFFs-NO.
BIT bob MARLINsPIKE.

BIT BOB MARLISspIKE.
THE MARRIED WOMEN 81
When Madam De STAEL asked NAPOLEON
wha. constituted the grand bulwafk OF
France. he answered. "its mothers;" and
the hero of Wagram, and jena, and Auster-
litz, spoke with q knowledge Of the human
heart which few men have ever possessed
he had studied humanity in all its phases,
and, whether in the military school, name
less Corsican boy lording 1t over the noblest
blood of the realm, or signalizipg himself
in the streets of Paris during the "reisn Of
terror" or emulating the example of lIanni-
bal and scaling the eternal Alps, OF in
after years. when the Vire L Emperor
of his mighty armies shook every throne in
Europo-he was always the same deep
reascner; his giant mind always grasped
the incidents around him, grouped them to-
gether as if by magic, and pointed out the
relation between cause and effect with al
most the precision of fate. When he saw
delicate, fair skinned boys, marching side
by side with old battle SCARED veterans
through hurricanes of fire, and mounting
the breach where death was sweeping down
like an avalanche, he could see at a glance
III that compressed lip, heroic tread, and
aashins eye, the all .pervadins influence of
their mothers who, like the old Spartan
| matrons, had taught their sons that to
die braycly is better than ito live ignobly
and well NAPOLEON knew that that same, 81
lent, Irresistible influence would make men
of them in whatever station of life fortune
or Providence might place them. If the
mothers of France are the safe guard Of that
nation, the mothers Of America are the hope
Of the world. Possessing all the womanly
attributes of their European neighbors, they
are nobler still. A live coal from the altar
of liberty has touched their lips, and, as
they breathe the FIRE Of patriotism into the
hearts of their boys, they teach them that
the blessings Of republican institutions are
is the God given heritage Of the whole hu-
man race. These noble mothers are found
in the cities, the towns, the villages and
the hamcts, and in the scattered cots of the
mountain, the valley, and the Prairie, all
over this broad union, and Council Bluffs
furnishes its full proportion.
Some of them has glded far down the
river of life, and the little cherubs that chirp
on their knees, IRE their chiIdren's child
rem. Others have tried the joys and sor-
rows of matrimony for dozen years, and
hall a many curlyheaded madcaps and
bright-eyed mschievous girls, are 50 many
links in tho golden chain that binds them
and their liege lords together, and makes
the twain one flesh, Like the old,Roman mat
ron they point with pride to their jewels,
and if, in days of sadness and dependency.
when they feel the cares Of u family press
ing heavily upon them, you ask them whether
they regret tho course they took when they
went to. the marriage altar, and no,s long
for the shady repose of single blcssedness,
smile of establishment lights up their
fnces at your verdancy in asking such
question, and they tell you in reply, that
there i, more bliss in single year Of mar
red life, rough and smooth, than il an old
maids lifetime. Far be it from them, how
ever, to disparago venerable maidenhood,
for we'll they know that some Of the noblest
Of the sex have lived and died old maids.
Som: Of the others here are juat teach
Ing their irstborn to lisp papa, ard you gas
bags of creation, who talk Of a woman's
p7ide in bonnet, dress or a gaiter, just
90 ana look at that young wife as she carts
her first baby down Broadway. Talk to her
Of silks, and cashmercs, and gold, and pearls,
and diamonds, and with an eye outhashing
the brightest gem that ever b.azed on the
the brow Of royalty, she points you to the !
baby. She seems to say to every one she
mects-':I myself am the mother Of that
baby, and if you can find plumpor, smart
or, handsomer baby than that, in this world,
I'd like to see it, "And you must clear the
track and give that baby room-if you don't,
look out for breakers.
One fine day, last fall, as was walking
up Broadway, saw ono of these young
mothers wheeling that blessed baby along
on the plank sidewalk, and looking so rosy
and happy, that, in spite of my settled
aversion to matrinony, had to confess !
very low, all to myseIf-that the husband of
that woman had a perfect right to put his
thumb to his nose and gyrate his fingers at |
INC, or any other bachelor. Well, Just be- 7
low tho auction store, a young limb OF the
law, on horseback, had planted himself .
RICH. in the middle of the sidewalk. She ,
said nothing as she approached him, but,
with the image Of that baby in each eye, she
gave him a look which would have melted
the heart of anything but lawyer. 1t was
vain appeal, and ,he'dcar little woman,
with her precious baby had to turn out into
the mud. Had her husband happened along
there, Just then, the gentleman (?) in ques- ,
ton would no doubt, have had splendid
chance to bring suit for assault, and bat
terry as i. was, the lady gave him glance
as she passed, and if he fo:gets it as long as
his name is -, his memory is not as
good as mine.
A few of our married women are not
mothers, and many years have passed since
some Of these set sail upon the sea of mat
rimony; but, though uabIessed with chill
dren of their own, they are molly sharing
the burdens Of society, by taking motherless
babes to their homes and their hearts, and
guiding their infant footsteps in the paths
Of honor aud virtue, with a mothers care
and, if it be possible, even with mothers
love.
: Our married women are no idlers. The
II,