Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-10
" Model Wives. -

It's enough to make US married women
sick to see the nonsense that men put into the
papers. On ore particular head-Require-
ments for Wives-there is enough absurdity
uttered in one month to do for the whole
twelve months of the year.
Now, if men were angels, or demi-gods,
there might be some reason in their requiring
angels and god.lesses for mates but when it
is remembered what poor, imperfect, unre-
liable, unreasonable, unmeritorious set they
are, their face :" in setting up such claims
would be perfectly amazing and unaccount-
able, we're it not for the well.known enormous
selfesteem of the species.
Suppose, just for the moment, that any
woman could be found sufficiently refined,
beautiful, good, attractive, and rich, to ans
wer all the prcposteious demands that are
made, where would she find mate meet for
her? Does any one suppose that such par
agon of perfection would stoop to wed with a
mere mortal man, who would most certainly
shock her to death by mortal vulgarities and
faults
As women are, they have plenty to do to
q" swallow all that is mingled i'll their cup
of life when their fate has actually given
them over into the power of men. 1t is bar
barity to wish them to be any more refined or
delicate; it is prodigality to desire them to
be any more beautiful or desirable than
they are, considering that, they are -qHtde. for
men.
Women are faulty. creatures-that is not
,enicd.a They Sayqt abundant reason to be
ashamed of the1selyes- that is freely owned.
They arg sssiish, weak, and, IN too many
respects, wicked--that they are always fall
sing in love with men. is l,roofzehought Of
that. But-we retdrn to our proposition,
aud-we do emphatically, distinctly, and I'M
qualifedly declare, that they are good eeough
for nen. -:
| We wish oh earnestly, sincerely yedrn-
ingly--that it were not SO we wish they
were not "good enough.' Not that they
were more imperfect than they are, but that
men we're all 50 just, SO noble SO true--so
large, hearted. so aacctionate, so altogether
admirable, that they deserved perfection in
their wives. Then there would be some sense
and encouragement in trying to improve
But what induceu ent has woman now to
endeavor to attain to :" the high calling of
wife?
As soou as she il wife, or, at most, as
soon as her husband has recovered from the
first overpowering sensation and conviction
of matrimony, and arrived at the sensible
| onpnlusio,, +bnt h., 10 ATTAIN Ill 8hn Hrst
and only case of the kind that ever occurred
that other men besides himself really have
been married he begins TO criticise his wife's
daily life and conversation. Familiarity has
robbed her manners of the charm that once
they had for him; and he begins to admire
the charms of other women, not because they
are really better but because they are newer
to him.
1t matters not at all how beautiful may be
the face that every morning he sees beside
him on the pilow-he soon forgets to speak,
or even to think, of its familiar beauty, and
saves all his starts and ordinations of
admiration for that of other mems wives, or
daug hters.
His wife's tastes may be of the very finest
order, yet, in nine cases out of ten, he will
praise the dress and appearance of other
women more than he will hers.
If her style of dress be snowy he will can
her extravaganza. if it be plain he will cab
her dowdy.f If her disposition be of lively
and playful turn, he will check her for her
wild aud childish ways" and if she be
given to reticence he will call her dull and
sulen
What is queenly dignity in another woman
is haughtness in his own wife. What is
grace and sweetness in another will be affec-
tation and sballowness in her. When he has
+, exclaimed in rapture over the elegance of
some woman's attire, and his wife attempts to
give him similar pleasure by arraying herself
in q similar style, he will rail at her for
wearing her clothes so tight as to stop circu-
latiop (shc may not be laced one third as
much as her model,) so long as to sweep the
streets, and so full that she looks like bal
loon blown up He will declare that she
has on too many petticoats, that her shoes
are too small, that her dress is too high Or
too low in the neck, that he never could bear
to see short sleeves, that her hair looks like
play actresses, and that he is "rcally al.
most ashamed to be seen with such figure
on his arm"
Now, we would ask, in all humility, what
encouragement there can possibly be for wo.
men to try to improve themselves for the
sake Of those beings who are sure, the mo-
ment that they feel sure in their possession
to see in other women ten charms to where
they see one in their own wives?
Let the men learn to be model husbands
aud there is no shadow of doubt but what
there will soon be enough and to spare, un.
fortunately, Of the material out of which &c
make "model wives" Begin at the begin
ming, sirs.
Be SoMETHING.-Young man--takc t
, Yourself this comprehensive word of advice