Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-02
Wife Education.

| W nat next 7 some reader eXclams. | an
swer with my arms akimbo, that the theme of
This present discourse is wife education. A
| woman education is generally considered to
be finished when she is married, whereas she
has only arrived at A b G. If husbands took
| half the thought for, or interest In Their wives
minds, that wives are obliged to take Tor
their husbands bodies, women would be more
intelligent A missing button or string raises
a male howl like stirred-up menager,e, but
what of the little woman who sits twiddling
her thumbs in the presence of her husband 5
intelligent visitors, because she has not the
slightest idea what they are all talking about,
and because If she wouldn't mortify her hus-
band, she must forever keep speechless The
intelligent husband, who, from fear of jeopar-
dzing his puddngs or his coffee, rests con-
tented with this state of things, is guilty of
| an injustice toward that little woman of
which he ought to be heartily ashamed -
True, when he married her this difference did
lot exist, or if it did, the glamour of youth
and beauty like a soft mist.vel over land
scape, hid or clothed with loveliness, even
defects. Because her youth and beauty have
been uncomplainingly transmitted to his
many children, whose little mouths must be
fed, and little feet tended, not always by a
hirelng, through the long day, and whose
little garments must be often planned and
made, when she would gladly rest, while
they sleep, should he, who is free to read and
think, he who coming in contact with
strong, rejecting minds, has left her far be-
hind, never turn loving glance back, and
with his own strong hand and encouraging
smile, beg her not to sit down discouraged by
the wayside, she who "hath done what she
could?' 1t isa shame for such man to put
on bis souls festival dress for everybody but
her who should be his souls queen. 1t is a
shame for man to be willing SO to degrade
the mother and teacher of his children. Itis
a shame for him, while she sits sewing by his
side, never to raise her dropping self-respect
10y addressing an intelligent word to her
about the book he is reading, or the subject
upon which he is thinking, AS he sits looking
into the fire. l marvel and wonder at the
God-like patience of these upper housekeep
ers, or should, had moi seen them dropping
tears over the faces of their sleeping chill
dren, to cool their hearts
| want to hear no "bosh" about the mental
equality or inequality of the sexes" am
sick of it; that is question men always start
when women ask for Justice, to dodge fair
answer. They may be equal or unequal
that's not what am talking about. Napoleon
the Third gives his dear French people di-
versions, fete days, and nonsense of all kinds,
if they will only let him manage the politics.
Our domestic Napoleons, too many of them,
give flatsery, bonnets, and bracelets, to wo
men, and everything else but justice; that
question is for them TO decide and many
gravestone records how it is done.
An intelligent man sometimes satisfies his
conscience by saying of his wife, ooh, she's
good little woman, but there is one chamber
in my soul through whose window she is not
tall enough to peep Get her but foot
stool to stand on, Mr.. Selfshness, and see how
quick she will leap over that window sill |!
In short, show but the disposition to help her,
aud some manly, loving interest in her pro-
gress, instead of striding on alone, as YOU do,
in your seven league mental boots, without IA
thought of her, and take my word for it, if
you are thus just to her, and if she loves you,
which last, 10y the way, all wives would do, if
husbands were truly just, you will find
| that though she has but average intellect
you will soon be astonished at the progress Of
your pupil.
am not unaware that there are men whom
the tailor makes, and women who are manu-
| factured by the dress maker, and that they
often marry each other Let such fulfil theil
august desiny-to dress | know that there
are women much more intelligent than their
husbands; let such show their intelligence by
appearing not to know it, Still, it remains
as | have said, that there exist the wives anC
mothers whose cause now plead, fulfilling
each day, not hopelessly-God forbid but
sometimes with sad sinking of heart, the
duties which no true wife or mother will neg
lect, even under circumstances rendered Sc
disheartening by the husband and father, o
whose praise, perhaps, the world is full. Lee
tie latter see to it, that while the momentou:
question, "What shall get for dinner ?" may
never, though the heavens should fall fail o
her daily and earnest consideration, that h'
would sometimes, by his intelligent conver.
saton, when there is no company, recognize
the existence of the soul of this marriet
housekeeper.-Fanny Fern.