The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-05-31

duces man to repel the advances OF heart
which worships him, and to become hard and
tyrannical in the degree by which that heart
seeks to express its affection for him. There
are husbands who would take the declaration
that they do not love their wives as an insult,
yet they would hold the woman who loves
them in fear and restraint through their
whole life. know wives who move abou.
their houses with a trembling regard to the
moods and notions of their husbands
who have no more liberty than slaves, who
never spend cent of money without feel
ing of guilt, and who never give an order a
bout the house without the same doubt of
their authority that they would have if they
were only house keepers, employed at a very
economical salary. | can think Of 10 proper
punishment for such husbands except daily
ducking in horse pond, until reformation.
Iet these asses are SO unconscious of then
deteStable habits Of feeling and life, that,
probably, not one Of them who reads this vii
think that mean hin, but Will wonder whr!e
have lived to fall in with such outlandish
people.
The most precious possession that ever
comes to man in this world is a woman
heart Why some graceful and most amiablc
women whom | know will persist IN loving
some men whom l also know, is more than
know | will not call their love an cXhib;
ton Of pcrvcrseness, though it looks like 1t;
but that these men. with these rich, sweet
hearts in their hands grow sour and snap
pish, and surly and tyrannical and cXacting.
is the most unaccountable thing in the world
If pig Will not allow himself to be driven
he viii follow a man who offers him corn
and he viii eat the corn. even though he put,
his feet in tie trough; bat there are men
some Of them of Christian prote>>ions-who
take every tenderness their wives bring them,
and every expression Of affection, and every
service, and every yearains sympathy, and
;rample them under feet without tasting
them, and without look OF gratitude in
their eyes. Hard, cold. thin-h.oodei, white
livcrrC,. contemplate curnuds cnns - ihry
think their wives weak and foolish, and
themselves wise and di-Aitied' beg ny
readers t. assist me IN de- p.>ins them. 10
not fee! adequate to the task Of doing them
justice.
There IS another exhibition Of p~rvcrseness
winch We sometimes see IL families. There
viii be- perhaps, from two to half dozen
think OF the reasons which should bind them
together in the bonds of ,endercS, sympathy,
They were born Of the same mother. they
were nursed at the same heart. they were
Graded under the same roof by the same
hand, they have knet at the side Of the same
father, their interests. trials associates. stand
ing everything concerning their family and
social htr-are the same The honor o. on,
intimately concerns the honor of the other.
vet have known such families Of sisters 4,
apart the moment they become in any way
independent of each other, as if they wei,
natural enemies. have seen them take the
part of friend against any member of L.,
family band, and become d.>gu>,,L with ole
anothers society Where matters have not
gone 10 this length, have seen sisters w4o
would never caress each other. or, by an, but
the most formal and dignitied methods cN-
press their affection for each other. have
seen them live together for months and years
as inexpensive of affection for each other Is
cattle in a stai!,-more so for have seen a
COW attectionatelv lick her neishbor's ear by
the half hour. while among these girls have
failed TO see kiss. or hear tender word. or
witness any exhibition of sisterly affection
whatever.
One OF the most common forms Of per
verSeness, though one of the most subtle and
least known, is that shown by people who
study to shut everybody out trcm a knowl-
edge 0! their nature and their lie. They
make 1t their grand end and aim To appear
to be exactly what they are not, 10 appear 10
bei.eve exactly what they DO lot believe and
to appear to feel what they do not feel at all.
This IS not because they are ashamed OF
themselves, or because they really have any
thing to conceal They have simply taken
on this form OF perycrSeness. They viii not
if they can help it, allow any man to get in
side of their natures and characters. If they
write you letter, they will mislead YOU
They will say to you rreverent and shocking
things, to prove to you that they are bold
and unfeeling and unthoughtful, when they
tremble at what they have written, and really
show by their language that they are afraid.
and full Of feeling, and very thoughtful. If
they have sentiment of love for anybody,
they take it as dog would bone, and go
and dig hole in the ground and bury IL.
only resorting to it in the dark for private
craunching. Very likely they Will try TO
make you believe that they live most dam
ty and delicate life-that the animals Of the
field and the fowls of the air love them, and
come at their call-that clouds arrange them
selves in heaven for their benefit, and are
sufficiently paid for the effort by their admir-
ation-that flowers excite them to frenzy, in
deed-and that all sounds shape themselves
to music in their ears. They would have you
think that they live a kind of charmed life