The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-12
FenIaIe SCol1S.


Women with sour tempers and sharp
tongues are grlevous afiiictions. Of all the
evils under the sun, that calamity il the form
of turbulent and contentious woman is the
SeNerest trial of temper and the greatest foe
to happiness. Meek submission TO many
painful dispensatons moderates their force,
and resignation is rewarded by numerous
considerations that at once soothe and
siren gthen, but the brawling of a shrew de-
irving encouragement from patient endura zee
and long suffering, causes the tireless little
member to move the faster, and to draw out
the full capacity of the shrill voice. The
sharpest strokes of adverse fortune are COM
monty Sudden, and the anguish they occasion
is III large measure mitigated by their own
severity. They are unexpected, and we are
saved the suffering arising from anxiety and
suspense; they paralyze our sensibiIities, and
while our feelings are recovering their tone.
we have time to brace up our fortituoe and
familiariZe our minds to some extent with
the disaster. But scolding is daily infllC-
tion, and even when the shrew is silent the
wretched sufferer is disturbed by the appre-
henSlon OF an outbreak, for he knows not
how soon the brow will grow black and the
obedient lips part, and nervously restless he
watches the play of the features. and marks
the drift of the conversation. And while this
odious habit is the source of ncacul,ble
misery, it does not, like crushing misfortunes
benumb and stupefy, but keeps the feelings
stretched to the almost tension and morbidly
| tender, so that the mind is always in a state
| of disquietude, and sensible to the slightest
irritation.
| 1t is the continued dropping of bitter words
that makes the scold SO srieyous an af1ction.
The fluent tongue pours forth com plants and
abuse, and threats, with savage earuestness.
The same misdemeanor, or evil. is harped
upon with increasing acerbity and uniiagging
Zest. 1t is dropped, some other matter is eX-
patlated upon, then the deed. about which 50
| much has already been said. is taken up again
and enlarged upon with fresh vehemence
and thus the ear is veXed with the unceasing
| sound, and the frowning listener i'll vain re-
| solves TO endure in silence, for he sees that
there Is no end to the list of evils and there is
no nope tor relief from the torture. The faith .
| full memory of the scold supplies her tongue
| with ample material for its wonderful powers.
| The past Is brought up and discussed upon
Present evils are traced to delinquencies and
! transgressions of gone-by days and advice and
| admonItlon are freely given, but there is sad
| want of harmony between the words and
| the spirit, for the voice is the sharper
and the louder during the utterance of whole
some truths, and is manifest that the bra VIE
\ rolls the sins under her tongue sweet
! morsel, and takes malicious pleasure in call
! ing them TO remembrance and throwing them
! into the offenders teeth. The eXasperated
! dame passes from servant 10 child, from
| child to father; their misdeeds, and faults
/ and in!irmities are exposed and enlarged
upon, every annoyance and NeXatlon that
| rutties the surface of domestic life is brough h /
| to view, ana the ennmera lion OF the many Ills
| is made the more disgusting by ordinations
| of pity for herself, us though the whole house
| hold had entered into II conspiracy with for
|
| matter what the Inconvenience or the mis-
! chance, though 1t be OF Il kind that annOys all
the members of the family, the ceusorious md
! despotic shrew, in the excess of her evil tenn
| per, treats the yeXatlon as though 1t We're in
| flicted upon her alone, and with the set pur-
pose TO increase her grievous misery.
| With quick eye, a hasty temper, and an
| everlasting tongue, the scold need never be
| silent for the lack of subjects. Disposed TO find
fault, she is instant in detecting the sli IN test
| negligence, the smallest offence, the most in
| different delinquency. Her tongue is always
| ready 10 wag, and when il moves one can
| form any idea when it will stop. The length
| OF time she bavvls has nothing to do with the
| thing that kindteg her anger For if it be "A
| matter that does not admit of many words, her
anger q uIckenS the action OF her miu nd refresh
| es her retentiya memory, and other evils are
| introduced, so that no matter what she begins
with, she need never close her iips if she is
disposed 10 let the hot stream flow out. The
pestilent woman may open her mouth, incited
10 speak by the aTkWardness of 4 servant and
| while her breath is waxing warm, black
spot on dish catches her eye; that is a
| greater offence, and her tongue moves still
| faster, and her voice is lifted higher. Some
| one asks for q napkin during 4 brief pause in
| the lecture, and this huge negligence blows
her anger 10 flame. Thus she passes on
| from the evils that have set her tongue in
motion to others of grayer hue, and, growing
| more and more wrat thful every moment, she
| rises in her reprimands, brings TO light Ger
| tain things of which the particIpator sup
1 pOSru SHE WAS ignorant, charges tne crime
home upon him with ierceness, and winds
| up with pitying her deplorabie condition,
| and pronouncing herself the most miserable
| woman in the world.
The courage of these waspish women is rs
firm as their temper is fiery. Driven to dies.
| peration, the helpless sufferer does sometimes
| yield To his choler, and attempts to intimi.
| date his brawiing spouse; but he never fails
| to repent his folly. His stern looks and Bit
| ter words only exasperate, and, in a louder
and inevitably sharper tone, the undaunted
| seold pours the rushing torrent to his ach
| ing ears. But though he fails to silence The
hateful sound, his case is little If any, better
| if he endure III silence, for his pretended
| callnness enrages the angry scold almost, IL
not quite, as much as when he pays her back
in her own coin. As the unfortunate man
| invariably loses his temper when he attempts
| to reply, II were better that he take counsel
with prudence and keep his lips sealed
| Charleston Courier.