Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-10-17
WOMEN DISCUSSED BY WOMAN.


WOMEN DISCUSSED BY WOMAN.
We have read not u few essays upon the
ssrights of women" which we thought neither
witty nor wise; in fact, with many others, we
have heretofore reclSoned the iteration OF these
claims as an intolerabie nuisance In the vol
ume OF sprightly essays styled Country LlE-
ing and Country Thinking, this topic Il dis
-cussed with n good sense, wit, and practical
ness which leave little TO be desired
The authoress comedies AT once and graceful
ly that men have, in the race of life, the ad-
vantage in point of strength, and that 1t Is
better TO let them take the hard knocks, (Which
somebody mast take in this world,l and do the
sowing, ploughing. reaping, hanlmering, build
ing, having fighting, and thousand etceteras Of
this worlds rough work. The old argument
that women has, nevertheless, capacity for
great achievements in the rough and dusty
places where men toll, is summarily disposed
of:
SHOW don't overwhelm me with q torrent of
platitudes about woman's opportunities for
self-sacrifice, moral heroisIn, silent influence,
might of love, and all that cut-and-d wo-
mans sphere-ism; pray don't. / know all
about il. i could write an octave volume on
the subject, with dedication, introduction, pre-
face, and appendix: but just go TO your WIN
dow the next fainy day, and notice the first
woman who passes. See how she Is forced to
concentrate all the energies of mind and body
on herself ard castings. Ore delicate hand
clirlgs desperately to the unwieldy umbrella;
the other is ceaselessly struggling to keep firm
hold on the multitudinous draperies, and if
book, basket, or bundle claim share of her
attention, her case is pitiable indeed. Down
goes one fold upon the wet hagstone, detected
only by an ominous Tapping against the ankle
when the garment has become saturated-a
loosened hold on the umbrella, OF whic 1t
takes advantage, and Immediately SWAPS i'm
miuent over the gutter-a convulslve and ran
dom clutch at the petticOats. The umbrella
righted, sudden gust of wind threatens to
bear il away, and. one hand not being suffi-
cient to detain it. the other inyoluntarily
comes TO the rescue-sweep go the draperies
down the pavement: then another clutch,
another ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS march - and
so on to the dreary, dragged end.
ssStalk-stalk-stalk- up the man be-
hind her. Stalk-stalk-stalk-h has passed.
Stalk-stalk-stalk-he is out of sight before
she has passed q single block.
"Of course he is. One sinewy hand lightly
posing his umbrella; waterproof oyercoat
.close bnttoned 10 the CHM tight-fitting trou-
sers tucked into enormous lndia-rubber boots.
What is the storm TO him -t.s a.
ais this small matter! Beloved friends,
smaller matters than these have swayed the
world: and ten thousand such small matters
mark the childhood, youth, and maturity of
twice ten thousand small men and women.
"Men are strong. They do things and don't
mind il. They can open doors in the dampest
weather. They can unstrap trunks without
breaking q blood-yesSel, turn keys in q mo-
ment which women have lost their temper and
famed their fingers over for half an hour,
look down precipiceS and not be dizzy, knock
each other PROSTATE and not be stunned. You
may strike them with all your might on the
chest, and il doesn't hurt them in the least. II
mean If you are Il woman.) They never grow
nervous and cry. They go up stairs three at
time. They put one hand on a four-rail
fence, and leap IL without touching. In short,
they do everything easily which women try TO
do and cannot.
"Moreover, men are so easy TO get along
with They are good natured, and convent
emily blind and benevolent. Women criticise
you, not uniustly, perhaps, but relentlessly.
They Judge you in detail, men only in the
whole. If your dress is neat, well-fitting, and
well-toned, men viii not notice ii, except q few
men-milliners, and few Others who ought TO
be, and TO whose opinion we pay no regard.
If you will only sit still, hold up your head,
and speak when you are spoken 10, you can be
very comfortable. / do not mean that men
cannot and do not appreciate female brillian.
cy; but if you are good listener, and in the
right receptive mood, you can spend an hour
very pleasantly without it, But woman
finds out in the first three minutes that the
fringe on your dress is not a match. In four,
she has discovered that the silk of your sleeves
Is frayed at the edge. In five, that the binding
of the heel of your boot Is worn out. BY the
sixth, she has satisfactorily ascertained, what
she suspected the first moment she set her ewes
on you that you trimmed your bonnet your
self The seventh assures her that your collar
is only imitation;' and when you part, al the
end of ten minutes, she has calculated, with
tolerable accuracy, the cost of your dress, has
1eyelled her mental eyeglass n all your limo
cent little subterfuges, and knows 10 dead
certainty YOU past history, present circum-
stances, and future prospects. Well, what
H. =
only being stretched on the rack little while
You have no reason TO be ashamed. and you
are not ashamed Your boots are only begin
ming 10 be shabby. and we all know the tran
STORY nature of galloon. Your fringe IS too
dark, but you ransacked the city and did your
best, angels Could no mora You trimmed
your bonnet yourself and saved two dollars,
which was Just what YOU intended 10 do. The
means were worthy, and the end was won.'
Your lace is not real, according 10 the cant of
the shopkeepeTs; but ii is real-real cotton,
linz. Gilt h1ta no
may be, and YOU never pretended IL was Honi-
ton or point and II lace j. soft and white and
fine. and sets OF the throat anu wrists prettilv
/ don't see why IL may not Just as well BE- lnaue
liz America for two cents - yard. as III Paris
for two dollars, or two hundred. In fact, this
whole matter of lace l. something entirely be-
yond my comprehension. Why, i have seen
women who, in the ordinary affairs of lfe
Were neat 10 L fault, just not fall down and
worship 4 bit OF diESy- old yellow lace, that
looked lit for nothing but the wash-tub; and
when demonstrated with, excuse themselves
by saying, why IL Is fifty or five hundred
years ODD which may he a very lucid expIa-
nation, but cannot say fully understand
and appreciate il.
but If men, in their strength and COURAGE
and independence, are snViable, men in their
geUtlene-s are Irresistible You can expect IT
in women IL is then attribute and character
istic You do not admire its presence 50 much
Is you dcplore or condemn Its absence. But
manly tenderness has u peculiar charm. IL Is
the wild wv shooting over the b3ttlcmcntS OF
some old feudaI castle, lending grace TO Soidi-
~, yelling strength with beauty. And you
meet Il eyeTywhrrJ-in the house and by the
%ayslde, IN city and country, under broad
cloth and homespun. The best seat, the finest
standroin'i me %arInest corner, Is not only Of
fered, but urged upon woman. You NAV
travel from one end of The country 10 the other
and Lect NOT only ciyility, but the most cordial
and consiGerate kindness You NAV h. A.
ngly n II Is possible for virtue 10 be- and tired
and rayel-stiined aEd stupid, and Your
neighbor OF 4 day VIII show you all the little
attentions you could claim from q father or .
brother. He will place his yalise for your
footstool and his shawl for your pillow, omen
or close your window blind at every turn q
the road, point out every object of interest, X.
plain everything you don't understand, and dc
a Thousand things 20 make your journey pleas
.rt The roughsst labOrer will step ont in XII.