Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-27

morob Earth nav pass away and be no more,
Her landscape Jade before ny el3Sl1s &c
TNei- urf4snt time I laid me down 20 ole,
the Fr5gbrrr beauties OF Immortal Day
Nf7v sweep each lingering thought OF griei
away And this for met
uovrN HOME. or. WORK VERSTS
BEAUTY.
The Evening Post has some admirable
remorks up0n the life, sphere and duty
If woman in modern society, which we
couiense for U readers:
There IS much matter for thought in
the fact that the literary exponent Of
aesthetic BOst0n-the Atlantic Monthly
for Januarv-hould have pushed the
work 50 far that neither time nor room Is
left. for those who admit its conclusions,
TO cultivate the p.rJCct F0Usr Cf human
Ers trhich IS beauty.
Without detracting in the least from
any utterance setting forth the dignity
and necessity Of labor, We must question
the somewhat e~Xtravigant application 81
the theory Of work 10 life, a. found IN
MIS-. Stoves talk on social facts in the
Atlantic. When Mrs. Stowe characterl-
ZeS W0meR-0f elegance n refinement
A. " beautiful, fascinating t~IzzdrOal OF the
parlor and bOud1ir, who make their boast
Of elegant helplessness and utter mcom-
petence for auv of wOman's duties, we
would ike 70 know what she under
stands by the term wOmau's duties"
Elegance and refinement in q woman
are the best results Of culture and inner
emf Ueutleuess Of nature and that ele-
rance and that refinement Is Z chief part
ofrhe charm ofEOme. Towhatendsrethe
costly means Of culJure-bC5ks, pictures,
staruarv and music-but 70 protect Us
from the deterioration OF sordid Oceupa-
tiOns2 Il i not every woman WIKI can
be beautiful, fascinating" aud the
boasted elegant helplsssness" OF fascil-
aLng and beautiful women certainly does
not extend % their chief function and
fheirmost noH erfllchzrm. II. as emust
infer. AL-s- stowe means hv the phrase
-w0uau's ducies, the daily drudgeTy Of
household carer, we certainly must pro-
test against q doctrine Of work that dis
figures our mothers, makes our wives old
before heir time and the hands OF
American women the surprise and regret
ofevery lover Of the beautiful. And this
Is no rrIde. Al III shaped, red looking
ha1i is evidence that beauty has been
sacrificed 70 utility, for every physical
imper;ection i the result OF disease, &C
cideut CT excessive work, and these i'm
perf-cGOns show that "Ihirgs are in the
SADDLE and Tide mankind"
- true understanding OF social econO-
nv will not permit WOmanu 10 be subjec-
ted 20 any wOrk that ro0s her Of physical
charm aud moral serenity. That thou
sands q women are compelled TO labor
rhat un-eEes Llem-that checks the SYM
metrical growth OF their bodies and the
harmonious developement Of their ma
tu-e=-ist TO them the fatal necessity Of an
imperfect aud progressive society.
Considering the fact that the end OF
living Is not work, but perfection or
beauty, and believing that women, in a
society As fully organized a. our own,
help men best when tEey are most en-
gazing and beautiful, we must write
that Mrs. stowe has made a false appIj-
cation OF the theory Of work. It Is wrong
not only from the asthetic point of view,
but also from the moral point If view
women need love; men need beauty
The passion OflOye il woman and mans
passion for beauty are the two great and
irresistible antagonists of duty in the
social world.
Mans desire for beauty is as mquen-
chaDle and -benencient as wOmanfs need
Of love, and the prime Of unfaith-
fuiuesS of men Is disgust for the disfg-
Ured and 0verwOrked. the U~ngraceful and
u~naJtractiye matrons whom they call
wives When a wife ceases 70 be thar
charming, sympathetic, and beautiful be-
ing TO whom her husband gave the first
caress Of his eyes and the homage OF his
heart, she ceases 70 excite admiration.
and she ceases % be that intoxication and
delight which keeps men, exposed 70 the
sirens Of life, faithful 10 their first choice
Il j. when the wife ceases-tu be beautiful
in the eyes Of her husband that she ceases
10 exert an influence other than the tor
pic influence Of habits, and il is then that
a mans eyes wander and his thoughts
finger about other women, 70 crafty his
GOd-implauted need of the beautiful
Whatever destroys beauty induces coar q
II not lax morals, makes a domestic or
want, OF At best a housekeeper, Of q Qife
and robs the wife Of her happiness.
The ~drudgery Of household ears a
false domestic economy, which, day At
ter day, takes vitality from the wife
makes her hands muscular, instead Of
soft and flexible, and when evening
comes leaves her too wearied TO COM
munlcate any yivacity and variety l.,
her conversation and her faded hrs
band sits facing her, inert and vet r,.st-
Jess. II i then that an elegant and
charming woman-af fascinating woman
would arouse that man, renew his life
redouble his strength, and give zest 10
his hours Of rest and il Is then that the
wife, sacrificed 20 woman's duties
that is 70 say, % household cares-is in
capable Of refreshing her husband. and
with ever multiplying lines on her face,
with ever vanishing bloom, with fast J
fading beauty, is sacred and honoreo
only because she is q mother.
The instinct Of women % seek a lifa of
repOse, their esgerness 20 attain tho lIfe
of elegance, does not mean conten.yt for
labor. Women were not intels3ed 10
work, not because work Is ignobIe. bBt
because it Is as disastrous 70 the beauty
Of = woman a. Is friction % the bloom
and softnsss Of afower. Woman Is 70
be kept IN the garden Of life; she i 10
resS 70 receive, % praise; she q - 3.
kept RON i work shop world. where J
innocence Is snatcSsd With rude hands :
and sOftnes j. bustsEsd into M,
slgnttness O hardened into sdamar
No social Truth = more IN need Of eua
2 ulusEsuOa than this one.
and, shove AL, The people Of New EDg. I
land need % know j. En7 better, tbev
ueed 20 believe it
u is therefore win regret thar we }
discover Mrs. Stowe applying 50 ha-sbIv .
and, a. we think, 20 Observation-Disclosures
the theory o. work 70 women, aud teae-
ing a society made up OF women SecL .
feed in the workshops Of the State OF h ]
the dlst-pans and kitchens Of the house. :
the women must work, and are dishOB. /
orc1 Il they aUuOt WORK, and that = VIC
man committed 70 { . drudgery OF q
household Is Uore crehtabIy emplosed
than when she Is charming ascinsting J
Eneebao-e II tie parloT oE boudoir. The
consequence G. this fatal mistake IS man.
lleat throughout New Eugiand-in New
Ehgl4la, where the girls are all beau
tlfut and Tie wives and mothers fade1
dizGgured, aud without charm on sffrsI
iveneS.
The moment a gil marries in
England she Is apt o. become a q .q,5oo
Or . lay Inquire on which 70 exf ~ -
late fashions. She never has oes,,tff-,J
AMI she would not have > -
ful face il ala Ulilitariau society coTIl
" apply" her face 10 anything but -
pleasure of the eve. Her hands -
their shape and ~sOftness sater childho.5
and domestic d~rudgegy DESTROYS ~
beauty of form and s0Irness and bloom
complexion after marriage. To cor
rect OF rather % break up, this 6espotism
household cares, or % work, over w.
nan. American society must be taught
jn4l women VIII inevitably fade snf
.oeteroTate unless IL insures repose ar
comIoT 70 them, ltmu>t ae taught D az
reverence to- beauty is The normal ION
olLoni III b theory OF work, 1n,IisJ
70 women, ls DISASTROUS alike to beautv
and morals. y
~Nr