Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-31
FRENCH WOMEN.
What they Marry for, and how
they act when Married.

What wretched wives French women
make They certainly are less fitted for
matrlmony than any women the sun
shines on Fond of excitement, devoted
to pleasure, loving dress, delighting in
company, home and its duties are con-
fnement in Jail and irksome drudgery
to them The best of them wear the
breeches, haggle-as only women can
their husbands to hardships, drive off his
friends reduce his expenditures, dimin-
ish his pleasures, place money over and
above every thing else, make their will,
their wishes, their whims, their caprices,
the law of the household, and think they
ought to be adored as angels because
they keep buttons and shirt from parting
company.
These are the jewels of the married
women of France But even these think
lightly of fidelity to marriage VOWS. In
this nation of social life, where society
is everything and all else is nothing,
nobody thinks of refusing snything which
may add to the entertainment of com
pany. As husbands are zerocs in the
best houses, any complaint they may
IDdht VI lnNdslOii VI tHClE ilBubo 10 CUM
monty disregarded or if insisted upon,
ia answered by suit for divorce. Those
animals have no rights except so far
as his union of buttons and shirt is
concerned.
There are no women in the world more
agreeable to strangers in drawing room
than French women. Falsehood and
truth are things Indifferent to them, con-
sequenty such a thing as principle never
check their desire to be agreeable. Their
natural maliciousness and their natural
sprightliness, whose quickness and sharp
ness have been increased by the centin-
aal attraction of company, make their
conversation entertaining. Their salts
faction in finding themselves in what
they may not unjustly consider their
proper sphere, dimples their cheeks with
smiles, and kindles light in their eyes.
Their vanity, which continually goads
them to struggle for applause, stimu ates
them to exert all their powers of pleas
ing. They consequently are the most
agreeable drawing room companions to
strangers in the world.
1t is almost impossible to avoid falling
in love with them. Fancy pursues them
beyond the drawingroom, and uses her
warmest colors to draw pictures OF the
happiness of the men who constantly
possess such bright, vivacious, amlable
and fashionable creatures. Fsncy-that
will othe-wisp of life-deceiyes US here
as ia her wont, and, were we to follow
her Qlittering, airy flame, would surely
lead US into most painful morass.
The rocket, which lies in the artiii
laboratory, black, sullen, unattractive IN
its vulgar paste board case, resting on
an unadorned, unpublished, rough stick,
does not more differ from the fiery bolt
which makes mobs stare as it seems to
scale the highest heavens, than the
French cynosure Of the drawingrooms
difIers from the wife in her husbands or
her familys company. =,
The restraints of domestic life oppress
them to an inconceiyable degree. The
ideal happiness of all of them is TO enjoy
A motherIess widows freedom. 10 have
no account to give Of their time or their
nurse. or of their body. To have no
conscience save only to keep unknown
deeds reproved by public opinion. Too
cold to be licentious, they are never I'M
moral except TO crafty an agreeable
companion; and, we're JoTe to listen to
their prayer, mems desires would be OF
the same temperature ell through life as
thew are at three score and ten.
IL is neither wonderful men and vo-
men marry here, nor wonderful they sep
arate Marriages are contracted solely
for money. or for social position. OF for
bo,b Women marry for these advan-
tages and to be free. =,
A woman 10 q ward, an infant, until
she marries. She must not be seen at
plavs. where the dialogue is as thinly and
sparsely draped ss the leading actresses
who keep its shnttle-oock OF conversa-
ton flying. She must not 20 on the
street or into public gardens alone. She
must not dip her nose into books which
are only ft for the shelves OF married
coventry She has the worst seat at the
table, church, theatre, and in carriage.
She must be silent, modest and respect
full CT,
An changes when she marries. She
was a girl-she is a woman. She may
90 where she pleases, when she pleases,
al she pleases. The slave is tyrant in
turn. tie husband (sO free while unmar-
riedl wears the discarded mauacles the
hall and chain krc for bis ankle. She
reads what she pleases, hears aud plays,
sees an, sight Her father may have
had no matter what title, she wes mo-
body. Her husbands title becomes lem
mine, and Is her property az much as u
is his The opera-bOx, the carriage the