The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1867-01-31


youn' JOHN ESTEN COOKE.
French Uomen-- What they Marry
For. and Ifoc They act wisen
| Married.
What wretched wives French women
make! They are certainly less fitted
for matrinony than any women the
sun shines on. Fond of excitement, de-
voted to pleasure, loving dress, delight
ing in company, home and its duties
are confinement in Jail and irksome
drudgery to them. The best of them
wear the breeches, haggle-as only Wo-
men can haggle-abOut centimes and
sous, reduce their husbands to hardship,
drive off his friends, reduce his expen-
ditures, diminish his pleasures, place
money over and above everything else,
make their will, their whims, their ca
prices, the law of the household, and
think they ought to be adored as angels
because they keep buttons and shirts
from parting company.
These are the jewels of married wom-
Ell in 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 anything
which may add to the entertainment of
the company. AS husbands are zeros
in the best houses, any complaint they
may make of invasion of their rights is
commonly diregarded, or, if insisted up
on, is answered by suit for divorce.
Those animals" have no rights except
so far as the union Of buttons and shirts
| is concerned.
bn
more agreeable to strangers in Il draw
ing room than French women. False
hood and truth are things indifferent to
them; consequently such thing as
principle never checks their desire to be
agreeable. Their natural righteousness
and their natural sprightliness, whose
quickness and sharpness have been in
creased by the continual attrltion OF
company, make their conversation en-
| tertaining. Their satisfaction in find
ing themselves in what they may not
uniustly consider their proper sphere.
dimples their cheeks with smiles and
kindles light in their eyes. Their VAN
ity which continually goads them to
struggle for applause, stimulates them
to exert all their powers of pleasing.
They consequently are the most agreea-
bic draWilg-rooln companions to stran-
gers in the world.
1t isalmost impossible to avoid fall
ing ia love with them. Fancy pursues
them beyond the drawing and
uses her warmest cotors to draw pictures
of the happiness OF the men who CON
stantly possess such bright, vivacious,
amiable and facinating creatures. Fan
cy-that will-o' tle-wisp OF life-de-
ceives us here, us is her wont, and Were
we to follow her glitterng, airy flame,
would certainly lead lis into II most pain
full norass.
The rocket, which lies in theartificers
labratory black, sullen, unattractive in
its vulgar pasteboard case, resting ON
an unadorned, unpublished, rough stick,
does not more differ from the fiery bolts
which make mobs stare as it seems 10
scale the highest heavens, than the
French cynosnre of the drawing room
differs from tht- wife in her husbands
OF her faniiy's company.
The restraints Of domestic life Cypress
them to an Uncomfortable degree. The
ideal happiness Of all OF them is To en-
Joy a motherless widows freedom
They have 10 account TO give Of their
fame OF their purse or Of their body.
10 have no conscience save only to keep
unknown deeds reproved by puhiicopin-
ion. Too cold to be licentious, they are
never except TO gratifyan immofalagree-
able companion; and were Jove to listen
to their prayer, mems desires would he
OF the same temperature ali through life
as they are AT three score and ten.
1t is neither wonderful men and Wom-
en- marry here, nor wonderful they sep
arate. Marriages are contracted solely
for money, or for social position, or for
both. Women marry for these advan-
t;lges and to be free.
A woman is ward, an infant, until
she narries. She must not be seen at
plays, Where the dialogue is as thinly
and sparsely draped as the leading ac-
tresses who keep its shuttle-cocll ofeon-
versation flying. She must not 90 on
the street or into public gardens alone.
She must not dip her nose into books
which are only fit for the shelves Of
married coventry. She has the worst
seat at the table, church, theatre, and
in the carriage. She must be silent,
modest and respectful.
All changes when she marries. She
was q erir|-She is a woman Ghn NOV