The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-24

family circle after the close Of day Of weari-
some conflict with the outer world, and finding
their chief bliss in the feeling that in this
haven they are perfectly secure from all intru-
sion.
All this is very well, but 1t needs certain
upfulflled conditions to make il perfectly
right on all sides. Suppose the wife, in her
Jealous pursuance of the generally recognized
'whole duty Of woman" has been closely
housed all day with group of noisy children,
whose incessant and petty demands are ex-
hausting to both mind and body, causing a
sense of overwhelming WEAKNESS and mental
dullness, which is rather from rust than wear.
Is it to be supposed that the woman can find
supreme happiness and the highest spiritual
and mental refreshment from sitting at her
sewing, and dutifully admiring her husband
abstractedly reading the newspaper to himself
But such has been really the theory of the
world, and it is no wonder that a reaction is
crowding the streets with overdressed women,
with no apparent motive to hasten their saun-
teripg steps. This promenade is not the
worthiest investment Of time, though we
really do not see that there must necessarily
be more moral depravity in "ten- minute
calr' between ladies, or a chat as they pace
down the sidewalk than in that half-hour
lounge at q street-oorner, which seems to vary
with surprising frequency the much talked-of
incessant toll of many business men.
We have occasionally heard married people,
who have not learned the wise maxim: Wash
your soiled linen at home-confess a standing
disagreement about the employment of their
evenings, the wife wanting to go out, the hus
band desirous of staying at home. The man
forgets the delicious moments passed in mas
culine gossip-time which has been passed
by the wife in wearisome routine of uninte-
resting labor. We do not mean to say that
the labors of the household are necessarily 80,
but that they must inevitably become so when
endlessly repeated without any interval Of
relaxation.
The only way to make these much praised
evenings at home pleasant reality to both
parties, is to encourage the wife to find some
mental refreshment from the outdoor world
every day, and then she too can turn to a
quiet evening as time of happy rest, bring
ing with her some fresh contribution to the
amusement Of the home circle. Much
nervous depression, dissatisfied temper
and general discomfort could be prevented
by this simple remedy, and little wholesome
care in this direction would prevent our
matrons from growing old SO early.
Any employment possible to married
woman, which will not conflict with her home
duties, should be assiduously cultivated. Her
time would then be held by herself as too
valuable to be lavished upon founces and fur
bellows, and another most necessary improve
ment might become possible-the government
of society might be wrested from the weak
hands of mere girls, ready for any lavish ex-
travagance or reckless folly, and placed in the
worthier grasp of mature women. From this
silly maladministration of power, which
closely affects the daily comfort of every in
dividual, all our absurdities of fashion arise,
and the women who should rule, and are COM
petent to do 80, are thrust aside as "too old
for company" by the precooious damsels in
their teens.
This philosophy of Gan evening at home
must of course only apply to such individuals
as can be really benefited by the change.
Many persons of both sexes are like the
Frenchman who objected to marrying lady
whom he had been visiting necessarily for
years, by the unanswerable plea, 'If I marry
her, where can spend my evenings ?" Such
people must seek a crowd in order to shift the
responsibility of their own entertainment upon
somebody else. They are poor company for
themselves, and generally, too, very poor COM
pany for other people. Such persons cannot
be considered in any rule intended to apply
to people Of sense.