The Portland daily press., 1868-12-02
THE IMPOSSIBLE WOMAN

IHE IMPOSSIBLE WOMAN SoiieoPohu-
ent of the London Queen says:
Calmly looking on at the unSee'nly contro-
yersv nov racing between the sexes, and
catherine from the current literature what
man expects from woman, we fear there is
notbinr in store but failure on the one side
and disappointment on the other. In the
first place the being that man describes as
help meet for him is not to be found on
earth-was not found in Paradise, amid the
innocence, freshness and beauty OF the first
creation. IN early ages of the world the
sons of God became enamored of the
daughters o men; the reverse is now
the case - the sons of men are aspiring
in theory at least, to the angels of heaven
The impossible woman, that every man seeks
for and and no man finds, is an angel-not
only perfect being, but a compound OF all
pertections She must be richly lowered,
but know nothing of the value or vulgarity of
wealth; she must be young, yet have all the
wisdom of age; beautiful, yet totally uncon-
scious of her charms; prudent, but not penu-
riouS; modest but not a prude; clever and
accomplished, but innocent and unassuming; !;
she must have brains, but not in excess; her
intellect must always remain exactly five
degrees lower than her husbands so
as to avoid the Inconvenience and confu-
sion that would naturally ensue if hers
ever rose point above his, and unhappiIy
allowed him to feel for an instant an
uncomfortable sense of interiority. such is
mans idea of perfect woman, and with such
he might drain TO the dregs the cup of hu-
man happiness; but, failing in this, he is
poor disappointed creature, wounded in heart,
soured in disposition, and tossed like dere-
lict ship to and fro on the ocean OF life We
are not now going into mans character OF
mans merits nor disputing his right to such
partner, it he can by any chance meet with
her. We should be the first TO offer our
congratulations on SO telcitous union. and
pray that this even balance might be preserv-
ed to the end OF tLeir days, and, when their
final hour approached, that death itself might
not divide them.
We simply assert that such being is not TO
be found-that this impossible woman does not
exist. The immortal soul OF man yearns after
he beautiful, tue good, the true; and suffering,
sad humanity answers him with sorrow, weak
ness and imperfection. He feels that virtue.
after all is the right thing; and it he cannot
nave u III nimselt-cannot just live up to the
marx tiIat ne ought to attain to-he thinks it
highly desirable that some one should He
can enjoy the virtue that is achieved by prac-
tice and self denia. in another, and in some
incoherent way, expects some part OF the
blessing to lal on his head and attend his
steps. Doomed TO disappointment, he would
cover his own delinquencies by heaping re-
proaches upon woman. Many man starts
upon his wedding tour with the firm couvic-
tion that an angel is his travelling companion
that he has found the impossible woman
who has condescended to cast in her lot with
his, who regards her idol with blind adm,ra-
tion. But, even in the midst of the bridal
feast, how often has mans hand written on
the wall, weighed in the balance and found
wanting" and the man upbraids the angel for
not possessing qualities that never exisled
save in his own disturbed bran Putting,
then, the impossible woman aside. let man.
with due caution and a prudent regard to
consequences, seek the possible, looking first
Tor warm heart and clear head, and as
much amiability, beauty, youth and money as
he can combine with them; let him keep
The heart warm by love and tenderness, and
develop the sense and judgment by respect
and confidence; and if she should happen to
have preponderaIce of intellect--which,
with all due respect to manly power, Is the
case sometimes-let him regard that priceless
quality not N the spirit of mean, petty rival
~, but as gift from heaven, a joint possession
by which both may be better, both wiser and
happier. Whatever sense they have between
them they will want it all. Life's Journey is
long, iife's burden is great; let them be salts
ned to beguile the one and share the other
content if step by step and side by side they
can move along together, and thankful if a
gleam OF sunshine sometimes falls upon their
path.