North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-05-13
w Ols, en- OF I 1897.

Women OF 1897.
A woman who wrote used to be consid-
cred sort of monstrosity. At this day
it is difficult to find one who does not
write, or has not written, or who has not,
ut least. strong desire to do so. Gridi-
rons and darning-needles are getting mono-
tonous. A part o. their time the women
"t today are content to devote to their
consideration when necessary; but you
VIA rarely find one-at least among wo-
men who Miak-who do not slightly rebel
a-alli>t allowing them monopoly.
WhatI you inquire, would you encour-
,ge, in the present overcrowded state of
The literary market, any more women scrib.
hers? Stop bit. 1t does not follow
that they should wish or seek to give to
TIE world what she has written. | look
around and see nnumerable women, to
whose barren, loyeless life this would be
AL improvement and solace, and say to
them, Write! Write, if it will make that
lie brighter, or happier, or less monoton.
ous. Write it will be safe outlet for
thought and feelings that, maybe, the near
est friend you have has never dreamed
mad place in your heart and brain. You
| i
| should have talked with the women have
ta'k.d with; in short, you should have
walked this earth with your eyes open, in
stead OF shut, as far as women are con-
rerned, to endorse this advice. Nor do
qualify what have said on account of So
| cial position, or aye, or even education.-
1t is not sofe for the women of 1867 to
| shut down 20 much that cries out for sym.
pathy and expression, because life is such
meIstrom OF business or folly, or both,
that those to whnm they have bound them
selves, body and soul, recogniz, only the
needs of the former. Let them w,ite if
they will. One Of these days, when that
diary is found, when the hand that penn.
ed 1t shall be dust, with what amazement
and remorse will many husband, or faith
er, exclaim: l never knew nv wife. or nv
child, till this moment. All these wears
he has set by my hearth, and slumbered
D. my side, and have been stranger to
her. And you sit there, as you read SEN
tence after sentence, and you recall the
diy, and the month, and the week, when
she moved calmly, and you thought hap
PLY, or, at least contenteeily, about the
house, all the while her heart was aching,
when kind word from you, or even a
touch of your hand upon her head, as you
passed out to business, or pleasure, would
have cheered her, oh so much When
have you sat down by her side after the
days work for both was over and talked
with her just few moments on something
besides the price of groceries. and the
number of shoes Tommy has kicked out,
all OF which, proper and necessary in
their place, need not of necessity form the
staple of conversation between a married
pair. Had you done this; had you recog-
nized that she had soul as we'll as your
self. how much sunshine " u might have
thrown over her colorless life.
perhaps, SIR" you reply; "but have
left my wife far behind in the region of
thought. 1t would only distress her to do
this!" How do you know that? And if
1t were so. are You content to leave her
the mother of your children-so far be-
hind? Ought you to do it? Should you
not. by raising the selfrespect you have
we'll nigh crushed by your indifference and
neglect, extend manly hand to her help?
think so. The pink cheeks which first
won you may have faded, but remember
that it was in your serrice, when you
quietly accept the fact that :.you have left
your wife TAR behind you in mental i'm
provement.' Oh! it is pitiabe this grow
ing apart Of man and wife, for lack of
little generous consideration and magnan-
unity! 1t is pitiable to see a husband
without a thought that he might and
should occasionally have given his wife
lift out of the petty, narrowing details of
her woman's life, turn from her, in CON-
pany, to address his conversation to some
hn han h., - H.
time and opportunity for mental culture
You do not see. s'r-you wiU not see
you do not desire to see how her cheek
fiushes, and her eye moistens, and her
heart sinks like lead as you thus wound
her self-respect. You think her "cross
and ill-natured,' if when, next morning,
you converse with her on the price of but
ter, she answers you listlessly and with u
total want Of interest in the treadmill
subject.
lsay to such women; Write! Rescue
part Of each week at least for reading
and putting down on paper, for your own
private benefit, your thoughts and feelings.
Not for the Uorld' $ eye, unless you choose,
but to lift yourselves out from the dead
level of your lives; to keep off inanition;
to lessen the number who are yearly added
to our lunatic asylums from the ranks of
misappreciated, unhappy womanhood, mar
rowing lives made up Of details. Fight
IL! oppose it, for your own sakes and
your children's! Do not be mentally an
initiated by it. 1t is all very well to sneer
at this and raise the old cry of ''woman's
sphere Icing home'Smen whose home is
only place to feed and sleep in. You
might AS well say that mans sphere is
his shop or his counting room. How
many Of them, think you, would be con-
tented, year in and year out, to eat, drink,
and sleep as well as to transact business
there, and nerer desire or take, at oil costs,
some let-up from its monotonous grind
How many would like to forego the walk
to and from the place Of business forego
the opportunities for conversation, which
chance thus throws in their way, with
other men bent on the same or other er-
rands ? have, literally, no variety in their
lives? Oh, if you could be woman but
one year and try it! A woman but not
necessarily q machine, which, wound up
by the marriage ceremony, is expected to
click on with undertaking monotony till
Death stops the hands.
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