Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-07-17
Woman,s Work.
From Putnams's Monthly for March.

From Putnams's Monthly for March.
Most men prefer to look forward.
cannot myself see very far into the future,
but good way into the past. In that
pact | see that the patriarch Abra ham
killed the meat, and Sarah the wife, cook
ed II; that che made cakes, and baked them
herself for tle angelic visitors; and she
was not the less princess for having done
Il. Are We doing any better now? II
the man finds the meat, might not the
woman cook il? Or, if society is so
changed TINT she cannot, might she not
I be In amiable and contentcd wife-ac-
cepting what she gets with gratitude,
aud smiling face? | am told by a carp
ing bachelor, that, as a rule, women are
Npleasanier and livelier with any body than
Hhcir husbands. | no longer wonder that
matrimony is becoming difficult. aud may
becdne impossible.
Now, if matrimony is to become more
and more difficult, who will suffer most
by such state Of things? 1t must be
woman. For, try to make her into man,
as some may, it is impossible, she is his
vine and oak are equal, but not the same
Whoever builds his ship with the grape
vine will come to grief; whoever makes
wine with the acorn will have a bitter
mouth. Women needs the strength and
courage Of man, aud he needs her cheer.
falness her sympathy, her consolation
II man does not marry her, be will use
her and trample upon her, he does it now
in Paris, and in London, and in New
York. She will be his mistress, If she il
not his wife. And then, when she il
sick, or i'll tempered, or stupid, ho will
kthrow her away. II she is his wife, the
another Of his children, the partner Of his
<.uccesses aud the consoler OF his failures
ithen, and ouiy as such, win he cherish
Mefend and sustain her. Time was when
woman was described as the help meet ol
mau. Was il only phrase, aud mean
ingless? Possibly; but then words In the
Bible mostly did mean something. The
Etime,. too, was, aud yet is in some quarters
Of the world, when woman was help
meet, aud accepted and worked up to he,
positions as such. She did mot demand
levcrythlng, and DO nolhing.
E(Why is marriage easy aud universal in
such country as japan? Life, there. |,
simple, two or three small rooms, n few
dishes, mat upon which to sleep, one
dress, a little rice, aud some frnit-thes,
suffice for all. rich aud peor alike, in q
great city like Yeddo. which has civil
cation as perfect and as old as ours. AnC
Il is not u life Of stupidity or barbarism
all caniread and write, manners are good
books and pictures are plenty; theatre,
abound, professions and festiva days en-
liven life. 1t is, easy to see, therefore
why marriage is not q fearful thing 10 lha
far off land; aud. by contrast. tits cas-,
to understand why few have the courage
to dareit here. So *sai y &
Itis not necessary, I believe, to asser
that | am the friend of woman. Its be
lcause am so deeply and devotedly he
champion and admirer, that write thii
sermon. And as | am writing it, let nj
say that, while Miss Susan Anthony an,
MRS. George Train are clamoring for wo-
men to vote, and to work, and to sin,
base il they wish, We are clamoring TO
her right to DO o wife and mother, whicl
1.-The tendencies of the times threatened 4