Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1869-05-08
The Woman o. ,he PeFiou.
Bf A wosAs

Mrs. Harding Davis eonifibuit'
a decidedly oulsp0sen article 10 ihs
February number of PulRsm on iAs
fashionable woman Of tho period
under tho ti,lo Of "MeR's Rights,
She says; ...A
TO speak plainly, believe that
tho old typo Vi lhe woman, whose
real liib comes Ia her through Tie
love ofhomo, husband and children,
Is irroyooahly iised by naluge In the
heart of all men, and tho mWofill'
of women, as the highest and best
Now for tho woman developed BY
tho so-ealled progress Of the age;
Tho most salient and apparent
change in women la tho last lew
years Il don't say the deepesL) 10
not advance In intelligence, marked
as that mGy be I, is the growth Of
irnpurity. Il Is simply u transient
effect OF this rohscd and ungraliiled
brain power. The ordinary London
or New York woman Is TOO tar ad.
vanecd In the "progross Of the ago
10 find employment for her awaken
Oh Imagination or reason IN house
keeping or in gosslpi too little 10
turn 20 art or science or even down
right hard business. In soli'doionec,
thon, she listens TO lascivions music,
or looks ut the living pictures Of the
ballet, whore hor passions ut least
are daintily played upon. she reads,
or writes, ~ the case may be, novels
in which few OF the men are honest,
and mono Of tho women virtuons, or
advancing o step farther she finds
that but n mean Gnd ignoblo life fpr
q woman which is sacrificed to the
children-whom God has given her;
and, on @sthotic principles, quietly
does her share in building up the
temples to 0arder, that openly face
us in our most crowded streets.
| began with an extreme case Z
Perhaps so. YethuRger is not choice
in its food, and there is reason to
doubt whether the ordinary aliment
of all women in literature or art,
now, is II whit more pure and whole
somo than that ofmcn, course as VIC
declare their appctites to 30.
There is II class of subjects, the
namo of which would bring tho red
to the old lady's check yonder, but
with which it is tho fashion of the
day to make young girls thoroughly
cCnversant. There is no need to
send Nelly ont Of the room now, no
matter what topic the matrons may
discuss. The terra incognita of our
grand mothers is well .troddcn
ground to her atsiXtcon. I'D
How can it be otherwise . %
% She finds not only mon, but wo-
men whose names are tainted,
among tho leaders Of fashionable
st5icty; she sits beside her mother,
and s6es her smiling at the bald in
deconcy of opera bouffe without Il
blush; hears tho ''social owl"
cody discussed as IL social necessity.
1t is no wonder, then, that might
after night, Nelly herself may be
seen, with back and bosom half.
barred, whiting and pcispifihg in
Dick French's arms, while her
mother looks placidly on. III hint
my disgust, am told severely that
to the pure all things arc pure, AMI
that tho obscene play and tho waltz
that sets Dick French's blood on fire,
if looked on tcst.rttscalfy, arc, to wo-
men, refined and innocent pleasures.
/ doubt if any man believes this.
If for lack of pure occupation for
tIieif Btaihs and senses, EwGt!mctn Of
society bring this offal to pollutc
their daily lives, they need not sup
pose that any affected ignorance or
aesthetic sunlight will hide tho real
nature Of the substance from the
men about them. Dick Frehch,
worn roue that he is, has Joined the
sonooi :, "a sr1 VI ,''o H''ur"J
NeVlewi ne asserts scr that a! women
are roProsc,itcu " those. He hlnts
thaC Y nc uhucrstands ,,1i,st';an,ds INC lures that
,h Ihcsc oecoffcnc ty tI. pciles put lorth.
'lt's cursed hard on fellow" he
says. "The extravaganza of these
women won't allow man. to.marry;
yet they tempt him to do, it, with
all the arts OF the worst, OFT the dcni-
monde" Then he and his compccrs
adjust their eye glasscs,, and .feah
against door ways, cfiticizing the
PAGES of the delicate young girls
Who are hurled past, as a trader
might tho slaves in the market,
French goes too far. NY little
Nelly is not in the market; She bas,
her secret innocent dream Of trng
love and marriage somc day, hid
away in her heart. ThSro 10 not
one of Frcnch's crew whom she.
would marry. When she unclothes
herself immodostly and surrenders
her person to their touch, She has
po interior purpose beyond the ul-