The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-03-18
"Our Men,
BY MARY A. Z. WAGER.

are men. You can wind them around
your finger and hack again. and never
once suppose that they have backbone or
will of their own. You can wheedle
them into committing the most absurd
follies, the silliest extravagancics;the most
pernicious deeds. r ..r f..f
They will yield to gambling when they
know Il leads to death. They will be
duped into Wall street spccdlations, al
though victims stare at them from every
corner. They can't resist m invitation 70
smoke or drink, although perfectly well
aware that 1t leads them on to physical
ruin. A strange woman with n pretty
pair of ewes will lure them away from
home, from sweetness, from purity. from
love. from heaven, down to q haunt OF sin,
of shame, of pollution, Of damnation.
/ stood with dear old friend Mt re-
freshment table on last New Years day.
Three or four kinds Of wine cleaned
from rs many decanters. '.1H.E. -
"You don't drink wine, / suppose"
said. "At least hope you do not" ID.
"No, do not" he replied. ~ can be
quite social without It. But 1t Is very
hard to refuse 1t when offered by fair
young hands," -
Il cannot understand that I said.
What believe Is not good for mo, nell
ther right for me to do, 1t Is not difficult
for me to abstain from"
'"Ycs, my dear, but you do not know
what power beautiful woman has over
man." he replied. ..,l.U...,
"But know how woman, beautiful
or not, admires strength in men and con-
tennis weakness. If I were wine-de-
bauched, could not help admiring the
man who refused Il far above the man
who accepted the glass they call 50 temp
ting" -.
| A few days later came letter Of New
Years grceting-"ConTatulato me on
bcing the fortunate possess0r of one OF the
few masculine heads that don't ache this
morning. Perhaps II I had called npon,
you yesterday, Imight have been inclined
TO partake of an ache or Its equivalent.
Man, with all his boasted strength Is q
very weak creature, and makes but fee
bic rcsistance to temptation when he
meets It ut the hands of q woman. This
accounts for so many tipsy men on New
Years. You women offer the glass,and
men haven't the moral strength or colr-
age to say nays" nj .rRV ,.-bitV
It Is another phase of the Mother. Eve
story. Men pray--l suppose, all OF them,
mt some time In life, "Lead us not into
temptation" and then walk straight into
IL. l don't believe so much in running
from evil ms do in meeting II with u
brave front and not yielding an inch 70
its cncroachments. ~
,"The superior strength Of men" Is un-
doubtedly the oldest '.joke" on record.
| II Is n Joke within n joke, for the joke OF
It Is that so few have suspected tho sar-
oasm in 1t, and 50 few even now see the
point" ....z. ....,, :,
The people, the priests, the great cdi-
tors, the Pharisocs, and the great Moguls
who have an eye out for public good.
trembc from their boots up for "our
wives and daughters" when the surface OF
society Is rippled. Our wives and dangh-
ters forsooth! That is upon the principle.
suppose, of taking care of tho pennies,
and the dollars will take care Of them
selves! Our husbands and sons arc such
pillars OF strength, so utterly impevious
| to evil influences, such mighty warriors
for truth and Righteousness, so complete
ly cncascd in the panoply Of virtue, that
no harm can. como to them! Is that 1t?
or are they such sin-bronzed old repro
bates that only doubly-dyed crime can
strike through the last coatinga
The nonchslance with which ncwspa-
permcn write about tho "frailty of .wom-
en-" reads ludicrously enough. Its almost
rs funny rs when they tilk In dead earn.
est about protection" for women, and
how to advance her .'moral elevation" "
never knew feather to soar very high
with bullet tied to one end. And to
suppose that society Is to be cured Of its
evils and ills by doctoring only one side
of II, while the other side Is just rs sick.
and probably great deal more so, Is
lust as nonsensics.l. "What b satce for
the goose Is sauce for the gander," and n
"Nlidnight Missions" and "IIomcs for
the Fallen" are needed for women, why,
| in the namo of humanity, arc they not
needed for men? Are not'men worth saw
ing, quite rs muche F.
An individual invariably comes to grief
from the false assumption Of superior
knowledge or power, or from greatness
thrust upon him. when he has not the roy
nj prestige to wear It becomingly. So
men have suffered from accepting tho
E,lsc idea of their superior strength"
and ''woman's fraiIty." 1t Is quito time,
fer their own good, they throw away this
treacherous. mask. and stand confessed.
Strong souls always have sympathy for
weak ones. and when women to sec
men In. their true status, they will be
stronger for them. and realize tho danger
Of placing temptations In their way. As
Il II, women tempt men Aunconsciously,
thoughtlessly, relying upon their "supc-
rior strength" when loi man goes to de-
struction.s iHa n UIHp. ,IuTrF T.1
| rOh! but / didn't know men were SO
wcakw she cries. ZrTt tH..1E 4"
But they arc my dear. There's not
one in thousand safe, beyond the retscli
OF n guod woman's voice aud eye. They
need a loyal woman for protection, every
individual one Of them. .,g.--.,..1
And then what cowaris they are! They
commit suicide, run away, fcign insanity.
murder, shoot each other In the back, steal
up in the rear. and knock their brothers
uOWn, COnlinit ioISciHS, uhu " huhuiVu
other underhauded deeds becaIse they
have not the courage to face tho truth,
and stand by II, no matter what comes.
And then the jealousy oi "our men!''
That of women Is not to bc compared with
t.; they seem never 70 have progressed
fariher in grammar than 10 learn fully tho
dcclcnsions Of the perpendicular prono,p.
A man can't look nc his neichbors clothes
limo without running tho risk ofiaaving his
neighbor's bullet whiz through his body.
And then, tho scnsitivencss Of tho sex TO
wha. newspapers say about them! IIay-,
cnt I possibly 'said too much, already y
20 IIL.. HH -I lsfH -fFf. .--I HTAfNlIf % III
Jack Reynolds, the New York, murderer. has
been senteDcci to be hung. Thh remarkable
mark Of distinction. extended to him over all
the other murderers Of New York, h rrportsi
TO have created profound sensation, and .
- - ,-lc,, .,,H ., ,cu In tt- o. th. w., yo-t