Smyrna times., 1870-02-02
Men and their Female Critics.


There are women of sufficient shrewdness to
see that the common attitude of the men who
surround them is that of an amiable hypocrisy
who are quite alive to the weakness and pc
culiarities which underlie this pleasant exterior.
These women are quick to detect the weak
points in their husbands character; but to
these they extend becoming liberation, for
they know that their husbands are not worse
than other people. They accept the profound
homage which is paid to woman for what 1t Is
worth and are not at least blinded to the fact
that the gentlemen who have, during long
evening, been Distinguishing themselves by
their extraordinary courtesy, may have been
merely playing the role which society gives
them, and that, in their own private and do
mestic life, they may not be so very different
from the much more plain spoken persons
whom these ladies' call their husbands. The
cOmmOn-sense and penetration OF this sort OF
women would constitute her terrible satirlst,
if her knowledge did not teach her kindly
federation. She has a wonderful tact in detect
ing the presence of dullness, when dullness en-
deavors to shelter itself behind silence and cir
cumspectiOn. She can instantly distinguish be-
| TWEEN the man'WhO dresses and talks in COM
mon-place and fashionable. way, because that
is the habit of the people with whom he mixes
and because he does not care to be amusing to
people who would only be surprised or puzzled
| by his wit, and the man who hides his stupidity
behind shirt-front similar to that worn by
other men and behind an air of Indifferent Ian
guor. Such woman is never w0rshiper oi
those manly qualities which are peculiar to the
hero&of the boarging- g-schoOl girl and the lady
novelist She is not much an admirer OF brute
force per sc. She is more than likely to conceive
positive detestation for the large, stOlid small
Drained, self-willed, and selfish idiot of six fee
two, who is SO much adored by women of Ger
tain chronological development. In her esti
nation manliness does not consist in combining
the tastes of groom with the dress of gentle
man and if there is any thing she is likely t
abhor, it is display of that fine, confident be
, lief in the power OF mere male size to captivat
women, which is the sole creed of this vel
known hero. If her girlish imagination ha
} led her to marry some such man, his pOsitio
some dozen years after is not to be envied.
} But it must not be supposed for a momeu
that we complain of this system of gentle ny
8 pocrisy which may so far influence the judl
r ment of the majority of women in regardin
men. In itself it is the highest complimeI
men can pay to women. Even as the lion,
innumerable legends, forgot his real nature an
: crouched submissively before aninnOcent girl, /:
/ do men leave behind them selfshness, arr
e gance, and anger on entering the presence
: women. 1t they are not exactly what they pr
n tend to be, it is comforting to reflect that the
> know they ought to be something differei
: from what they are. If the influence of fem
# nine society does nothing more than cause the
it to assume, pro tenl., gentleneSs and tOleratiC
/ and pOliteness of demeanor which are not e.
Il hibited by them elsewhere, it has already doI
1t much.-Hdrper's Weekly.