The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-02-25
Little Women.

| HIuuttpftfu, ~-Io-ICil.
Little Women.
| The conventional idea of a brave, an
energetic, or supremacy criminal woman
is a tall, dark-haired, large-armed virago,
who might pass as the younger brother of
her husband, and about whom nature
seemed to have hesitated before determin-
ing whether to make her a man or a woman,
"a kind of debatable land, in fact between
the two sexes, and almost as much one as
the other. Helen Macgregor, Lady Mac
beth, Catharine dc Medici, Mrs. Manning,
and the old-fashioned murderesses in novels,
are all of the muscular, black brigand type,
with more or less of regal grace superadded,
according to circumstances; and it would
be thought nothing but a puerle fancy to
| suppose the contrary of those whose per-
sonal description is not already known
Crime, indeed, especially in art and fiction,
has generally been painted in very nice pro-
portion to the number of cubic inches
though we are bound to add that the pub
lie favor runs towards muscular herones
almost as much as towards muscular muir
deressess, which to certain extent redress
es the overweighted balance. Our later
novelsts, however, have altered the whole
setting of the palette. Instead of five foot
ten of black and brown, they have gone in
for four foot nothing of pink and yellow:
they have shining coils of purest gold
instead of hollow caverns whence flash
unfathomable eyes eloquent of every dam
na0le passion, they have limpid lakes of
heavenly blue; and their worst sinners are
in all respects fashioned as much after the
outward semblance of the ideal saint as
can well be managed. The original notion
was very good one, and the revolution
did not come before it was wanted: but it
has been a little over-done of late, and we
are threatened with as great surfeit of
small-limbed, yellow-headed criminals as
we have had of the man-like black. One
y
time, if too constantly repeated; as now,
when we have all begun to feel that the
resources Of the angels face and demons
soul have been more heavily drawn on than
is quite fair, and that, given heavy ''braids
Of golden hair 'bewieldering blue eyes,"
"a small, 1.-THE frame, and special delicacy
of feet and hands, we are booked for the
companionship, through three volumes, of
4 young person to whom Messalna or
Lucretia Borgia was mere novice.
And yet there is physiological truth in
this association of energy with smalness;
perhaps, also, with certain tint of yellow
hair, which, with dash of red through it,
is decidedly suggestive of nervous force
Suggestiveness, indeed, does not go very
far in an argument; but the frequent con-
nection of energy and smallness in woman
is thing which all may verify in their
own circles. In daily life, who is the really
formidable woman to encounter the
black browed, broad-shouldered grantees.
with arms almost as big in the girth as a
mans? or the pert, smart, trim little
female, with no more biceps than lady
bird, and of just about equal strength
with a sparrow? Nine times out of ten,
the giantess with the heavy shoulders and
broad black eyebrows is a timid, feeble
minded, good-tempered person, incapable
of anything harsher than a mild remon-
STRANGE with her maid, ora gentle chastise-
ment of her children. Nine times out of
ten her husband has her in hand in the
most perfect working ORDER so that she
would swear the moon shone at midday if
it were his pleasure that she should make
fool of herself in that direction. One of
the most obedient and indolent of earth's
daughters, she gives no trouble to any one
save the trouble of arousing, exciting, and
setting her going; while, as for the concep-
ton or execution of any naughty piece of
self-assertion, she is as utterly incapable
as if she were a child unborn and demands
nothing better than to feel the pressure OF
the leading strings, and to know exactly
by their strain where she is desired to &C
and what to do.
But the little woman is irrepressible.-
Too fragile to come into the fighting sec
ton OF humanity, puny creature whom
one blow from mans huge fist could ami
hilate, absolutely fearless, and insolent
with the insolence which only those dare
show who know that retribution cannot
| fellow what pop he dana witb ho,D Cl,,
is afraid of nothing, and to be controlled
by no one. Sheltered behind her weakness:
as behind a triple shield of brass. the
angriest man dare not touch her, while she
provokes him to a combat in which hi:
hands are tied. She gets her own way il
everything, and everywhere. At home
and abroad she is equally dominant ant
irrepressible, equally free from obedienc,
and from fear. Who breaks all the public
orders in sights and shows, and, in spite o
King, Kaiser, or Policeman y, goes wher,
it is expressly forbidden that she shall 90
Not the large-boned muscular woman
whatever her temperament: unless, indeed
of the exceptionally naughty type in dis
tnctly inferior surroundings, and then slit
can queen it royalty enough, and set every
thing at most lordly defiance. But in gen
eral the large boned woman obeys tn
orders given, because, while near enoug
to man to be somewhat on par with him
she is still undeniably his inferior. She
too strong too shelter herself behind he
weakness, yet too weak to assert he
strength and defy her master on equa
grounds. She is like a flying fish, not OH