Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-05-25
HOME CIRCLE.
BEAR 1T LIEE A MAN.

BEAR 1T LIEE A MAN.
There used to be some meaning in this
advice. propose, in this year of our
Lord, 1871, that it be amended after this
fashion: Bear it like Woman.
The papers are full of accounts ofmen
who, having failed in business. or been
crossed in love, or having had their shirt
bosoms ironed the wrong way, or failing
to see the same number of plums in the
conjugal pudding that their mothers
used to put in, have fled from wives and
children into the far unknown, where
shirts and puddings are not
Now when I look about me, and see
the number Of patient, toiling women,
hoping against hope every day, and
bravely struggling on, with only God
and their own consciences as witness, or
encouragement of their quiet heroism,
feel as though it were about time the
above proverb should be expunged from
books of advice.
Bear it like man! Did you ever see
man sick? Did you ever listen to his
"oh's!" and "ah'sl" and "dear me's!" at
passing twinges of pain that would never
have elected wink from womans,
eyes? Did you ever trot up and down
stairs, and into my gentlemen's chamber,
to bring this footstool and that pillow,
and this blanket and that comforter, to
be rejected as soon as brought? Did you
ever pull down curtains, only to pull them
up again; open doors only to close them;
bring newspapers only to have them
thrown down; cook messes only to have
them declined and all for little bilious
arrangement, that no woman would
think on mentioning?
"Bear it like o mani"
Ask any dentist whose teeth he has the
most trouble in filing or drawing, those
of men or woman? Ask any physician
if he ever knew one of his sex who didn't
expect to eat and drink all the same.
spite of pills and potions: who didn't
want every medicine sugar-coated; in
short, who wasn't utterly unbearable and
and incapable of anything buta growl,
especially if his tobacco were cut of,
until he was on his legs again, when the
first use he made of them was to leave the
wife who had been worn out with his
childish complaints, to take care of her.
self, while he went off with Jack Some
body. 'to take little relaxation"
I am of the same mind as the woman
who, when hearing the sufferings of our
Pilgrim Partners elaborated, popped up
and inquired, "What of our Pilgrim
Mothers? They had to bear all this, and
the Pilgrim Father besides" "Bear it like
a mani" There have been hundreds of
cases of wives whose husbands having
been sent to the State-prison for a term
of years, have faithfully toiled to keep
their little families together, and lay up
a sum Of money for the graceless husband
to begin life again when lis term was out;
and that, although the law in such cases
divorced the parties Did you ever hear
of man doing tlat? Not he. He
would have sent his children to anybody
that wouldn't bother him too often about
them. and married again; or else he
would have "drank to drown his trouble,
poor man! For what can fellow do.
when he has bad wife, but drink, or cut
his throat, or drown?"
Stay-there are exceptions to all rules.
I did hear of husband once who had q
wife given to drink. Did he hang round
her neck, as you would have done, your
husbands, ma'am, in q similarcase, and
bother her about temperance, and ask her
what had become of her self-sespect, and
what would become of her children and
and of him, if she kept on drinking?
Not at all. He kindly filed her empty
Jug whenever the contents we're gone,
asking no questions, and went his way,
allowing her to go hers. As to his motive,
I dare say he had one, but there's no
denying that he bore it-"like mani"
FANNY FERN.