The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-08-05
Expected Of a Woman.

A Dainty white envelope addressed to Us in a
plainiyfemInIne hand, enclosed the following scrap
from the Chicago Tribune.
Il would be 8 curious problem for a woman 10 find
out from mankind What Is really expected Of her
Man sd0res helplessneE, and says II ruins him. He
talks about economy ami raves over speudsnrIfts. He
decr5es dIvolity and runs away from brains. He
pines sitter his g~rand-mother, who could make pies,
and falls n love with white hands that eau Z. he
means over weakness sud ridicaies strength. He
condemns fashion theoretically, and the lack OF II
practically He longs for sensible women and passes
them by on the other SIDE He worships saiETs and
sends them 70 converts He despises pink and white
women and maTTIes them II be can. He abuses silks
and laces and takes them into his heart He gioriies
spirit aud Independence and gives "A crue! thrust IT
the little vines that want 10 be oaks. What would
the critical lords desire
We can tell our fair questioner what IRE desire.
We desire economy, and a knowledge of house
keeping embracing the AIT of pie-nakng. that our
cup Of domestic bliss may overflow. / the same
time, though our reyered grand mothers were fru-
gaI housewives, anu we remember fondly the cake
Of our childhood, yet they and their pies, belong
TO the past. We desire braus, but we run
away from Them If their fair temple is neglect
ed, woman's crowning glory disheveied, or wound
anyhow and skcwered through and through
with obtrusive hair pins. as often happens where
the - BRAIN ureDonderate.
We desire strength, but what can we do2 We
see our little baby girls from the first moment of
existence. nursed in an artificial atmosphere, care
fully shielded from tie free ar Of Heaven. bound
and swathed and swaddled, as If a great effort
was needed 10 restrain their tendency 10 grow
az they begin 70 run about, their delicate chests
and limbs are persistentiy exposed 70 all the
changes 70 which our climate Is subjecr-and,
surviving these. the young girl in most cases be-
comes a . young lady and looks forward u,
and is ready 70 rush into marriage, without one
single clear intelligent idea Of the duties and cares
rha5 deEoive upon The wife and mother. Then,
we moan over weakness. .
We DO rldicuie that strength thai induces - the
little vine 20 be an Oak"-even as we laugh a5
the frog who would be an OK. Rather would We
see the gentle creeping clinging vine adjoining and
beautifying the rugged, gnarled tree, soitening
down iUs rude outline and covering over with
graceful leaf and blossom it's many scars.
As fos the fashions, it is enough to say. that
we have nothing to do with them. We hear our
lady friends decry the peigning styles, and adopt
them.
Those who . pass by sensible women on the
side confer a very great obligation on
them, Us all /. sensible women viii acknowledge.
Under the present state Of things, and as long
as the dictates Of fashion prescribe the style of
complexion that shall be worn, 1t would puzzle a
man to find anything else but . pink
and white, = 70 marry, although he might despiSe
them ali the same.
We acknowledge that we do abuse silks and
laces, because We believe them made to be abused
(judging from the manner in which they are worm
we glorify spirit and independence, and are
always willing TO give them their just dues.
Finally we desire IN a wife beauty Of character
and mind. and as we admire the chaste setting Of
pearl, so do we admire physical loneliness
and though we may be attracted for a time by
outward show, yet alter We have paid to beauty
Of form and feature the homage that is its due,
would examine the mind and heart, ID see if
there we can discover those sterling qualities that
excite true esteem, and lasting love, and our
search being unrewarded. we look elsewhere.
True, we marry mere physical beauty, but, what
you? Marriage in such cases Is often but a
Evil contract, entered into by two wide-awake
parties, Cat least the beauty = is), and If prop
sr pains ara taken to keep the skeletons closet
well locked, we can sing Of the pleasure of
Two minds with but a single thought,
Two hearts tIaE bsaI as one"