Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-02-25
Talks With Women.
BT JENST June.

Much has been said and written of late years
upon this subject. but very little that is at all
satisfactory, or that bears upon those aspects
Of the question most vitaly interesting to wo-
men.
The truth is that the works of this class are
all written by men, from a sentimental rather
than practical point of view, and not only
betray ignorance Of faets, from the woman's
standpoint, but the direct interest they have
in concealing them.
J On the other hand, to women them
selves the subject is one OF extreme deli
cacy. Of Their own bodies, their pow
ers or their needs they know little or
nothing and so strictly is the subject
tabooed by common consent, that no
work upon the physical wants or rela-
| tlons OF women has ever been written by
a woman, notwithstanding that it is her
province-that it involves questions up
on which she alone is competent to ex-
press an opinion or form a Judgment,
and that the welfare of the race is con.
cerned in the result.
The root of the whole matter undoubt-
ly lies in the wicked and de0asing theo-
ry that woman was made for man, and
must, therefore, accept his will, and bis
Interpretation of all matters in which
she herself is concerned. This subverts
The whole theory and intention of Divine
Providence, which placed in the hands
OF men and women two forces-one
! physical, the other moral; the former
active and assertive, the latter receptive
and emotional; but both necessary
one to develop and utilize the resources
OF nature, the other to modify and con-
troll the tendency to arrogance and sell
tishness which must always exist with
the exercise Of merely human powers.
%To accomll lsh their proper werk,
however, both men and women must
have free development and right disci
pline. lfmen cQntrcl the moral faculty
in women through the strength of their
| physical capacity, the Divine purp ose is
thwartedand the effort rendered nuga-
tory; if, on the other hand, women yield
their best instincts and convictions TO
the demands of the coarser and more
positive masculine element, they are
false to the high trust rcposed IN them,
and must suffer the humiliating and dis:
astrous consequences.
| The knowledge of the truth concern
| ing their own physical life is of the high
est importance to women themselves.
Their astonishing carelessness, ignorance
aud indifference has already fastened up
on us race of miserable, purposeless,
nbeclle creatures, powerless for good,
but plastic tools in the hands of others
for evil, and utterly unconscious, appar-
emily. of the object for which they were
created.
The influence of woman, if it is any
thing, should be saving to man. To that
end she is made more beautiful in form.
more pure in heart, more gentle and self
sacrificing in her life. Her body is the
actual temple of the human soul-it en-
shrines it, it brings it forth, it stamps it
with the eternal seal OF humanity. Iait
not, then, Of the greatest Importance
that this temple should be worthy of its
uses? that women should know, and be
taught to avoid Whatever will injurs,
impair or retard their influence and ef-
forts in the province exclusively assign
ed TO them2
AT present, women are actuated by
the most contradictory considerations,
and it is not at all surprising that they
produce the most incongrucus results.
They depreciate their most important
junction lay dcspising its duties and neg
lecting its most imperative obligations;
they consider the evidence of health as
ungenteel and vulgar; the labor neccs-
sary to health, as ''low;" love Of tfath
and natural beauty, as showing want
of polite education. Yet all their efforts
are devoted to securing artificial resenl.
blanees to those natural and womanly
qualities which they have deprived
themselves Of by their folly, ignorance,
or neglect,
1t is next to the angels to be beagti-
full, pure woman--rich in health, strang
in love, abounding in charity, large
enough to bear with the shortcomings
of weaker people, severe only in jpdg'
ment of herself ~ r.
But if such women are to be the rule
instead of the exception, they mast be