Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-05-30

rightsul hand, and when il is grandly
worn, is royal dadem. But are those
three conditions always met? 1t is so
often crown of thorns, that it were well
il maidens were taught to be more chary
OF accepting it; ii they were taught that
the loneliest single life was less lonely
than loyeless marriage; if they were
persuaded that any woman can 1.-Two her
life ont all alone far more wisely. more
calmly, more happily. more honorably,
than as the wife of n man 10 whom she
must look down, rather than up, and who
can never call out whit is best and high.
est in her nature You know, my dear
Mrs. Jones, that believe in marriage -
But | do not believe that all marriages
are pure, and honorable. and holy II
| takes more than the 5cnediction of 4
priest, or the dictum of magistrate TO
make true marriage.
II is hardly to be expected. perhaps,
that women, young girls especially,
should always be able To discriminate
between the false ard the true. But
ought we not TO help them? Should we
not teach them to wait till the right man
comes. even ii they have to wait forever ?
Why should they be in haste to take The
snood Of the virgin from their hair? Let
them be taught that it is infinitely better
never 10 marry than TO marry The wrong
person; let them be taught that the estate
OF the unmarried woman is just rs honor.
able as the estate Of the wife. and
there will be more true marriages.
But girls sometimes marry Tor n home.
DO they ?-Let Us talk about the matter
little.
Society is TO blame for this also. Pub
lie opinion says that it l. not rs honor.
able for woman To work Tor living as
it is Tor man to do so. A man loses
caste il he does not work woman los.
cs caste if she does. TO be sure there
are lew things, two or three, that wo.
man may do without offending the auto
crat who rules over the destnies of wo.
man. She MAJ teach, she may write or
she may be IN artist. But suppose that
she abhorS tcaching-and has neither tine
ability or inclination to write or paint p.
perhaps she has u geniu, for business
the multiplication table has no horrors
for her, and she can make change easier
than she can make biscuit She goes in.
to Il store, II shop-iI she can find mer-
chant liberal enough in his views TO give
her employment What is the result?
She is fortunate it she does not have
reason To feel before the week is out. that
! she has III measure LOST caslc. need
not go into particulars. You know very
well, Mrs. Jones, and every other woman
knows, the thousand ways in which soci-
ETY. can show its hispleasurc, its dsap.
probation. Meanwhile. the girls broth
cr "obtains II situation" in a store direct
ly opposite. Is he degraded by so doing
Is his social position damaged BY no
means. Mrs. Grundy takes my young
lord To her bosom, metaphoricaly speak
! ing, and leeds him with macaroons, sal.
ads and creams. In most country towns,
young man who is Il clerk, il "in soci.
ETY. a young girl who i; clerk is out
OF it.
Is tins just? is this right And the
same rule holds good through all The
ramificatons OF society The woman
who works for a living" whether she
scws, or does housework, or stands be-
hind counter. finds herself tabooed, and
perhaps shut out from the only society
she Graves
Is it any wonder girls are tempted to
marry for homes ?-Is it strange that they
accept what they are taught to consider
honorable serfdom, in place Of work that
does not lift them to the same plane on
which it places their brothers?
But the pity of it, lago! o, Iago, the
pity of t."