, 1873-08-31
N0MAMLY DIGNITY.

From. ths London Saturday Rcrtetc.
Natrro, which haR given woapona Of aaaau1t or
rneans Of dofcnso to utmost nil living croatures
Las matlo 1nnn nudaciuns, md llaa endowed
woman with dignity. And dignity Inns tho bost
Of it, III fact. wonan1y dignity may DO nccopted
aB one among many explanations Of that 1cgoud-
aTy power which turned tho braycst nun to
stono, aud mado Tic might Of tho strongest like
water in their bones. What Gun my ono do
against 1t? Aa we'll try to penetrate tho ar
madloD coat Of mail by nocdlo, or mako n
ho1c III Il paclydorm by popg1ll, rs fire a won,Hn
to passion or nelt hor to pity whom Blso has ONO
ontrenchcd herself III lilo stronghold Of hor
dignity. No argument Gun sh0ko her. no roaBors-
ing convince hor; despair dies AWAY III qt1or,,-
lousucsB, nud tho pleadings Of loyo itsolf fall
dull and blurtod from lor stately Bolf-possoBson
like 40 mnny toy Shafts hurled against n polish
Cd md fmpouotrablo surfaco. Indeed, how Gun
you raSe In nngor, or abaso yourself in entroaty.
to creature WHO is icly polite, 1oftly
unnoved, not 10 be goadcd into the smallest
demonstration which would put her in tho wrong
and gyo you vantago-l>oint against hor, and
wl,ose calm eyeH look nt yon with kind Of R,i-
porior scorl, which, while It maddcnn YOU, Offers
no point Of attaek? What can you do3 :,ln,-
ply nothing. Tho moaliB Of defonao which Ma
ture liaa given arc unnBBaiablo, and a dgnfcL
woman iB MstroHs Of The situation by tho very
power Of neyntion, II by mona other. hut there
more e1nsporating tllnn others, Eome arc very
lovely, nnd nlno,'g tho greatest charn,a Of
womarhood There is in particular that soft
dignity which belongs to women who aro ntroc-
tionatu hy naturo and tiinid by temperament,
hut who havo rcsorvo OF sef-rosrect TINT de-
fouas tllom against themselves as well ~ aaitst
otlors. These Anvo quiet dignity, tempered
by much sweetness Of speech and nanuor, that
1~ro &<tF f1ts,. lila
woll US tho most beautiful. They aro like tho
Indy IN ComuH, and acem to Gust tito spell of
respect on all with whom they ero associated.
No man, save Of tho coarsont ilbre and such ~
only physical strength can coutrol could be
ruto 70 them in word or brutal in deed; for
tllora iB something about tlom, very indefinite
but very strong withal, wlicl, aoonls to give
them Hpeeial protection from insolouco md n
loving woman Of aort manners, whoso mind il
puro and who respects herself, iH nrlnod with
power which mono bit tho ylost can dospiao
This il tho woman WHO gots prccino obedience
from her servants without exactiug it, and
whose chiltIron do not droam of dispnting llor
stops short Of that kind Of familiarity which
breeds contempt, and with whom 10 ono talscs
llborty. For This one can scarcely giyo. q rca-
son. Slo would not ramp or revo If Blo was
dsplonHod, sl,o would not Hcol1, sln could not
strike but tLcro ia q certain quality in hor
which wo may not bo nblo to fornulnrizo, yot
which would mako ua ashamed to pass beyond
tho boundaries Of tho stricteat respect, md
which reHtran,B others loss consciously critical
thnn ourselves as certainly M fear. Itis tho re-
8pcct NO pay to those who respect themselves
tho consideration and honor which all ren1 p,,-
rity Of iatugo demands and obtains. This is
wonanly dignity i'll its !ovelicst aspect, and tho
kind VIC nll desire to SEQ in women, whom it
would not hnrden nor rcslder lesH thnn loving.
Ten thero is tho moro aggressive, struttiug,
Rtago klt,d of dignity, which mnot in hiRtori-
cal romanccs chiefly, whoro avaunt. baso cal
n nf
all unprotected dnnpol, III II robo Of "rch
snmito BRIGHT" with her back hair down. aud
carrying snlall jewelers. shop OIL llor person, il
allo BY tho magtc Of her dignity alono to defend
herself from tho haeo designs Of mnrauding
Barons and tho depreatona Of moaning
Lnaycs,-talning tho wild boasts n,nong mon us
Una tanlcd her iion. This is picture oxquiBiely
fa.cinatliy to tho young aud firmly believed in.
would find sho possessed tie gift if Hilo went
into tbieyos' quarter in London with her nrrso
iu llcr pocket nlld her dignity Ill lcr aolo eafu-
guard and wo think sho would do bother to trust
into tho homo life, is II trolblesono sort Of
thing but Bonetines it il Intensely odd, if ono
can atfold Tic tinlo to be Rnl,lEed; and digni-
fiod woman Of tho stage-heroine kind, who
draws hcrAe1f TN to her full height, =" ns novel;
lists say, and speaks in Nh octave below lor Usual
yoico whom sho is offended. III protty g,lIo to
havo plenty Of occasion for tho exercise OF hor
talout.
Ineto ls AnolHer htuu OF dlEhity-the grim
kind, rcpollcnt md n-hound-wlAercby you feel
yourself pushed buck l'oforo you hnye ,nado III,
advance; where, indeed, CLIO whole rule Of .liCo
seems to bo to rcpel on MI sides. Women
Inflicted with this species OF dignity aro always
Oh lho lookout for assaults, and consequently
aro a!ways thrs,sting their shield Of defonao III
your faco. You do not want to trouble tho1n in
their dignity you are not thinking Of invading
that Or tl.is Racrcd province Jet you aro uud-
denly met by i'll assumption Of offended nlaj-
Ind rn-
ceived Il blow. Somo playful word, Honlo laugh
ing aud ridiculous accusation, or quite innocent
nllIsiou, mud you ara trcated M lliiademcauant
WHO Inns griovot!Bly offended against good man-
womon constitutiosn1iy incapable Of understand
ing anything like plaTfsl]nosB, and who chi, make
No distinction between fun and importinouec, d
langhing humor md taking liberties. They
resent a. rsldenesa my hon'oly touch which
ignoros thoir stately lrnpery. They aro women
about whose allalrs you know absolutely
n9e5ps fS'a15 ., 'no fatn5y you ay 10 Their Their
tholn tell tho most harmless anccs!oto
frankly but always with Heyoro mir OF mystory
and something hidden; you never hear thcnl
discrss tue least important subject freely. Tou
things whiel, you would ask q comparative
strn'!gcr without hesitation, and they never
yoluntoor information. They would consider it
liborty If yon wn,,tcd particulars az to tho
treatment they had pursued, aaay in n!eI or sueh
case Of ill"osu; a1Id toy uro tar too digntcd to
holp tho inoxperionced' Of their youngerH hy
their own acquired store. Ono often wonders
what thoao women nro as mothers with young
daughters to instruct; and whethor their liGnity
can unbond so far as to givo Lessons to girls who
have everything to learu. TEoy aro 30 grim, no
far removed from any Of tho kindly fn1niliari-
ties, tho maternal tondornoanof ordinary women, |
that it III hnrtl to belioyo there can ever 10 mo-
lnonta in which, or porso,.s to whom, they Gun
condcHceud to bo natural. Akin 10 those, but |
not identical, aro tho coldly dgnfed women
-tnoso WIN keep themselves apnrt from