The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-10
A WOman's Wife.

other day and met my destiny; in other
words, saw ''my wife," She was bright,
cheerful, brown-haired, sunny-tempered
woman, without thought of mission"
and for the time being absorbed in the COM
forts and conveniences of a new house which
her husband had built for her, and which
had been thought out SO well tnat for its
size, position, and purpose it is simply per-
fection. There was time when she cher
ished secret hope perhaps of fame as poet
or an artist. / distinctly remember blank
book into which she collected her poems and
Thoughts" neatly copied and frontispieced
by pretty wildwood sketch, which was to
form presentation birthday volume to her
mother And in a corner of her desk there
is the MS, tied with pale blue ribbon, of a
story which has never found publisher for
tunately, and has probably now ceased to
disturb her sleeping or her waking hours.
Following her trim, pretty figure and act
i've feet from room to room, from floor TO
floor of the new house, even to the attic and
down to the cellar-for which l confess a
special Notwithstanding her expatiate
ON the width of the attic stairs, the size and
convenience of the closets, the veining of the
marble mantels, the shading and finish Of
the woods, and the thoroughness of the
workmanship throughout, you would never
associate her with poetry or love stories.
Nor would the pride with which she exhib-
tied her pet, the store-rOom and its contents;
yet this was what suggested 10 my mind,
with the quickness of lightning, that marry
ing man bad been the mistake of my life;
that ought to have married woman, and
this was that woman.
Why should such good fortune as the mar
rying such woman have happened to q
man? He could not appreciate her. He is
good enough in his way for man, but he
looks upon his club, his newspaper, and his
political faith, as the great facts of human ex-
istence, and smiles condesceDdngly upon
her social ideas and domestic enthusiasms.
Men no longer need wives they have their
clubs, their restaurants, their bach elors'
chambers, their clothing, from coat to pOck-
et-handkerchiefs, made by experts, and conf
panionship is all they need. Only the fidgety
and fault finding, whose society men will not
tolerate, find wives and houses of their own
necessary, and it is wicked that good women
should be worse than wasted upon these.
But for women who are thrown upon their
own resources-teachers, writers, Journalists,
artists, lecturers, book-keepers, and business
women generally-marriage to woman is
the solution OF an uncomfortable problem.
They want the home, the cheerful smile, the
encouraging word, the bright fireside, the
comfortable meal when they get through
their day of work, just as much as men, but
if they are married to men they cannot get
them.
When they 90 home it is to assume anoth-
er burden. to attend to the children, to tie up
the household threads that nave dropped in
their absence, to smooth away difficulties,
and prepare for the pleasant reception of the
lord and master. OF course the lord and
master fails to realize this; he knows if the
twentieth thing goes wrong, but he never
| thinks of the nineteen things that have gone
right.
He REQUIRES to be unmarried for time, to
be thrown entirely upon his resources, to hnd
out what his needs are; what the important
facts of existence are ; what there is in a good
marriage, in the possession OF home, the
companionship OF wife, the rearing OF chill
dren, to compensate for the sacrifice of sitting
at ease with his feet in the air at a club win
dow, of being called good fellow by those
who drink wine at his expense, of carrying a
nieht-key and being Indifferent to the hours
at which he let's himself in with it in the
morning, of being able to get shirts, ties,
gloves. and studs of the latest style without
regard to the expense, and finally take
summer trip at his own sweet Will, without
regard to seaside for his wlies neaitn OF
mountain air for his Oldest girls lungs.
Time was when children were very inn
nortant element in married happiness;a mar
! rage without them was sort OF failure. But
| this is so no longer; they ale now beginning
| to be considered in the way; clearinghouse
| will not nave them; landlords do not like
| them: proprietors of summer hotels remand
| them to the kitchen with the servants. There
| is really no place for them; they are an OBJ
stacle. and to their own parents. as well as
1 other people, not unfrequently nuisance.
I In the marriage of women with women,
| this difficulty would not exist. The expense
rd tha o,Jditon tn an already burdensomt
| population would be alike spared. They
! have no club-houses, so they could not for
| sake their homes for them; besides, If they
| did. they could 60 together, no obstacle ex
;stino in family cares at home. Moreover, Il
women union would be strength; it woult
enable them to 90 ont evenings to theatres
lectures, opera, and other places OF amuse
ment and recreation, and also enable them
a. some sensible women married to womel
do. to cultivate social life at home.
Then there would be no harm in reversin
Mormopism in such case; that is, If on
| woman could not afford to support anothe
woman and home by herself, she could &c
others to join her and unitedly supply them
sel-es with the comfort of a home and th
pleasure of congenial society.
But being business woman, or journal
| ist, or writer, or an artist, / would not mar
ry any of these, any more than would mar
1 nv such woman if were a man. Mairias
is business, and should be enIe,eu nv
either as proyider or care taker; NO. sIa'
Woman writer or an artist could not ihahe
housekeeper. but she canno. w VIZ ~
th;noS u,aI and the more CONSCIENTIOUS sn
tn .Iso neay;er is her burden. Add TO I'M
- LIZ h;rth and rearing of children, and the
u noe if ali could be well or wisely periorme
bv :. we woman.