The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-04-03
CHEEK. -

What a pity it is that men have so
little assurance, and that women have
80 much! Only the other day one Of
these over-modest men said to US, con-
cerning the women engaged in the tenn
persnce crusade, ''They must have a
good deal of cheek''
Cheek to do what? To go where men
go? To go where this same shrinking
critic acknowledged that he went? We
thought to ourself, nyoung man, that is
pretty commentary on the places you
frequent, that it requires so much as
surance to enter there" What an ac-
knowledgment that you are not at all
times TO be found in proper places or
proper pursuits. When you &C to places
that require "a good deal Of cheekn for
a company of women to enter, engaged
in Gods work, and imploring Gods
protection and Gods blessing on their
work, for the contrary purpose, as your
criticism acknowledges, yon do not
manifest any cheek, we presume?
Cheek, indeed! Who ever heard Of
its being ''cheeky" for men to enter the
vilest haunts of their own, or the other
sex2 That is only "seeing the sights"
informing themselves of what there is
in the world, etc, etc. No contagion
clings to their immaculate garments.
A mother, a wife, or n sweetheart may
not 60 with them to "see life," but they
can go-reeking with the filth of partic-
ipation in this ''life"-straight to the
presence OF the purest woman in the
land-yes, and criticise her every word
and action, too. Oh, no! Men havn't
a bit of "cheekp'
There are other things about which
men have no assurance-not particlel
Who ever heard Of man, even though
he had been stepped in every vice, who
thought himself not good enough for
the best of women? To be sure, he tells
her she is an angel, and all that-that is
a part of the programme Of courtship.
But is he not worthy of an angel if he
faneies having one; and ought not the
angel to be immensely fattered by his
koaoriRg her with his preference 1t
does not require any assurance to tell a
woman you regard her as very greatly
your superior in moral purity, and then
to ask her to ''eome rest in this BOSOM"
and when she has, like a fool, accepted
the position Of your reformer, to show
by your jealousy and suspicion that
you Judge her by your own standard,
and think she will bear watching.
If it should happen that women in
despair of their husbands and sons
should undertake to wrestle with God
for their salvation, even in the very
haunts of vice, let some man, who is en-
tirely lacking in assurance, hold up his
hands in horror and cry out against such
evidences of cheek. BY his own confess
sion, he knows the places he is not
ashamed to frequent to be too vile for
woman's, and too lost for Gods holy
presence.
These cheeky women are inspired as
Esther was to save her people. She,
too, violated custOm-even law. She,
too, while men were powerless TO avert
their common danger, bade them 60
gather together all the people and fast
for her three days and nights; and she
too, would fast with her maidens; "and
so will go in unto the King, ,Ohich il
not according 10 the lar, and if perish
perish"
Such a sentiment as this will hardly
be appreciated by the unassuming and
modest critics spoken of above.