The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-01
+" Are Women Dolls.

1t is useless TO assert that women are
what they were one hundred years ago,
/ but Is there need that they should be
! Then, every man was in some sense a
pioneer. Then, as much depended upon
her CffOrts-often upon her actual labor
AS upon his. II hands must minister
to the comforts of her household, she
must be both mistress and servant. Not
only did she prepare their daily bread,
bat the linen for the house, and the
clothes worn by every member of the
family, from the crude wool or fax, TO
the last stitch IN them. She was equally
ut home in the dairy, the spinning and
weaving room, the parlor, the kitch-
en-, the garden, or the field. You ask
" Where are they? Gone with the
elsea a1IeeSI 1l..s--.s xs---.- ~,-e tJa
streng, turdy, helpful, brave, whole
souled, honest men TO whom they were
helpmeets.
It may not be too much to say that it
is as surely folly and weakness to mourn
for the people as for the thirgs Of the
past. or, indeed, for the past itself. The
day has gone by when women can be,
at least here, what our grandmOthers
were, and the day is hut memory when
men required or wished them to be
that
I am not in favor of Sinking any
blame which properly attaches to use
less, wasted, purposeless lives that are
burden TO husbands, a curse to chill
dren, and a disgrace to woman, but /
want 20 ask who made them what they
are? Men know as well as do that it
is their own work, and having done it,
why are they not satisfied? ?
ii women are dolls, / repeat who
made them so, or what are men doing
to make them anything better? So
Yong as you show in every possible way
that you give all the admiration you
can spare from yourself TO the vain,
pretty, senseless doll" rather than TO
more quiet, sober, earnest women, why
should they not be dolls, and earn the
pre- MUM you offer for folly? So long
as the belle Of the ballroom and the
nymph of the pave are more attractive
than the gentle, modest woman who
would blush at a rude stare, why should
not all be attractive?
So long as art is considered fairer than
nature, and wOman's beauty depends
upon her toilet, why should she not
make it a study?
So long as she sees the bold, fast,
girl of the period the universal favorite
because she is bold and fast, why should
she not be bold and fast too?
/ have any amount of pretty theories
about tNse things, but there is no use
in talkilN, for SO far as she knows how,
woman viii be the thing she believes
you admire and desire.
am far from denying or justifying
facts, but there Is nothing true under
the heavens than that women aim at be-
ing what they think men wish them to
be, and initiate what men seem most to
admire.
You ask what can be done-this 4:
Help her TO be something better than
she is now-take your young wives out
of hotels and boarding houses, let them
be tlae hssnered xesasrasa eee seeat, 1,lsis.
courage nome IN WHICH, rf1cy can feel
pride and interest, and which Will give
them occupation for hands and brains !;
give up your extravagant habits, your
cigars, cards, billiards, wine, and the
numberless ways in which your small
change goes, in order that you may pay
for your homes, and then you will find
her a willing, loving, generous, patient
helpneet, ready to sacrifice as much or
more than you, a jewel whose price is
above rubies. Be what your grandfath-
er was-that was good, honest, and
manly, End she viii be what the women
of herslme weIe.-Garnet B. freeman.