Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-02-17
mLADIEs' DEPARTMENT.
COUNTRY

inB'fo HIS SUBJECT WAS "Couhtry
Women" and he said be ibought
the small audience would be graft.
ned that he had chosen a bran-new
subject. 1t was not through lack
OF respect for his metropolitan
sisters that be had chosen this sub
lect, but because, being a country
man himself, he was better ac.
quainted with country women.
Following this thought he read a
hnelpoem, the title of which was,
MY Mother" This was followed
by several other poetical effusions
about girls. Starting with them
when they were small. at a time
when they stood on the same plane
with boys-when the boys respect
ed them not, but would fight them
as they would with other boys--he
Kept them company through the
Joys and SORROWS of the sweet elk
teen age till that romantic period
was finally extinguished by mar
rage bis verses told of black eyed
girls, and girls with orbs of blue,
OF raven tresses and blonde ringlets
both equally fatal to the stronger,
though apparently softer sex. His
relation of the way in which young
men Rugged and kissed the girls,
carried their fans for them, held
the buffalo roles around them,
held their hands and looked mooney,
was all very nice, but there were
very few who heard him who did
not understand all about these
things, and some of his audience
began to fear that the reverend
gentleman vas himself getting o
little moon. struck in his declining
years However, he soon reached
the serious portion of his discourse.
which proved the announcement
he made at the outset, that be had
an important purpose in view in
selecting this subject.
The country women, he said, if a
wife, was the hardest working wo-
man on the globe. She does three
times It's much work as her husband
does. 1t is singular that he, who
is her AFFECT worshlpper before
marriage, should make her such a
drudge Immediately after that con,
summation. And yet he claimed to
support her, and girls were taught
that their ultimate destiny was to
get married in order to have a
home and there be supported. What
was this support? How many
wives have money that they feel
they can do what they choose with d?
How tinaldls they ask for a del r.
1t is a common thing for a mother
to ask her daughter TO tease pa
to buy her {the mother) a new cali
co dress, or to ask her son to take
a basket of eggs an go to the store
and barter them for some necessary,
but not to let his father know it.
woman feels actually compelled
to steal from her own panty in or
der to buy articles she stands in
need of.
But the beauty, majesty and mag
nanlmity of man is most apparent
when he dies. Then an admins
TRAITOR presents himself with his
commissioners, and orders the
widow to bring forward her spoons
and other effects to be inventorled.
The result is, the wife is "given one
third of the property she has help
ed to accumulate. How would the
man feel if the tables were turned
upon him? Surprising the wife
dies first, and an administrator
comes next day and orders him to
bring out his spoons, and takes
two thirds Of his property-how
would he feel The law seems to
assume that the man is not capa-
BILE of living upon one-third Of the
estate us is the woman. But it
is claimed in excuse for the inius-
tice to woman that the widow
might marry again and squander
the property. Men never do such
things! OF course we never heard
of a mans marrying q young girl
for a second wife to assist him in
enjoying the property the first
wife wore herself out in helping to
accumulate.
Mr.. Wheeler would put the man
and woman upon the same platform.
He would let the woman vote il
she wanted to. It was strange
that in a country where men wor-
shipped girls they would keep a
law upon their statute books which
allowed them to rob wives. He
had but little respect for such an
unjust law, and If he were a wo'
man he would turn the government
upside down, unless he was given
his rights.-St. AIbdnS w. Mes.
Seaget.