The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-21
NUMBER 34.

strong hold on him, so that he pays
some attention to her opinions. Even
in this case, she is quite as likely to be
Influenced by his views as she Is to infiu-
ence them. But in any case he will con-
trive to convey to her, in a manner more
or less decisive, that, in all matters of
Importance, he expects to be umpire.
"Ah P' you say; ''she must coax him,
and flatter and wheedle him, and so
gain her ends in that way" The coax
ing is doubtless very agreeable to both
parties where they are fond Of each
other; and that sort of influence is
sufficient to procure new dress or bon
net, but it does not often go any farther
than that. In short, mans character
is usually formed before he is married,
and the most that wife, under the
most favorable circumstances, can do
toward governing his actions, is to
make him indulgent to her, personally.
Trusting to this fictitions idea of her
womanly power, young girl marries
a young man to save him from ruin.
He tells her, with great frankness, that
undoubtedly he shall go to the bad un-
less she consents to act rs his redeeming
angel. And the silly child takes it as a
compliment to her womanly influence
to be made the earthly Savior of a
brilliant, but rather wild young lord of
creation. So they are married, and, for
short time, the novel pleasures of love
and home hold the husband steady, and
the wife feels all the pride aud joy of
having used successfully her "influ-
ence" on the man she loves to keep
him in the right path.
But by and by there comes a time
when she learns, with bitterest certainty,
that she might as we'll expect to hold
the winds in jesses as to keep her
husband from the courses to which he is
tempted, either by appetite or evil asso-
Citations. OF the children of such a
marriage, (f the divorce court does not
soon sunder them), as many are likely
to inherit the base appetites of the
father as the gentle self-sacrifice of the
mother. In fine, the result of this at
tempt at the exercise of her highest
prerogative, according to the popular
notion, has been to lose her whole life's
happiness, with that of her children's,
half of whom will repeat their fathers
faults. Instead, therefore, of saving
one man, she has given the world sew
eral more like him, as hopeless to save
as he. Is this the kind of influence
that will purify society? If there are
any young ladies in this audience who
have it in mind to "save" any worth
less young men by marrying them, lei
me represent to them how much safel
it would be for them to try the expert
ment of Saving" honest, Industrious
upright young men, and how much bet.
ter it would pay-in money, in com.
fort, and in respectability.
Nevertheless, there is a security fol
men in the quiet pleasures of home
and, inasmuch as women make the
home, and contribute to its attractive.
ness by a thousand feminine devices
in so much do they exercise an infiu'
ence indirectly on society. But 6
recipe for making happy homes il
much on the style of that for cooking {
hare: "First, catch your hare" YoU
must first have husband who can b.
attracted by your pretty artifices
There are thousands of women in soci
ETY. who would give their eyes to hav,
it apparent that they could draw thei
husbands homeward. In vain are al
the cunning ornaments, the sweet
smelling flowers, the dainty dress ant
bright aspect of things generally. Sh
knows she is doomed long before tn
very worst has come; but she knows @
no influence of hers that can rescue heI
Oh, no! 1t is all a mistake about tn
influence of the social inferior over th
social superior. 1t is one of those pleas
ant humbugs I would like to see ex
ploded, because, though pleasant, it
, dangerous and vicious.
3 Let me inquire of you what or VIII
, is society, that we are trying to inf1u
E ence it? Not other aOonlen, for, Il sa
E it with abasement), we women car
( nothing about each other. Men consti
3 tute society. Men have physica
= strength, political power, money, edu
3 cation, and rank. They own the home
: we preside in by courtesy. They brin
e into these homes whom they choose
e with one exception. They have, b.
e common consent, voted it an outrage
, introduce bad woman to their wive
r and daughters. But a bad nlan-why
e that is different! Men have money an
e rank and influence. Therefore, me
D must be courted, and we must help
). the agreeable, affecting a polite ignoI
e ance of their antecedents. If wife O
: daughter falls under the baleful fsscina
: tions of combined rank, power, money
9 and pretended devotion, aud is whirle
s away into ruin by them, is it her influ
8 ence over society, or society's infuenc
4 over her that has prevailed? ? Tai
: about the power of women over thi
Y malstrom of the world The wonde
!. is that we stand so blameless as we dc
with such mighty forces as society use