River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-01
CouiugaI Discords.

The weaknesses aud follies of women
are theme on which men, from the sage
to the clown, have at all times been elo-
quent. Her natural coquetry in dress,
her maternal vanity, her devotion to the
little eleganeies of the home, to clean
windows and fresh curtains, are mex
haustible sources of masculine merriment
or abuse. What housekeeper ever COM
planned of an aching back or Of nervous
irritation without being scolded by her
''lord" for some extra work she had Gone
in identifying the home! Men never
seem to learn that woman, as rule, CAB
not find life endurable in the atmosphere
of dust and disorder which characterizes
| bachelor housekeeping, and which seldom
| disturbs the equanimity of the masculine
mind in the least. Men and women are
| so different in their tastes and ways that
| there must always be discord and I'M
happiness in the household until the
sexes give over trying to change OF re-
model those tastes and why's, and learn
to respect them Men must accept as
the fact that women to be happy must
have artistic, or at lenst dainty and coy
environments, and women must learn TO
preserve their souls in quiet when men
spill their tobacco shd ashes over the
carpets and tables, for probably no man
ever lived who could fill pipe, even
from wash tub, without scattering the
tobacco over the premises.
That the seecs will give over trying to
reform each other does rot seem likely
to happen very soon. Indeed, one might
be pardoned for believing that matri
money is specially adapted to develop all
the impetfections and manners ct human
character, and that even If those match
that are made in heaven. the devil mr.
ranges ali the subsequent conditions.
There is hardly pure and innocent de-
light that unmarried women enjoy which
they can carry into that bissfnl world
bounded by the marriage ring. One of
those delights is that of squanderiDg
little money, which is merely the equiva-
lent of man spending it as he likes, with
out according to any one. Few wives
can do this and be subjected to the hui
initiation of hearing the hunsband say,
tMy dear, are you not little extrava-
gant2 Is all that money gone that gave
you last week."
Men and women seem incapacitated, in
the very nature Of things, from under
standing each other. While mutually
enamored they meet as upon bridge--a
Bridge of Signs perhaps; break this and
they are for ever separated rs by any i'm
passible gulf. Leaving aside entirely the
enanlored state, do men as rule seek
the society of women and prefer 1t to
that of menu The thriving clubs, the
billiard and drinking saloons, and the
other resorts of men common all over the
civilized world, seem very like mega
tive answer TO the question.
In savage life We know that the sexes
40 not hunt or fish or do any work to-
getber. In our modern drawiug-rooms
mos men confess themselves bored
They long TO get away to their clubs or
some other resort of their fellows. When
husbands spend their evenings at home.
if no one happens to call, IT is not com
mon for them to enter into long an eybIl-
Grating conversations with their wives.
To be sure, wives are too often ignorant
of the subjects that interest intelligent
men; still, not more ignorant than before
when the one bridge upon
which the could meet was unDroken. !
Then conversation never tagged; il was
ever new and enhancing. Both talked |
pure nonsense, while having the art OF |
kissing full sense into empty words
On the other hand, it is, think, quite q !
defensible proposition, despite the infer
snces to the contrary drawn from the
the failure of The Women's Hotel, that
women enjoy conversation with women
more than with nen when thee is no /
.ooei Ia nuestiorl of 0al iantry or Irritation:
ind, finally, that the recognition OF the /
fact that men and women are not by |
lat,src in syn pathetic accord, but only |
attracted through the law ofcompensation
or opposites, will do more than all other
things comb ined tbmake them study each |
others nature and to respect sexual blases
and characteristics, the motive Tor that |
study being, of course, the contamination |
,f the ideal marriage, where man and /
woman set themselves together "lIke per-
feet music unto noble words. Lappe,a-
,ott's for July.