Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-14
Ouw Wives.

"A married gehG.ciuan III our acQ ualnt-
ance takes pleasure in announcing that
the highest ambition of a female
mind should be to cook good dinner.
Without agreeing with this gentleman
to the extent of such sweeping asser-
ton, every sensible woman will admit
that a certain knowledge of cookery is
indispensable to the maintenance of a
happy household and contented hus-
band. Old wives will tell young ones
that the way to mans heart is through
his mouth, and this fact, however pain
full to romantic young ladies, becomes
more apparent at each succeeding year
of married life. 1t is only natural that
men should become somewhat gross by
contact with the vulgarity of the world ;
somewhat exacting in their demands ;
little ill-humored, perhaps, if the
salad does not please them, and very
delightfully."- conversational if the din
ner goes off we'll. These Objectionable
traits must be taken along with the su-
perior virtues of honor, manliness and
constancy, as the quartz accompanies
the streak of gold. 1t is foolish to wish
it otherwise, for man devoid of these
faults would undoubtedly be effeminate,
and be, therefore, an unworthy object
of hero worship.
A young woman during the first week
of her married life entertains vague
suspicious that the above statements
are true. Her Charles, who is almost,
if not quite, exempt from human fail
ings, has already manifested profound
admiration for veal pies, and has open
ly expressed his detestation of overdone
mutton. She accordingly builds up
within her fortress of resolution, in
which to guard that sacred treasure of
q husbands affection. In her girlhood
this young woman had spent much time
in cultivating her musical taste, in
reading Emerson and Carlyle she had
been fond of pretty landscapes, and
could use her pencil with effect, and
she had been heard to declare with
pride that when she married she would
give up none of these things.
Let us visit her now at the end of
ten years OF matrimony, and we will
find that she has broken her vow and
thrown it to the winds. We find a
tiresome sort of person whose whole
intellect is absorbed in attending to the
cares of housekeeping, and in getting
stylish dresses for her children. Her
conversation seldom rises above the
level of infant gossip and servants. and
the only ideas developed by time and
experience are expressed in her convic-
ton that men are the mostunreasonable
and selfish of creatures and women the
most abused and self-sacrifcing.
There is O great evil somewhere, but
what is it? The husband acknowledges
to himself that he is disappointed in
the wife he has chosen, and yet he finds
difficulty in pointing out his mistake,
and can hardly find cause to blame her,
for is she not q faithful wife, a devoted
mother, and o most frugal manager ?
The mistake is national characteristic.
So passionate and intense is the Ameri-
can mind in pursuit of its temporary
interests, the men will suffer the chains
of business to bind them down, and
throttle them while their wives bend
beneath o similar yoke of duty at home.
What is lacking is the power to rise
above the petty annoyances of daily
life we need to learn to distinguish
trifes from affairs of moment, to know
that every mole hill is not mountain.
We need not forsake the upper strata
of sentiment. thought and ideality-the
atmosphere of the soul--because we
know that there is lower one of rou-
tine and small vexations, in which our
feet are told to tread. To breathe in
the one is to receive strength and re-
freshment for exertion in the other. 1t
is very good plan to pick up needles
and pins from the floor, but picking
pins ought not to be made the chief OBJ
ject of existence, for if we move along
with our heads constantly downward
we most assuredly will see nothing bet
ter than pins and needles to the end Of
our days.
Self-culture is the duty Of every hu.
man being, and lies within the reach OF
every human will. A wife does he1
husband great wrong who allows her
self to sink into an inferior position by
his side, for woman's influence il
widespread and penetrating, bearing
directly upon the taste and inclination
of her husband. No amount of stock
ings to darn ought to excuse intellect
ual stagnation.