St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-04-03
Uncle EHte's Reply to Olive
EOsan's "Ea3nds OFF,
Written for the Chicago Ledger,


Olive, pray do not be SO general il
your statements. You say, MEN viii
not do to trust" using the plural noun
comprehending the whole masculine
race. Also, "Let woman allow no man
to take her arm let her take his arm
What could have taught you so much
of mans bad nature that you have lost
faith in them all +? [ know men who
will do to trust, and in whose hands a
girl is safer than among many associates
OF her own sex men who reverence the
purity of maidenhood and wOmanhood
as something sacred, with no more de-
sire for its corruption than they would
have to ruthlessly tramyle upon BLUSH
ing spring-time flowers which CHANGED
to bloom at their feet. | have known of
girls who were saved from ruin by a
good sound lecture on their artless in
discretions from their masculine
| escorts-such lectures as their own sex
had never given them, to their shame
be it said-and who received their
| reprimand, from the source they so
little expected, with thankful words
and eyes flowing with tears--tears that
| ought never to have flowed save on
their own mothers sympathetic bosom
As much as admire your genius, Olive
L
against my sex in such broad, sweeping
terms.
Tne ann of ii man, whose hand IS not
safe to rest on my lady's arm. never
ought 10 be taken by her. "Hands Off
you say. EhlS is all WE'LL If their hands
are where they ought not TO be !; but the
man who takes an objectionable liberty
WItha lady, without the shadow Of an
tAcuSe-cut Ills society entirely. Don't
seek to educate him and be obliged to
De on your guard ali the while, for, as
pleasant Il paStime as it may be, it il
dangerous. Let those women who So
desplse the men, and hemoan the fate
that draped them in pet.coats, keep
their distance from all rasctils-the rest
OF the men will not disturb them.
Nothing so dlsgusts IA man, or makes
INN downright swearing mad sooner,
than to have woman show to him by
word or sign, through some frivolous
and innocent cause on bis part, that
she is acting on the defensive; for, to
use a slang phrase, cit gives her dead
away" and impresses him with an idea
of SO much divinity as he supposed, for
strumpets do likewise. Mother, teach
the young budding flower of your family
discretion teach her to know whatmen
to trust, aud not instiil into her suscep-
tible mind that they are all bad, Tor it
will compromise her with embarrass-
ing thoughts besides, ten to one, if
you do, she will fall in love with some
vlrtuous man, in spite OF your teachings
and prove your words a lie; or what |
is worse, fall in love with a rascal, be- |
lieving ''tne men are all alike.n Do
not teach her a doctrine by which she |
will be compelled to condemn her own
manly father. Teach her pure and
exalted ideas of a noble manhood, with
which she may one day blend the purity
OF her own life and interests, in a rela-
so sacred that spotlcss angels
might gather at the altar as bridesmaids
with impunity. A girl with such ideas
Of manhood and womanhood will have
an exalted opinion Of God, and her
life will be one roundelay of beauty and
Joy. Teach her to know that as the
women and God of a nation are, SO is
that nation, and that the Tod and women
of nation are what men make them,
and to so improve the light and advan-
tages she has that, by the influence of
her beautiful life, erring, passionate,
men may be made better.
and more capable Of framing the juris-
prudence of the race.