The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-05-19
HOME.
why May Not a Man Take His Real Troub-
les Home-One Particular Recognition Of
Woman's Rights.


that a man should never carry into his home
the smell of the shop. We are told with
much owlish orscularity that we have no
right TO raise the veil that hides our hearths
from the smoke of the worlds sordid con-
| iicts; that how keen soever our anguish, we
must suffer and make no sign lest we darken
the light of home. That was pretty fancy of
the poet who, in telling the pathetic story
Of her sailor brothers loss, found consolation
| in the thought that his ''beauteous head,
if it did 60 down, carried sunshine into the
sea-
would like to be able to say that in all
the wrecks of human ventures men might
carry only sunshine into the realms of those
who love and wait for them; but that would
be to argue state of existence quite to bea-
tifc for us who are vet in the tolls of earth. If
one be hurt his pain is soothed by soft cares
ing. The lad makes even q stone bruise endur-
able by his gentle tickling oft. | once saw
brown-faced boy who came home, from an
excursion TO a blackberry patch, with athorn
in one Of his feet. Through days and nights
his torments were excruciating, until he dis
covered that tickling gave him easment, and
from that time until the thorn was removed,
some member of the family had employment
in tickling the center of suffering "Men are
but children of larger growth" and if there
are sometimes thorns in their hearts, whittier
but home should they go to have them
'tickled2" There are no common hospitals
where that kind of surgery is practiced.
Only the home surgeon, whose love is skill,
and whose name is woman, can wisely or
safely be trusted with that class of patients
You will be surprised, perhaps, to learn that
her clinics are very numerous and very I'M
an oud that har
the most wonderful achievements humanity
has known She claims the Office as her in
disputable prerogative. 1t is hers by every
right OIL earth. She will not be deprived of
it. She instantly and angrily resists any at
tempt to wrest it from her, and so far as
know she has never yet failed of successful
resistance. l have strong conviction that
men with thorns in their hearts only aggrav-
vate their torments by trying to conceal them.
Let them bare the sore places that the healer
may know how best and soonest to heal.
Observation has shown me that the man
who takes his troubles-real troubles--home
to his surgeon-in-chief, is cured of them a
thousand times when any other course would
render them only the more burdensome.
This seems to me TO have the recommends
ton of common sense, and do not hesitate
to advise its general adoption. 1t is kind
of mock heroics not to do so. One of the
first proofs of love wife demands is that she
be given opportunities to put to practical
use her loftiest and divinest attribute, COM
passion, twin of love- Ask that of her-give
her to know your need of it-and she is
equal to all occasions; very genius in ex-
pedients worker of miracles by sympathy,
and revolutionizer of accepted conditions
In that she stays and strengthens where all
her life before she was content to be the
clinging vine. 1t is a trite compliment to the
real underlying nature of woman to say that
by suffering is her exaltation achieved and
her all-daring courage animated; but think
we owe it to her to add that not her own but
others suffering is the electric spark that
sets her soul on fire and nerves her arm to
draw the bow of mighty Odysseus. In her
best mood woman is always mans surest trust.
do not care what tempests roll the heaving
waters of his mans nature, it is her voice
commanding "Peacer' that stays the food.
Let him then, anchor his faith TO her, and
when he sleeps she will hold the helm with a
steady hand and a conscience that never
cheats on watch.
Goethe has in Wilhelm Meister limned
with loving and skillful hand the calm, self
poised, cleared-headed and reassuring woman
who makes her home the mans Mecca of re-
pose. There he can say with the silvery
singer over the sea:
And now arrives lull in the hot
Wherein he doth forever chase
That flying and elusive shadow, Rest "
Such are the homes that most women make,
or would make if given fair encouragement.
1t is no uncommon thing to see a woman
whose generalship in the shifting and endless
round of domestic affairs is of the highest
Al L., I,
out Jar or creak asks qualities which, directed
| in any channel where men alone are permitted
to try their skill, would be productive of great
results Among these qualities are tact, pa
thence, irmness, adaptability to varying con-
| ditions, power of concentrating thought, de-
votedness, economy in time and money, order,
the cunning hand, the wise head, the soft
heart, government, knowledge of gastronomy
| (of supreme Importance and the "knack" of
being simultaneously in many places. Set
hundred men in line and tell me how many
would or could discharge the functions of that
Office even passably. For my own part | had
rather undertake a happy oatcome of the
Chinese treaty. | should take some honest
pride in being endowed with like qualities,
and when run over the long catalogue of
elegant accomplishments in which those same
domestic diplomats have mainly educated
themselves my admiration is certainly not
lessened. And by that token am reminded
that the estimate which men myself among
the many are apt TO put on woman's work
is both ignorant and supercilious. 1 am
good deal ashamed that did not make the
discovery long ago. Possibly my humilia-
ton grows out Of the consciousness that
failed tosee that which all ought to recognize
at glance; but at any rate feel better that
the confession is out.
regard this particular recognition of wo-
mans rights as enc of those practical, every
day essentials to the composition of the ideal
home, and 1 hope it may help many of us to
better understanding of the truth. l do
not come to the confessional on this point in
wholly unselfsh spirit. The fact is see
that the more justly, not to
say chivalrously, we deal with
women the stronger is our assurance of
xn-sll, ~