The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-26

Z philosophy OF the Time, anu cOnSiuer
that there is no law so supreme as
etiquette, while they hold the supposed
DEGREES of the omnipotent Mrs. Grundy
in deep reverence, seem to imagine that
it is the duty of girl to hide from her
self the fact that she has heart until
some unexceptional suitor discovers it to
her, and ardently protests that it is the
one great thing in the world necessary to
his happiness. If she ventured to hint
that she, was so anxious for the affection
of some male that she would do anything
within,reason to secure him for her lord,
she would be accounted unmaidenly,
bold and what not and it would, in all
probability, be urged that she might be
expected to come to bad end, and servo
as an awful warning to all members of
her sex who are inclined to be undiscip-
. lined. @
But there is, nevertheless, only too
much reason to believe that female hu-
man nature is so weak and wayward and
impervious 70. the concentrated wisdom
of'the ages that the emotions which lead
to matrimopy do not always have their.
origin in the bosoms Of impassioned
beaux. Now and then, it is solemnly
recorded, in shocked tones and under the
veil of secrecy, so that the terrible fact
obtains almost as much publicity as ifit
we're proclaimed by the.town papers, and
has peculiar, delicious flavor impaired
toit, that Mrs. Brown actually commit
edtthe- enormity, of making sloveato Mr.
Brown, if she did not in plain terms
invite him to become her husband. Its
comparatively unimportant that she and
her mate appear,to be. as happy and to-
get on as well together as they would, in
all probability have done if he had been
the first to feel the stab of Master Cnpid's
dart, and had warmly takeE the initia-
tive in the courtship. IT seems to be
held that the only plea which may ap..
propriately be urged IN extenuat!on OF
her conduct is that she reloiced IN the
possession Of an abundance of pelf and
certain position, while his social status
was as low as his purse was light; and
even this plea has to De handled with
. adroitness if it Is to become enective.
Indeed, at q critical moment, wnen tney
have all the toncnlng detalis OF tne e1,' x,
ceptional matter before them, they will
not hesitate to speak in terms OF wither,
ing scorn of the frall female VINO is so
much the slave OF her heart that sne ls
acting as II she desired 70 orlng 70 neg
feet man who, IRON oasnIalness or some,
other cause, would not, seeming,y, ges
tnere oee LOT na s.lnuiasaus ~ tnnSsnSe. Jsl
sue isits s.ey lslolJ1 o'el a.. sNobo ~ iii
Iaii, ana leeilngiy uecia,e tna. sIe~"
merely meet WIN nsl aesess - sue ue.
generates lnto negiectec auo pesu'au'
oio mad, whlie II sne succeeos tney vig-
orously discount ner tnlmPn, On ne
groanas tnss y. ls one oa Yllcn any VII
regulated iemale w9ulu Ce tnotougnly
ashamed. I9e members OF ner own sex,
when they cultivate the power OF intro,
spechon ana are Gecomlng nla!ute, saou.o
know now 70 MAKE aeacoses tos neI! er!.;a, arc
1nVar1aoiy ner Mose x.uien. eilsies.
Even men, however, are !isposeu ~ sno"
ner no mercy, anu sner5s y, Ptouaois rte,
more lofty ana vigorously lndlgnant crea.
tnre than the being VINO ieeis tnat ne mas
been "angled" but haEters -nlmselt De-
cause he mas not been caught by the Dalt
which has been so temptingly placed be-
fore him. He would almost appear TO
fancy that he should, on account OF the
way he has escaped the snares that have
been spread for him, be placed on. the
roll of the worlds heroes. Noyelists are
the most venturesome OF beings, ana
they have fondness for fouting conven-
tionality; but there are bounds beyond
which they dare not go, and they per-
ceive how hazardous it would be for
them to outrage popular prejudice by
depicting heroines who took the initia-
tive in love affairs. Aqueen of England
is at liberty to make an "offer" to a
prince-indeed, it is not etiquette for
prince to make an "offer" to her-butsne
occupies quite an exceptional position,
and the fact is one which need not to be
further considered in reference to the
subject, especially as her marriage may
generally be deemed to be largely indn-
enced by State considerations. Thus
everything is against the woman wooer,
and it IS not surprising that she remains
somethlng OF Taro @osss ano, "hen nel
heart proves 700 strong 1or ner sense oi
proprletles' olten woias IN cunning aau
crooked ways, as II sue was oent on ue,
cei7ing herself, ana not ietting ner le11
hand know OF the doln3gs or her rlgnt;;
Yet there is, after all, a good deal OF
reason and common sense on ner SIDE
so much that 1t Is surprising OF the adVo.
Gates of the "womalfs rights" movement
have yet TO energetleaily lake up the
cudgel on her oenaii. ~ IS ABSURD 20
suppose that aHection muse ineVilaoly
begin with the man; IL IS equally aoS'.!o
tnat ne alone mus1 % az hoer1y 10 Sin
the oelng Wncm ne oelieYes 70 ms Te necs:- s:
sary to bis liies happiness. Inc lnol-
vidual who allowed rich prize to elude
him because through some mistaken no
ton of what people in whom he was in
no way interested, and for whom ne did
not care a jot would think, he would not
stretch forth his hand and grasp it when
it was we'll within his reach, would, very
properly, be accounted lit subject Tor