Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1883-05-17
The "Conundrum of the Nineteenth
Century"

! 10 me, the SupeFHuouS "Othan '
been for years haunting horror, Mucous
reality, hydraheaded, Brlarean' handed cen,
tipedian monster with million hearts, al!
aching. longing, starvirS-yet hoplug-hVe
hundred thousand Of them breaking 10 the
struggle; for as Miss Proctor tells US
Hearts oft die bitter deaths before the
breath has passed away" supply so tar pc
yond all possible demand. Let WIDOWS De
ever 80 active aud stirring as to render price
less Jewels so common and Valrcless that
the veriest swine Of humanity turn up their
SHOUTS and grunt at Us in derIslon.
I remember little cousin Of mine, with
hair so bright it would ripen cucumbers. who
ct duner table where red hair was dis
cussed, suddenly pped up with, " hate it,
And why, Oliver?" Some one asked.
Coz I've got it,"
/ hate the bitter fact that women are a
drug 10 thr -rS2ketJ heceusG ! r"9t!zc TIT
tragic side Of what is generally considered a
roaring farce.
| E,ycn the minstrel 'eud" man after eX-
hausting his threadbarc jokes and stale gags
says, well, Brudder Sambn. cers one morc
| thing we might talk abOut-we might inquire
what shalt wc do with our gurls :"
! Many OF Us have felt that 1t would have
been Seycnty-liyc cents in our pockets If we
! had never been born, and svmpath!ze with
the shrewd little fellow in sunday school.
who. when asked if he did not want 20 be
born again" replied with decision aud
promptncss, No, marin, for might nc porn
a girL nert TIMER Or feel inclined TO initiate
| the Chinese women. who spGud their leisure
moments praying that they may DC men ana
| blessed with souls in the next eNiStGuCc.-
! Yes, there are q weary host Of Us %ho have 40
special grievances or hobbies, who do not
| want to vote, who have no property, no nus
band, not even cow 10 fight about, but who
would like to know what to do that we may
| neither be burdens nor laughing stocks
SAKE wrote some capital verses on the " Su-
pcrfu0us Man" but that was years ago, and
| il was only the twCuty-tltSL man IN every
score who was considered the " old'' one, he
bciu: really o cancelled bachelor, fancylng
| that he had the pick of the lot.
speak Of the marriage question first, be-
! cause /. every woman was happily married
! there would be no problem 10 be solved.
| Only an 5. W. can accurately describe the
| dreary condition of things. 1t has seemed
to me that if triplcts were announced they
were all girls; il heard OF twins, the boy
soon demises possibly a proof CT the surv'
val of the fitest-but just now sc want that
female infants be few. Sec the patertamiIias
at Washington or Newport with small army
under bis wing. See the brilliant beauties
that are forced to waste their sweetness III
waltz or tennis Oh a beardlcsS boy-or play
and dance alone-5ee common place mas
cuiuc changed TO an eligible hero, hy the
scarcity of the article, and rich nobndleR
looking around critically to sec who they'll
take" | heard one young man say at IN
evening party in the capital OF New iiainP
shire to phalanX OF pretty na;denS. "iii
take niue or ten OF you home u you're 90.
ing my way"
So We must find ahother way out Of the
'iifir'il'v. {MaT;r or Young women y;'y
generation were lett UNEXPECTEDLY to 30
alone through life to perhaps destitute cid
age, landing at last ia {an old ladies home, !!
lucky enough to get Ninto that haven. \
burden to fathers witt. salaries, who when
asked for few dollars, stated plainly that
;hry had not expected to support them for
ever; laughed al, piticci, or endured in homes
where they arc not really wanted, hat OF.
posed and blamed if they az" ~ uHwnnan!y
as TO leave their d" sheltered homes" /" i!gh;
their own battles. Many were told That they
were 4 disgrace to their families, acc;uSc It
was not lady.!lkc or conventional tn work Tor
nnc's bread and clothes If you happened To
be Il w0nlau.
It has hoen a tustlc for some, "a The Teacher
w;o j. literally expected ~ teach all k;o%n
branches for lwo hundred dollars u year au!
board herself; the Juvenile Antique VII"
knowa not cunu.h 10 teach. or considers It ;'"-
meath her dignity 10 earn money. AMI VIII
not understand that she "a FADED. absurd.
hriplrSs in her Halter OF cheap Eincrr--thr
noble old girls whose fathers or brothers
forbid their - working Tor q living aui 81
are kept ut home ~ take the place ~ 4 SER
yaut with no variety, 10 hope, no oGti"oE -
the style who fall back on fancy work AMI
pcls, whose conversation Is the most weary.
inr form Of minute detailing Of petty moth
jnus, or criticisms OF the lack u! style III
others.
These usually belong to IT," visiting va
ricty. whu are asked for Il tnctnitht and iIa:cr
three months. presenting utnH yards q: r.cE
rack ur Il haliy-ia!ntcd plush ranc a they
reluctantly depart.
The most ptenuS Of all is The human
blanc mango type. the matu:" woman who
does nothing. SAYS little, and Just SITS ABOUT
wherever providence happens To dump her.
| mrt one the other day and studied hrr.-
She had given up all her old interests;
she said :" used to-" when asked It she
walked. or danced, or Sewea. or sk?tcd or
practiced or painted. Making such COM
u!ete blank of life is wicked rs we! "a COT
t:mntlhiC.
Bu. with all this we have solved The prn5-
lnm--Enma tIardaker ~ the contrary. Ac'
cnrCiluG tn her Silr theory, that woman
cannot do grand work because she Is smaller
than her hrn'her and eats less .!nma" would
DC superior in intellectual accomplishment to
the little Autocrat of The Hut. Nv answer
to all distressed superfluitts Is. Get work
and do it we'll" To change Carlyle's dc
tun, Blessed is the woman who has found
her work. Let her ask 40 other bleSSeduesS.
And there is work for all. Seek il. Fit
! Yourself ior the hall and you viii surely be
pu; in. Let me implore every girl VINO reads
. this to decide at once not to spread herself
thin over variety Of accomplishments and
! enthusiasts. but find her bent anG stick
I 10 il.
! see nothing absurd in sending carloads
! OF Young women to the far West AS teachers.
nurses, cooks and dresSmakers.
! Mrs. Caroline Chisholm did grand WORK
/ with her Female Colonization Society, C"m-
/ fartahir settling eleven thousand dssnlate
ones. Miss Faithful believe 10 this way Of
settling the question. Send the surplus
where they will be appreciated.
! 4 large tOrtuns is 10 secure foundation. |
know lady now obliged to work hard for her
daily bred. who five years ago had au ~
come OF one hundred thousand dollars. Our