Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-04-17

done by ours. | must not be censured
for that qualification; the ladies
themselves enforce it. There are
things which for them to know have
been done by father, husband, broth
er or son, simply cause smile. To
even suspect the same things done by
any woman they loved would un
speakably horrify them. Girls swear
as they smoke cigarettes, when no.
body is about, and because they think
it does them good. There may be
other girls to hear them, but girls do
not count with girls as anybody
when beaux and dress are not in dis
pute. They keep their swearing as a
secret qualification, for no one is bet
ter satisfied than themselves how
badly the habit would fit them. For
tits not a habit. If it were, they
would once in awhile lose control of
themselves and let out their little
oatbs before gentlemen, and that
they never do. Ali women and girls
are actresses, but all actresses some
times momentarily forget their parts.
The swearing Of girls, such as it is, is
q mere declaration of power and indie
pendence; we can swear if we choose,
and we will swear when we want to.
Bnt they are careful, very careful, as
to when and where. No girl ever
swears when real angry. Then she
cries. Swearing is L weapon she does
not know how to use. Her swearing
means nothing. 1t never even goes
as high as the big D. 1t is all small,
very small DIS and combination of
genuine oaths so mixed that all their
vigor is gone. A girl, even if held by
half a dozen other girls, would be
afraid TO ring out as loud as she could
a string of first elias A 1 oaths. A
thousand times all alone with a
mouse than that.
There never was woman with any
thing Of woman left in her who could
swear; swear as q cowboy swears.
(Sace the disappearance of pirates,
cowboys must be classed as the most
accomplished swearers.) It is one of
the manly attributes they cannot put
on. They cannot get it at the tailors,
where they buy their suits. But man
does not want to be a cowboy to
swear well. Swearing comes natural
to all men. TRere have even been
very small boys who were excellent
swearers. And swearing was so deep
into their natures that no amount of
thrashings could drive it away. Pos
sibly, only say possibly, as women
progress into the occupations of men,
the next generation may see some
women who will pass muster as swear
ers. But there is no evidence of that
as yet. Women are filling positions
hitherto only filed by men, but you
hear no report of their swearing quail
tiles. That they can 90 on without
swearing only shows anew that they
are IN the wrong place.
It is quite credible that there exist
girls, and girls, too, nearly out of
there teens, who remember how often
they have allowed d-n to pass their
lips in all their lives. The boy who
has kept a similar tally would, if his
history could be authenticated and he
was anywhere past ten, draw more
money to the museum than Sergeant
Mason
I agree that the girls are not on a
level with the boys in swearing edu-
cation. Here, as in other ways, So
ciety gives the boy the most advan-
tages. If he is caught swearing and
thrashed, he consoles himself during
the interview with his father that
when 1t is over he can so around the
corner, and swear more terrifcally
than before while describing the up
stairs performance to his chum. And
then, if death lets him alone, he will
he q man and cvvoars f0 Eic \ 90 n4'r 7O,,
tent. And all the way up to being
man he can practice to that end It
is not the girls fault that her brother
| is, aud always will be, the better
swearer than herself. The girl has no
chance.
Do girls swear? The girls them
selves to the contrary, Isay, no. Their
swearing is a fraud and a delusion.
Swearing IS an art beyond them.
They may dabble at it, like one who
stands on the shore and stick his toes
into inch deep water But the one is
not swearing and the other is not
swimming.
The little they do at swearing they
had best give up. 1t is a counterfeit
They themselves are ashamed of it.
The genuine article is not for them.
Be there uses for profanity, it must be
genuine profanity. The bogus is
worse than nothing Ashamed O it,
afraid of it, false coinage as it is, drop
it girls. It does not even lend an air
of cblc and daring. It is ridiculous,
that is all.
How Ha noac II