Daily Republican., 1884-08-12
WOman's Power.

From his cradle to his grave man relies
Tor his happiness upon tine love of woman.
says q Southern writer. His light, his
Joy, his very life, depends blindingly and
trustingly upon the mother love that
nurses his infant years, tends his child
hood, trains his youth, and rejoices in his
manhood. Infinitely holy, utterly self.
ssesl1ciny, pue, noble, beautiful 10 the
" maternal instinct land knowing the
heigh hts of 1t, proving its strength, seeing
its abnegation Of self, men call II divine
and so realize the love of God unto ali
humanity. Yet even from this fount of
exquisite tenderness they turn their steps
TO love more alluring, more enhancing,
more absorbing they leave all and cling
70 their wives, possessing in them emery
thing Wonderful and peculiar is the
great mingling of human hearts, tf or.
ganisms irresistibly attracted, Of souls
that feel with and for each other, of two
brains forming one mind of two lives and
loves from which spring other lives and
yet tanother love-parental affection.
This Is true marriage, and in this state
woman is most lovely. Standing on an
equality with her husband, she is adviser
and assistant-the sharer of his happi-
ness and his troubles, his helpmeet, his
comfort, his Joy.
That there are marriages, far differ
snt from this is true, most unhappily :
but even here woman shows her power
ior evil II she chooses to curse, or good,
II she desires to bless and ennoble the
life thus brought beneath her personal
influence. A great poet says that
As the husband is the wife is thou art ma.
ted with clown.
And the RrOssness Of his nature will have
weight to drag thee down.
This is entirely fallacious. 1t will al
ways be the strongest that leads, whether
their strength be of an intellectual or
moral force, and woman of mind, of
refinement, of honorable nature, of ideal
ity, could not fail to modify and even
correct the materislity th at may exist in
her husbands thoughts, feelings, or
action, as his very coarseness would serve
to lessen his power. A wife need not
sink to the level of the 'clcwn' to whom
she is mated She can raise him, per-
haps slowly, but still surely to her own
standard. Let her first touch his heart
through pity, through shame, or even
through his mere passions, but once pos
sess power over that and it will not be
difficult to influence the brain. If the
soil can be made to respond to beautiful
and refining agencies, the battle is won.
1t may take q lifetime, but a woman can
afford 10 spend even lifetime in such
lennobling eudeavor.
A man finds his warmest, his most ten
der, his most unselfish friend In woman.
Possessing no interests that clash with his,
she believes in him thoroughly and hope.
fully, and her great faith in his power
encourages him to be up to her standard
of behalf. She makes him feel that she
truly likes him. Her affection is frank
and free, and be appreciates her sympa-
thetic interest, her cheerful looks, hei
many little womanly ways that make all
her surroundings in harmony with her.
self. II weary, her sensible, quiet talk
rests him If discouraged, she finds Q
thousand ways to cheer him !; if to elate
her sound common sense gives him the
needed balance. The lamp of friendship
burns clear and bright between man an(
woman-lit by an emotion springing from
the best impulses of human nature.