San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-06
W0MAN'S WEAK NERVE.
WHY CITY LIFE Is so TRYING TO
THE FAIR SEX.
Nerves on the Street, in the Horse Cars
and in the Stores-Results Of Petting
Our Fads - Monsieur and Madame.
Signs.


Signs.
In the ladies' parlor Of big dry goods
establishment the energies of the atten-
dant were taxed by three women in hys-
terics at one and the same time a few
afternoons ago The sudden fall of q
pair of scissors had proved too much for
the first victim, and the spectacle of her
writhing and twisting figure as half a
dozen people fumbled at once for smelling
salts had overcome the nerves of the
other two. 1t was noticeable that these
sympathetic attacks were most violent
and lasted longer than the seizure which
had occasioned them.
1t is no long time since there was
scene of utter confusion in horse car,
brought about by the momentary peril of
q passenger. A brewery wagon had
brushed close to the side, knocking a man
from the platform and under the big
horses heels. White with dust he
scrambled to his seat, unhurt, in ample
season to catch the car again and look
about in surprise and almost in amuse-
ment on the rows of women, trembling,
unnerved, one slipping from her seat ina
faint, and two more uttering hysterical
screams.
A popular reader, whose mission it is to
amuse society, dropped poem from her
rcpertory during the past season because
there was nearly always one woman,
sometimes several, in her audience whose
nerves were affected by the recital.
chance mention of Mansfield's DR..
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde at ladies lunch
brought to light the fact that of eight
women who had seen the play one did not
sleep at all and two were walked from
sleep by the horrors" after it.
A woman physician says that one
fourth of the patients on her list this
spring have been nervous, Historically
inclined women. Not that nerves are
more prominent now than they used to
be. Probably on the whole they are re-
firing into the background. But under
certain conditions the busy social season
Of the city develops nerves with dollhouse
luxuriance during the winter, and with
the first touch of summer heat the rest of
the woman willis, dropping away from the
nerves and leaving them standing in pic
tureSque outline.
1t is one indication of nerves that we
have been petting our fads, good, bad and
indifferent, with fOndneSS akin to mania
for some little time. What were more or
less wholesome likes and dislikes last fall
grew into passions during the winter, and
became sore spots that might not be
touched in the spring. 1t would be neces-
sary, for instance, to reckon in high num-
bers to count the households in which it
is literally unsafe to mention the mind
cure, Christian science, faith healing, or
whatever may be your particular brand.
Monsieur and madame disagree. At first
they did so peaceably, but one day
madame was i'll. Monsieur called doctor.
He forced medicine upon madame by the
strong hand of authority, and by the help
of or in spite of the help of the doctor
and the medicine, madame got well. Mon
sieur knowns it would be hinging his
domestic peace to the winds if he were to
venture an allusion to the circumstance
now. One must have small acquaintance
who cannot call to mind three or four
families in which to his personal knowl-
edge this armed truce exists. Sea air
may bring about a permanent peace.
Esoteric Buddhism when it goes the
length of banishing meat from the table
occasions much the same condition of
things. Even the charities in which
well regulated woman delights become to
the i'll regulated woman source of hys-
terra, as when a woman who supports
two beds in a hospital for a particularly
painful disease burst into madness of
weeping some days since because one of
them was empty. Bible readings in par
lors by one or two especially gifted women
filed the rooms in which they were held
for months to overlooking. Before they
stopped, a few weeks ago, observers had
begun to say that they developed in some
impressionable girls hysterical dress, walk
and demeanor. The violent colors which
many women wear this summer-reds,
green and yellows-are enough in them
selves to suggest some emotional strain.
There are people who say that the
woman who does not use cosmetics is now
an exception. This is not true, but of
the multitude who do paint and kalso-
mine their faces the great majority are
victims of nerves. This follows as easily
as B after A. Artful beauty means ma
tural pallor, the result of late hours
growing later all the time. Late hours
mean nerves, and cosmetics commonly
mean dirty, clogged skins, which also
means nerves. Bleached hair means
poison, which means nerves. Oddly
enough the pretty loose blouses which all
the girls are wearing just now means
nerves. Primarily they mean tight belts
to contrast with the fullness above, which
means tight lacing, which means nerves.
What except nerves can you expect of a
girl who has to keep a young man in tow
to tie her shoe, because with corset that
fits and gown from her pet coutouriere
she can't stoop within touching distance
of it herself? Heavy gowns and heavy
bonnets mean nerves. Out of door exer-
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