, 1888-12-13

|
temptation In the eyes and turns away,
and carries a smilinR face to the world.
The physical pain, the heart hunger, the
lonely hou, 9, that make half the life of the
average woman, would drive the average
man to lunatic ssylum before he reached
middle age.
Yet lovely, patient woman has her faults
Ooe Of bee most IL ol'sh blemishes il O
mawkish sentiment..lit7 inward criminals
You bave but - watch the irial OF some
brutal murderer or notorious foraer TO
tind that his lady sym mpatnizers keep his
cell blooming with boqucts and reuder
his prison life endurable by various deli.
cate attentions. can recall number OF
these instances during the past yea do
| not think this Ia attributable 10 woman's
tender heart or sympathetic nature so
much az to her sentlmentalism; else sbe
would be more merciful toward some er.
ring sister who needs her sympathy.
know bright. good, agreeable young
lady who is unvaryingly severe in her de.
nunciati0ns OF any lapse from morality in
the most sorely tempted woman. Yet l.
have seen this same young lady melt into
tears and lament over the suicide Of vul-
| gar adventures as portrayed in novel
We have all read during the last year.
Fate was against her from the first" she
sobbed, forgetting that fate might he
equally against some woman In real life
whom she condemned.
An excellent.principled young lady of
my acquaintance believes that any woman
who has erred has no right TO ask or ex.
pect sympathy from those who have re.
sisted temptation. "They cannot eat their
cake and keep it too,"is her way of end.
ing all arguments on this subject. Yet
one day heard her express great sympa-
thy for an escaped murderer who was Pur-
sued by justice. Poor fellow" she
sighed, ~ shall feel so sorry II they catch
him" Yet this man had served term
once in prison, only 10 come forth and
cause he had tried to defend his own prop.
erty against burglars. The widow and
orphans did not appeal to her sympathies,
but the pursued murderer did.
IL is nothing but the most morbid state
of sentimentalism which prompts 80 many
women to indulge in this sort of feeling,
and 1t needs q severe course Of ''alIo-
pathic" treatment.
Women in public places are rudely self
ish and thoughtless OF one another's COM
fort. They will spread themselves over
seats In street cars and other conveyances |
OF travel, occupying unnecessary room, and |
allow another woman to stand, holding u |
child or large bundle in her arms. |
have seen this done repeatedly in almost |
every city in the United States.
nave received growls and indignant |
glances from women when have firmly, |
If gently, insisted that there was quite
enough room for me ip the. street car if |
they would sit closer.
l could count on the fingers OF one hand !
the times have seen lady rise 20 give
an older or more burdened stranger a seat
In y public conveyance. The surprised
gratitude which such an act receives is in
itself evidence OF its rarity of occurrence.
We all ought to reform ourselves in this
respect at once. Mothers need to teach
their growing daughters the great accomp-
lishment OF showing small courtesies to-
ward strangers of their own sex in public
places. 1t would refine life and lend
sweetness to the giver as well rs comfort
to the recipient.
Ladies have an uncomfortable manner OF |
staring at each other often. which Is ex-
ceedingly unpleasant to sensitive or self
conscious person.
have passed through room filed with
we'll dressed, we'll educated and supposedly
well bred women, where | was O stranger
to all, and have felt that II would be
less painful matter to ascend the scaffold
for my execution. Afterward meeting
these same ladies, perhaps, | found them
kind and tender-hearted, and never con-
sciously .wounding another. Yet this hab.
1t Of coldly staring at stranger had grown
upon them without tneir knowledge. ]
have seen this habit carried to its extreme
at summer waterinR-places. Little girls
and young misses cultivate this cold and
critical stare, and am often surprised to
see the rudeness and terrible lack of care
full breeding which these elegantly appar.
elled small damsels from our "best society"
exhibit on the street in this respect.
! have noticed groups of young girls
with their school books on SOME of our
most fashionable streets, and have seen
them haughtily gaze ut the people whom
give vent to peals of laughter before the
unoffending victim of their bad breeding
was out of ear-shot.
IL the fashionable schools which teach
young girls how tn walk, and sit, and the
proper manner in which to enter q room,
would also teach them how to look at a
stranger in a resp Il and kindly man
nee, or at least not gaze with cold
nd whitening stare O c.. 'sm, it would
materially improve monners OF the
, sing generation.
Affability. dielity. kindesss and ami
ability are all wonderfully charming quail
tiles in woman. and we all need to cult.
vate them.
There never yet was a woman so gifted,
wealthy. beautiful, or high in social posi-.
tion that abe was not marred by cold,
distant and supercilious bearing. There
are so many sorrowfu th' dgs in life, there
are so many hurts ana wounds for all Of
US, it seems to me that every woman ought
to cultivate sweet manner and kindly
glance for the stranger or the acquaint-
ance. II costs nothing, and like ray Of
sunlight. 1t warns and Strengthens manv
a flost-bitten life whereon it falls.
think some women or girls have the idea
that hsrghty and proud bearing i'm