Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-12-06
Erien Il shin Amonr Woman

There is a vast difference between the
regard which one woman feels for an
other and the friendship, free from any
thought of love, which she bears to
man, says writer in the San Francisco
cal. This very difference may serve as
a point in favor of those who argue
against the perfect equality of the sexes.
Certain ii is that the wise Creator never
could have intended the relation of man
and woman to be exactly the same to-
ward each other. A noted woman wri-
ter of modern times states that it is her
firm belief that such u thing as real
honest friendship between two women is
of such rare occurrence that it may be
termed almost an impossiblity. Poor.
indeed, must be the writer's opinion and
estimate of her own sex: vet, unfortunJ
ately, there is some truth in what she
says. A woman speaks of another wo.
man as her friend, calls her friend, in
her own heart considers that she is true
and loyal to her, vet does she, when
they are apart, carry out to the full
sense of the term the word friendship:
When she is with her friend she pours
her condolences and her experiences
into her sympathetic ear, she be-
slows many IL caresS and word of
endearment upon her. and she thinks to
herself. 1--WE are perfectly devoted to
each other" vet when she is with others
aud her absent "friend' is under discus
sion, when her faults and pecuiarities
are commented upon. and perhaps eX-
aggerated, does she stand up loyalty and
deny or excuse her friends seeming
faults, or does she not rather join in the
laugh at the absent ones expense, eS-
especially if there be present one of the
opposite sex, in whose estimation she
thinks to show herself superior to her
sisters by her criticism of them? This
is not to be Understood as being said of
women; for thank God, we have among
us women whose noblest trait, is their
love and esteem for their own sex: but
it is too often found not to be classed
among the weaknesses of women. 1t
is, to a great degree, the exist
ence of man, the intervention of
men, which interferes with the perfect
friendship between woman and woman
There is class of women-and, | am
sorry TO say, they are not among the
minority-who believe that nothing that
| a woman can do can possibly be as we'll
| done as what a man, under exactly the
same conditions and circumstances,
against women doctors, women lawyers.
women writers, and who, ignorantly and
| blindly, do so much to retard their own
progress. A very wise and experienced
woman once said to the writer that
| throughout her life she never found
truer or better friends than what she
| called her reformed lovers'---man who
| had sought to win her love, but, failing
IN do 81 had ended nv barominCr Stonoh
and earnest friends, brotherlke in their
| affection forher. a woman can have a
| friendship for man free from any
| thought of the difference in sex, such as
he rarely feels for her. A mans friend
ship for another man is free, open and
hearty, rejoicing in his good fortune,
| overlooking his faults, never harbering
that sense of rivalry or jealousy which
| so often taints women's friendships. In
most friendships as in most marriages,
| there is usually a positive and a mega
tive side; that is, one person is only too
happy to be able to give and the other
| quite content to receive, affection and
| selr-sacrifice. The ideal relation would
be the perfect reciprocity of affection,
but how rarely do we find this! In a
woman's love or friendship there is al
ways a feeling of self-abnegation, a long
ing to utterly forget herself, to lose her.
self in the object of her affection. Some
one tells MS that Friendship is akin to
| love" Should not the perfection Of love
be friendship: When, in all cases OF
mutual affection, each vies with the
other in self-sacrifice and efforts for the
others good, then we shall have arrived
at the eternal fitness of things.