Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-10-18
Copyrighted, 1881

gardeners call lre0ky lt Is not, perhaps,
her vitae that she lives in her child, that
he would die fjr hun; it is her nature;
aud il coly shows how near her nature L.
90 virtue-so near thar, IN view OF II, It So
strange that when we think Of tAe crssnve
and sustaining fOfce If the universe Il rs
our hsbt to say father and not mother.
Not that recognition OF the strength snd
care snd generosity of the father ID st all
impaired by rendering the mother her
need; It does not follow that one is 70,
good because smother is better; aud he
himeif is the first to acknowledge it On
occasion. u is in approaching these viz
,Ue7, acd ia carrying them to point re-
youd the customary feminine experience,
thst men are often finest; as IN the mis-
sionafy pIies. who foggets bimself fcT bis
race ard " no lies foT his faith, aud in tde
physicisn who equally iorgets himself, en-
countering loatchest disease, giving tire
lees DAYS and slaepless nights 10 The suffer
Dg. and who briggs help and healing with
him m such wise thar h3 seems 20 be tbs
very vics-gsge1t Of God and cf creation.
Yet IL may he ssid that women are 90
guarded from their cradles from knowledge
Of syil end the contamination Of the worser
world that anything else than purity, tent
persrce. and suea positive forms of good
ness becomes difficult for them, aud there
has to be- something inhereatly wrong n
woman Tor hsr 10 20 astray; while she
learns 10 tie home atmosphere the neces-
sitv Of selfdenial aud seii-repressioD, and
an her p5gsr Tor love is daily strengthened
there.
Were shs out in the world as her brother
is. ere mgat By possibility Lose much that
row seems hers by right, although she
might gain 10 breadth Of view and m large
gooiiity. /. is close upon large nobility,
iudcea. thst Womel fad their weakest
point; the DAilOW view hinders them from
the wide, as ones hsnd held up before the
yves can OBJ cure The san; they 10 not look
at TIE good Of The race so much as at that
of their Own home; and where not them
selves. but those they love are injured they
ind it all but impossible 20 forgive; If bis
il sin, all the concentrated sweetness OF
their being Las gone to make crust round
that sin.
In fact, there is bat one sin Of which
woueu are possibly more guilty than men,
.
/ they: IT is the cowsIdics which, where II
I exists-and, thank the heavenly powefs,
/ &c does rot exist among oil women-makes
some women Subtle, cunning, trescberous,
false
The capture of the strong arm in PRINT
/ tive times, their only recourse has been 70
please; their only weapons have been
auiability, concession, craft. They would
not have been made Cf Il 9sh and blood and
have been without desires ard endeevors
10 atisin the end OF such desires. Ihelr
sense of Justice iOld them they had hu-
man night 10 attain these ends, andi Of
course, they neglected 10 means IN tnelf
power 20 doso. They bsd abuses snd pua-
ishmsnts, to, TO escape they had chi!nrs n
10 be shielded from cruelty, they bad
huIts 10 bs hidden from hard matters; they
,yailed themsel-es, tnen, Of what IN great
commanders is called strategy, N great
statesmen diplomacy, bat IN ethics ls call
I'd deceit
Weak in body ard timid by copseQ aeuce
/ a captive, q slave, drudge for generations
that become ages, the sentiment Of the
community. with all its later enlighten-
meut, uever to the present qnlte rehn-
quishing tie essence OF the idea Ot the slave
/ IN connection with her, although chsnsh-
/ ING il perhaps urconscicusly, woman mas mas
hal 10 resort 10 craft to carry her ends TIL
sbe bss found herself in danger o. becom-
| inc shy as a matter Of g6cord nsiufe.
with this acquired psedIspOsihon OF hers
/ from the ancestral bond slave, man has
oolv needed TO be If a too domioeeil1g
and antocrstic turn IN his family IN order
| IN deyelop :he Objectionable quality in wife
ard daughters, till brutality has brought
ohout shufling, evasion, concealment, and
assembling, aud tyranny hiss been fol
loved hy cunning, a. the whale Is followed
by the sword-dsh.
Tine man who will not lei his wife do
gba, she wishes and inEOoaDtly might,
vithout worrying all peace out OF the
ho,se without q storm, without ABUSE,
vittou, the withdrawal OF ms gceu VIII
snd the condiga punishment 81 one soi' o.
.Bother. forces bis wife, unless she Is u
sniritless shadow, into doing what sh7
woold. ana decsiving him in relation TO 1t
vsry likely 10 the point Of lying. Ghlty
"a She herself may be, yet if his children
sra born liars, he has himself TO tha0k
for it. !.
The man who. aSle 20 NEST expense, de
siss his wife righteous money for ner nesos,
shopld not be surprised if the whispering
ssrnsnt supplies his deficiency, and his
Tite debsses herself and her blood enough
IN flch money from his pocket. II bis
children srs born thieves the tauit IS IN
the frs, instance his. II 20 sny the state
mept seems shameful, and women recSil at
The lie and ths Thief, or at the bare idea.
the virtue Is theirs. Bat it Is oNiug to
the greet tyrann;es of old days, the tyran-
siss Of modern days, and deception, ana
arts and viles have bscome the familiar
demons of so many women who have no
other faults ihan these and those to which
they lead.
As TIE woman stands Cp more aod more
on equal ground with tbs mau, as the hus-
/ n mo acknowledges The nights Of the wife,
a.. tbs community comes 10 expect snd ex-
/ ,ct it Of him, there will he 'ess and less 20
c,ll this errfice iuio use, It's capacity viii
bscome dormant and atrophied, honesty
/ viii rise uppermpst the fesrlessnes Of tn
dscer5aat viii have Conquered the pnsal-
I ,ririty OF he grandson, uuisiteri1g tTutn
/ eill shine Ont OF her forehead, and women
will rave annihilated possibly the only sin
thai was ever hers.
| HARRIET PRESCOTT SP0FFoRD.