The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-16
NINETEENTH CENTURyFADs.

when the very arr seemed tainted ana so
6eathlike was the stiffness that the gossd-
mer wing Of the painted butterfly appeared
too heavy 10 float upon IT, Then people
Ionged for some health giving breeze, even
q hurricane would be relief-the small
cloud no bigger than the hand Of man
rises. soon it grows aud bursting into wild
ness sweeps down valley and over level
plain carrying before it breeding niasma
and gathered death So is it sometimes in
the moral world, and at those times the
hurricane that quickens stagnatiou, that
tears up rooted preJudiccs and wrecks all
suTerstructures built on false foundation
may seem IN agent Of destruc-
ION, but the work it is do
ing will cveutuate in good when
whenever the sweeping has been sufficiently
thorough. A diligent reader Of the daily
and monthly literature of the country Will
not fail to discover that in woman's king
dom some such process has been going on.
The emefycncc from former conditions has
been so recent that women are yet in haste
TO attain all that the change promises. They
are unwilling 10 wait the time of fuirtage,
ans while Vet in the flower they are with
nervously eager hands reaching after that
which time only can mature, and in their
haste there is an amount Of feverishness
that is fatal 10 healthy growth.
Rare is it 10 take up paper and not
ind some article advising women to strive
tor higher development. They are reminded
of q necessity 10 be athletic, TO be grace
1ul. 10 preserve their youth and beauty.
They are stimulated by lectures TO study
AL that men study, in order that they may
be agreeable TO men who have one study as
their profession, Women are to be encyclo-
pedistS, scientists, mctaphysians, artists
and Htcrateurs, but withal essen
tally woman. Then follows diatribcs
on housekeeping by rule and raising chill
dren by measure until poor womrn wrinkles
her brow and whitens her hair in the vain
EFFORT to keep the pace that the present age
seems to expect. Ii is vain TO try and
crowd into one life more than it can comfort
ably hold, and one can easily understand the
feeling of the little girl who after playing
At lady come To sea. - said. Lets take off
The woman who il striving TO be all that
is expected wears constantly garment OF
nervous reStlessness which too often proves
the shirt Of Eessus TO the wearcr. Oh
scrvation JuStitieS the assertion that women
of to-day are too Self-conscious-fcclin
that AL eyes are turned upon hershe studies
herself. and the introspection is carried to a
vicious point Take for example the pother
that IS made about strength and beauty, the
stress laid upon muscular development
scarce misses vulgarity, and the publicity
with which dress improvements are dis
cusSed leaves little to be Surmised. The
JouuS hus band in these days will not be al
all mystitied al the belongings of his wife.
Not content with mere verbal descriptions,
models are 10 be seen III shop
windows ami cuts in newspaper col
umns. There seems Il heapiug Of
rubbish by the gale that IS covering delicacy
as well as individuality. Not so far re
moved as might at first glance appear IS a
growing tendency to find distasteful the
private exercise of womanly traits. the
class that was represented by Mrs. Jelly
pv Is on the increase Women are
willing 10 promulgate from pulpit and rOS-
frum new doctrines. they are willing to de-
liver temperance lectures and address lrsis-
latorS in solemn aSsemb'ag their
philanthropy takes the form of prison visit
Ing, nursing in hospitals and whatever
form VIII bring them prominently before
the world No hiding lights under bushels
in The Nineteenth century whirl So far has
1hs phase of evolution extended that were
one TO heed the uttcranccS of the foremost,
il would lead to the query: "Why are
lheSe women Maternity, wifehood, are
shackles that bind the free spirit, and mar
l'!agc only scrvitude that cripples energy
aud checks growth. The shriekcrs say
that Power and Patience sit BY the hearth
stone, and by their Interpretation this
means that husbands are tyrants and
women martyrs. Wholesale denuuciation is
never entirely true there have been and are
BluebcarGs and Xuntippes. After con-
ScientiouS struggle against the wrong,
wives and husbands have felt marriage in
their case i failure. but as many perhaps
more are ready TO pronounce life 4 failure
1t is not the shriekerS that have done most
10 break down the barriers in the way of
womauS freedom. nor to them does woman
owe her present position. Women are no
longer dowu-trodden: they can now come
forward and freely express their opinions,
but it sometimes appears As if the new ac-
ueSsion of liberty has turned their heads.
What seems to be needed ut this particular
iuncture IS 4 good stiff gale OF common
sense 10 sweep away fads and afectations.
and diSpcl the sickly tone of pres ent dis
cussion regarding woman. The popular
craze now is TO observe them, to comment
upon them and their acts, and women fall
into the mistake that whatever fails of Civ
ing them prominence is unworthy of effort
II may De cruel 10 say ii. but ii spoils
big as well as little children 10 notice them
too much There is room for hope, how
ever the hurricane has whirled into con-
fusion. but by an inevitable law order will
follow chaos and the day will come when
women will feel that mission" or q
career" IS but poor substitute for the
exercise of domestic virtues in the quiet
sphere of home.
CHAT ON FASHION.
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