The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-30
HEARTH TENDING.


century, rs follows:
y husband mas power and dominion over
his wife, and may keep her by force within
the bounds of her duty. and Nay beat ner,
but not in q violent manner.
The court. disregarding precedent, obliv-
ious Of British ana Roman law, decided
that no husband had . right TO be brute,
and gave judgment in favor Of the wife. a
decision in strict accordance with the idea
that women are no longer yassals, and that
wives have rights which husbands are
bound 10 respect.
An illinois husband was recently sued
and heavy damage asked for SANDER against
his wife. the two living apart A demurrer
was filed on the claim that 4 wife had no
cause of action against her husband. This
was overruled by the court, for, said the
judge:
The idea is monstrous that man can
pound his wife TO jelly and yet not be neld
liable for damages in a civil action brought
by her and | cannot listen TO any such rea-
soning by any court, no matter how high.
These two decisions serve to show that in
the Nineteenth century women and wives
are recognized as being entitled to all that 4
man may claim as legal rig Us. Two things
are thus Settlcd-wiveS are not chattel,
neither are they to be lightly spoken of by
their spouses. II is no strained constrCc
ton of the latter decision that wives living
with or apart from their husbands may le-
gally claim damage for Islander, and it may
have tendency TO hold in check such
churls as reserve their unciviI speeches for
home and think they have legal right to
say what they please 10 and of their wives.
The decision of the English court ought TO
be Il convincing argument that the
wish, uttered by one of the del
e@atcs 10 the woman's convention
at Washington. was a foolish one, for
there is little question that the women of
The present day are more nearly all queens
than in the age OF which she spoke there
fore all signing for the days of old so far as
woman's position is concerned IS wholly graf
uitious She is holding her own, and men
are conceGing her rights quite as fast as
she is learning TO use them for her own ad-
vancement and the general betterment.
Just now the danger seems to be that her
privileges are coming before she is quite
ready for them, and that i'll order to grasp
them she is letting go some of the divine
rights that are hers and solely hers. Any
modern theory that leads its apostles 20 ig-
more wifcifood and the more sacred Office of
maternity IS not advance, but defiance of
law. and for this the payment OF the pen
atty is fixed and sure; it is eXacted of the
individual, Of the family and of the nation.
History repeats the same tale; nations
decay begins al the hearthstone and never
ceases until its temples are dust and its
lowers the dwelling place of owls and of
bats
Popular fiction IS often IN index of social
life and when the drama and the novel
find IN faithlessuess 10 the home their
richest harvest field it Is time TO pause and
consider what is the growth that thrives in
such grain
The heroine of the modern novel is
usually looking for some thing to satisfy
The heart" her husband is commonplace,
her children. if she has any. are only care
and veXations, and the everyday duties Of
life are drudgerics to one of her delicate
mold Exactly in what her delicacy CON
si,tS is not well defined. II is true she sits
or lounges dangerously amid flowers and
perfumes, she wears Jewels and laceS. and
fears the wind of heaven, but on her
civan or in any easy chair she reads the
latest French novel and feels no tinglings
OF shame rs she repeats to one who "appre-
ciatcs her its sensurOus passages, or sits
unb!ushing witnessing the holder portrayal
upon the stage. Such studies long pursued
have their effect, the lessons they teach ap-
peal to feminine vanity and before woman
is aware she too begins 10 deem herself
misunderstood, she finds her home duties
and family restrictions calling, and her
husband unsympathetic That woman is
bartering her birthright for less than 4
ness OF pottage, she is paving the way to
grasp forbidden fruit, which, worse than
appics Of Sodom, viii not only
prove 10 be ashes on the lips, but the bitter
unsatisfytns portion SO long as life lasts
Yes, women are queens. their rights are
many, but there is no kingdom so royal as
The home and no crown 50 bright as that
tipped with Cornelia's jewels. neither is
there any provocative so precious as that
Of ruling in the sweet spirit of domesticity
the living subjects that gather in that
kingdom. Yet in order TO do this a woman
must be able 10 carry out her ideas indie
pendently, she must not be hampered by
partner who claims the right 10 control
her rs If she were serf and address her
is if she were an inferior. There must be
that mutual confidence and respect which
IS begotten of the possession OF qualities
inspiring it, and Of that love which vaunt-
eth not itself. Domestic serfdom dwarfs the
mind Of the woman, and the merely mas
terful man soon converts his wife into
creature of his will, void of all intellectual
strength, or into fury TO wreck his home.
Whatever tends in literature. in society. in
the marriage relation, TO make woman :;
creature of luxurious ease a toy, the play
thing of an hour of idleness. or the mere
instrument of mans will is a depriving of
nights Were marriage more generally q
real partnership and the wedding beauties
oftener the dawn of happy day than
glorious sunset, with the glowing tints of
love and hope fading into the deepening
shadows of night, there would be less need
for courts to decide upon the rights of