Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-09-09
THE WOMAN WHO GIVES UP.


Energy stan s little below honesty
as n yirtne. and iar above inertness as a
grace. 1t saves the ordinary person
from being commonplace, the stupid
from remaining wholly uninteresting.
the tiresome busybo y from seeming
entirely horrli. A woman who has
energy must be worth something,
" neither tie force which urges her to
exertion be creative or practical, artls-
tic or Phillstine; whether she be
Charlotte Bronte or a Sister Dora.
Rosa Bonheur or an Elizabeth Fry.
The sage of Chefs truly said: that
work is holy, and the woman Who
labors at anything, be it the writing Of
a novel or the making of pudding, is
deserving of admiration. Yet, how
many women there are going about
who are content to live on the reputa-
ton of past effortl Most, if not all of
them, are ma, ried, and their cessation
rom activity invariably dates from the
day when the Wedding March was
played for them, and heavy salutes
of adamant rice were fred over their
devoted heads. Who has not met the
nerveless, fiabby, non-saient woman,
who i continually saying, 'Oh, yes;
so-and-so sings delightfully."-. I used to
a great deal" ''R allyp go dear,
yes, but of course I gave 1t all up on
nv marriage" It is the same with
paiu ting, drawing, playing the piano,
every little grace and accomplishment
- II were gwen up on her marriage.
Ths most curious thing about the
whole matter is that the woman who
thus casts to the four winds of heaven
half at least of her attractive fcrce al
ways prides herself on so doing, always
hugs herself in a serene consciousn IS
of virtue. she swells with pathetic
pr de as she stands before you and
holds up as it were, for inspection the
torn rags, the battered tags and shreds
of tai nts which once we're hers--before
she gotta husband. Does it ever occur to
the woman who gives mp to look at the
matter from the husbands point of
view? No man is desirous of being
tied for life to q partn who plays
scales all the evening after dinner, or
makes the shuddering night hideous
wi b the "La-lalala- -lalala-la" of vocal
exercises, or works IN worsted till the
sea gives up its dead, or sketches
serenely while he is agoniZing for her
to come and pour him out his tea No
reasonable husband wishes talents to
take the place Of virtues, or vocal
and artistic graces to give the cold
shoulder to sweet domes tlcity, but
there is a medium. 1t is rather hard
too WOO a siren and win housekeeper,
fall IN love with dash and then have to
remain faithful to dulness till death
you do part. No woman shodld buy
har nxnhonpa tho nf
spinsters to that of marrr ed oman
under ia Sc pretences. That which
helped her to win the man she pre-
sumably loves should be her pride.
No feminine weapons which were dill
gen ly taken down from the wall and
polished in youth, should be permitted
TO rust in the armOry when age or, cps
on, for as the form decays the mind
should develop, and a higher charm
take the place of lower. The woman
who give up is soon a piteous beng.
Il her mind is, as 1t were, perpetually IN
curl papers. Even in the afternoon the
poor deluded husband looks in vain fer
the glossy ringlets which were once his
pride and Joy. She herself has given
up everything, but she would, doubt
less, be extremely surprised if people
gave her up in consequence. She i'm
agines probably that the attractive
force of her mere personality is suffi-
cent to make her cherished for ever;
but who can keep on cherIshing a jelly
fish? There was once little boy v ho
terrified his anxious mother by vanish
ing from home for a whole afternoon.
When he at length returned she asked
him what he been doing. He replied
that he had been ''frolicking." "Wha.
with?' sad the mother. The artless
infant answered, "With a dead doll. "
TO go through life with woman who
has given mp is about as lively as to frolic
with dead doll. The sawdust has all
run out, and only the kid or the calico
shell remains to remind the unfortun-
ate beho der of "what is past and
gone" Besides, men are not all little
boys, and life, short as it is lasts longer
than even a shining summer after
noon