Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-11-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Woman who Speaks her
Mind.

In every neighborhood there is
is not afraid to speak her mind, y
SAYS contemporary. 1t frequently
happens that the neighbors are afraid
to have her do so, but that makes no
difference. She is not always bold,
Amazon,l like creature. Sometimes
she is delicate, intellectual woman,
who scarcely seems to have the cour-
age which must manifestly belong to
one of her genus. She evidently con-
siders herself more honest than her
neighbors. She never disguises dis
agreeable truths. If the Y's have in
dalged in extravagant table linen or
carpets, she being deacon's wife and
happening to know the state of their
charitable fund, feels quite at liberty
to relieve her mind Of the unkind
thoughts which have arisen therein,
and to do this in the presence of a
company of other women if possible.
She is not afraid to tell the minister
that he will preach the church empty
if he continues to deliver temperance
sermons. She knows just why the
doctor failed to cure desperate case
of pneumonia and frankly tells him
of it. The young woman who has
lost her lover and the one who is at
tracing too much attention from gen.
tlemen are other objects of her es-
pecial regard. No age, sex or CON
dition has sufficient dignity to sub.
due her freedom in speaking her
mind, and the neighbors all agree in
wishing that her mental powers were
less acute.
The worst feature in this woman's
case is that she and most of her
friends-for there are few brave
enough to become her enemies
believe that she is unusually virtuous.
She calls her bitter readiness to speak
disagreeable truths by various names,
such as candor, frankness, honesty
and courage. The fact that she casts
poisoned arrows right and left and
inftcts wounds that lie unhealed for
months, even years, does not enter
into her consideration. And, still
worse, her example is contagious
Other women, timid women, inspired
by freedom, learn to speak with dis
agreeable candor and the trouble
grows.
If the woman who speaks her mind
will consider for a moment the real
motive that prompts her to the free
use of her misunderstanding tongue,
she may discover some wholesome
and instructive truths. Does she
wound the faithful minister because
she really believes his influence is
sensibly weakening? Docs she hon
estly believe that she is helping the
careful physician or any other of her
numerous victims? Would or does
she as readily speak agreeable and
pleasant things, and is her heart so
overlooking with loving-kindness that
she longs to right all the wrongs that
come under her observation, and so
increase the sum total of human hap
pinessI or is it rather qualification
of her vanity to be considered keen
and penetrating, very. astute per
son, who can discover and bring to
light facts that would otherwise es-
cape general notice? If she were
truly kind of heart would she not pre-
fer to tell the fault or error in private
to the offending one, in biblical
fashion, and shrink from even the
possibility of wounding by giving it
publicity?
Instead of being courageous she is
cowardly. She is notopen-hearted or
frank in the best sense of the word,
and her brusque, bold manner of
making disagreeable statements sell
dom accomplishes any good result
and almost invariably gives offense.
What woman wishes to become that
disagreeable creature who g is not
afraid to speak her mind7"