The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-18
Our 0lio.
Men Are Beasts of Burden.
Bah in Every Evening.

Bah in Every Evening
4 Men are beasts of burden. | am moved
to say this from Watching the way in which
the American woman-the brightest, pret-
tiest and best in the world d-tyrannize over
mankind. Man is long suffering and en-
durcth much The rights of women, the
consideration that should be shown her,
the love and sympathy that she requires
have all been written and talked about by
both men and women, and she stands to-
day on pedestal with this carved upon
it: "Be loving to me, be gentle to me,
don't worry me, or else I'll break. Now,
it is quite time man had his innings. |
have usually stood up for dogs, but | am
going to take to the typewriter in defense
of man, and my motto will be, a slight
twisting around of the old Latin one 81
know of men and everything pertaining to
their happiness is of interest to me-"
Some woman smiles-in her smile is a
question, and it means: "What sort Of
men have you known" Rushing in where
angels fear to tread, answer: "All sorts
and conditions of men, and, whether they
live on the other side or on Murray Hill,
they are singularly alike. Like dog,
they adore being made much of-they
like the approving past, the affectionate
look, and the caress given as the out
ward visible sign of the inward love. How
often do they get this? There are clever
women, women who can love well and say:
81 would die for my husband, who haven't
the remotest idea of how to live for him.
Women who are surprised that, when dear
Jack comes home at night, he dosen't want
to go to the theatre, or to dance, or to a
tiresome dinner party; who are surprised
at dear Jacks lack of ambition, as far as
the world is concerned; the world to them
meaning the howling, pushing, overdress-
ed crowd that has its doings in every news
paper, and not realizing that the world to
dear Jack means woman's love, the socie-
ty of that woman and the environment
that are specially her own.
Sometimes she thinks dear Jack isn't as
cultured as he might be, that he dosen't
look perfectly pleased when she tells him
of her Browning class, or her opinion of
Lecky. Poor little fool! Dear Jack has
gone through all that, and he would a
great deal rather be hugged little, kissed
little, told merry tale or two, and ap-
pealed to through the heart, not through
the brain. You are found of talking about
mentality You belieye you have some
gray matter; doubtit very much. What
you know, you have in way picked up
either from dear Jack himself, or from
some woman who picked it up from some
other dear Jack. 1t never originated with
woman. The American man is to me at
once most lovely and sorry piece of hu-
manity. He is verify beast Of burden,
and to what purpose? He hasn't the
determination of that other beast, the dog,
who insists on proper recognition, who
only uses his brain when he is well fed,
and given comfortable home of his own,
and who expresses his disgust at what he
considers frivolity by such prolonged walls
that he is permitted to do exactly what he
plcases. Exactly what he pleases, is qsu-
ally to lie in front of the fire, and when he
is sufficiently warm to get up, go over, rub
his head against his owners skirts, and
then to return to the fire again.
Dear Jack is up in the morning, and
down town he works, and worries the
greater part of the day; he comes home at
night with the worry still clinging to him,
and there is wonder that he isn't pleased
to hear of the small household annoyances,
of some approaching festivity, or some tire
some talk. Possibly he has bad dinner.
Possibly madam has elected not to keep
house any more; she finds servants too
troublesome, and lives at hotel. In that
case, dear Jack, tired out in mind and body,
goes into an oyerheated overlighted dining
room; looks listlessly at the bill of fare,
while the waiter says to him, aWhat will
you have-soup, fish, roast, (" and you can't
blame dear Jack if he looks at the woman
opposite him, and says; "I'd like some
thing deviled." After dinner dear Jack
goes into the smoking room, because mad
am is visiting around, and she takes Ger
tain pleasure in saying that her husband is
devoted to society of men, which, by the
by, is all wrong. If she had been one
half to him that she ought to have been
he would have been devoted to the society
of one woman.
On my word of honor wonder that
men are as faithful as they are Suppose
you were tired mentally, suppose your
head ached, suppose the day had been all
work and no play, would you want to go
into a public room to eat the one meal in
the day, over which you could linger?
Wouldn't you, supposing you were man,
want to dine in quiet place. where the
light wasn't too glaring, and with woman
who had discretion enough to tell you
pleasant things, to help lift the burden off
your shoulders, and by her care and con:
sideration make it possible for you to for
get for little while the worries Of down