The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1894-10-04
UNFEELING WOMEN.
MANY WHO ARE so CALLED ARE
GROSSLY misunderstood.
Women Whom the Present Generation
Does Not Appreciate Because 1t Does
Not Understand Them-The Other Type
of Woman Who Is Always Affable.

OF w oman w no Is SAi"aNs aHhbits
A witty and sympathetic man once
said to me, II would rather marry a
woman who looked feelings and had
none than woman who had feelings
md looked none. " OF course the say
sympathy, but I could not help feeling
that there were moments when | could
agree with him, although | have known
the value and the services of the woman
with no feelings to be underestimated.
Ny daughters have a fricnd-a wom-
an only little past girlhood-whose
company is more sought after and rel
ished than that of almost any one l
know. She has admirers by the score and
acquaintance everywhere, and no Won
der, for she is cultivated, always cheer
full and will listen to and rally the poor
est talker. She is asked to everything
in the shape Of feast, for she is the
amusement and relaxation of whoever
may be about her. AT the same time,
whenever her praises are sounded, the
eulogy winds up with the inevitable and
disheartening tag, After all, you know,
she has no feelings. "
And this is perfectly true. Quick and
comprehending as is her smile and
graceful as is her glance while one is
talking to her, there is always the con-
viction that not trace of real interest
is involved. If she only had a heart,
the girl would be an angel
like the old fashioned word And
when l have been alone with her 1 have
often wanted to say, my dear, do be
an angelo But she has no heart. If she
were to marry foreigner and 60 abroad
to live, she would leave us all without
moments regret So her friends are
vexed with her want of feeling and
warn the world against her.
And this is what seems to me unjust.
Take this girl as she is. Whether it
Is her nature or not, she never refuses
the challenge to be agreeable; whatever
her own plans and likings are, she never
betrays Impotence when they are
crossed Her companion may be plain,
awkward and tiresome, but her eye aud
lGI KAY illllo JOht arc liONNi iuilNt Ach
that reason. In fine, she may be the in
carpation Of the light which shines, but
does not warm, yet while she keeps n
whole circle i'll good humor by her wit,
as she does, it is poor return to grid
at her
Again, and speaking now Of widely
different type, can call to mind older
Of a
more rigid era-exact, severe, stern, I'M
bending and ruling their households
with rod of iron. How little this gen
Grafton understands them! How little
merit it allows to the implicit faith in
duty, the untiring devotion to work, the
almost fanatic hatred of waste and sell
indulgence and the Spartan maXims OF
life III which they were brought up and
which they still observe. What has be-
como of our eyes that we cannot sec the
beauty of such lives? Why do we nc
longer recognize their value? These arc
not the women who have feelings, but
look none. They are without feelings al
all, according to the standards of our
new, diversified and exacting society.
| hear young girls saying that thell
grandmothers or aunts, or what you
please, don't understand them, and
really | think that many older people
than these schoolgirls make just the
same absurd complaint. | can appeal
with safety to every one. Who has not
known one Of these same stern women
almost bring the dead to life by hel
powers of nursing, or confront single
handed and maintain her family ON q
beggar's pittance, or save a falling
household by simple economy and hare
work? I shall be told that all these
things are admitted, but that is just the
point-they are not If they We're, the
cry of ''no feelings" would never be
raised, out of very shame
l know an old lady who has had the
misfortune to live n long life and to sec
all her descendants grow up unable tc
understand" her. She is of the old,
unsparing sort, and they, artistic, orig
inal, clever modern people, have ne
place for her either in their theories OF
their interests. With these her notions
can scarcely be expected to agree either,
yet the complaints come not from her,
but from them. They are not complaints
in words They are complaints crystal
lized into entire disregard for the old
school, which does not, as it cannot,
wholly sympathize with them. 1t seem;
to take an outsider, like myself, to see
what do see-that without this erect,
white haired ancestress, who is appar
emily so separate from them all, wive:
and husbands both would have to teach
/ themselves the fortitude which she com
municates merely by her presence.
Their households would bo dragging or
without the strong axles, so to speak,
which she put in almost unnoticed fel
each newly married couple, and tbt
whole family, now held together in al
unusual vigor, would soon fall apar'
and be dispersed.
l believe there must be many suct
cases, have the deepest respect fol
these strong, unbcnding characters VIII,
do not conceal their utter intolerance g.
our self centered modern methods =
May tombstone in Ladies' Home Jour
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