The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-06
UNFEEL1NG WOMEN.
MANY WHO ARE SO CALLED ARE
GROSSLY misunderstood.

Does Not Appreciate Because 1t Does
Not Understand Them-The Other Type
of Woman Who Is Always AfAblc.
a witty and sympathetic man onoo
said to me, II would rather marry n
woman who looked feelings and had
hone than woman who had feelings
and looked none" Of course the say.
Ing came moro from his wit than his
sympathy, butt could not help feeling
that there were moments when could
agree with him, although I have known
the value and tho services of the woman
with no feelings to be underestimated.
My daughters have friend-a WON
an only little past girlhood-whose
company is more sought after and rel
ished than that of almost any one
know. She has admirers by the SCORE and
acquaintances everywhere, and no won.
der. for she is cultivated always cheer
full and will listen to and rally the DOOR
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 tho same time,
whenever her praises are sounded, the
eulogy winds up with tho inevitable and
dishcartening tag, After all, you know,
She has no feelings
And this is perfectly true Quick and
compromising as is her smile and
graceful as is her glance while one is
talking to her, there is always tho con-
v1ct1on that not trnco Of real interest
is involved If she only had heart,
the girl would DO all angel.
ltlsp the old fashioned word. And
when have been alone with her have
often wanted to say, MY dear, do be
an nngcl!' But she has no heart If she
were to marry IL foreigner and 20 abroad
to live. sho would leave us all without
moments regret. So her friends are
vcNod with her want Of feeling and
warn tho world against her.
And this is what seems to me unjust.
Take this girl rs sho is Whether it
is her nature or not, she never refuses
tho challenge to DO agreeable; whatever
her own plans and nl1ings are, she never
betrays impatience whom they are
crossed. Her companion may DO plain,
awkward and tiresome, but her eye aud
her gay little joke arc mover dulled for
that reason. In fine, she may be the in
carnation of tho light which shines, but
does not warm. yet while she keeps n
whole circle in good humor by her wit,
rs sho does, it is Il poor return to grid
ut her.
Again, and speaking now Of widely
different type, 1 can call to mind older
women. often only the survivors of q
moro rigid era-cSact, severe, stern, I'M
bending and ruling their households
with a 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 self
Indulgence and tho Spartan maxims of
life in which they wcro brought up and
which they still observe What has be-
come Of our eyes that wo cannot sec the
beauty of such lives? Why do we no
longer recognize their value? These are
not the women who hnvo feelings, but
look none. They are without feelings at
all, according to tho standards of our
new, diversified and oxncting society.
hear young girls saying that their
grandnothers' or aunts, or what you
plcnse, 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 her
powers of nursing, or confront single
handed and maintain her family on II
bcggar's pittance, or save u falling
household by simple economy and hard
work? | shall be told that all these
things are admitted, but that is just the
point-they are not. If they were, the
cry of ''nO feelings would never be
raised, out of very shame
know an old lady who has had the
misfortune to live long life and to SEQ
all her descendants grow up unable to
understand" her. She is of the old,
unsparing sort, and they, artistic, orig
inal, clever, modern people, have no
place for her either i'll their theories or
their interests. With these her notions
can scarcely be expected to agree either
yet the complaints come not from her
but from them. They arc not complaints
i'll words They are complaints crystal
liked into entire disregard for the old
school, which does not, as it cannot,
wholly sympathize with them. 1t seems
to take an outsider, like myself. to soc
what do see-that without this erect,
white haired ancestresS who liz appT-
emily 80 separate from them all. wives
and husbands both would have to teach
themselves the fortitude which she com
municates merely by her presence
Their households would DO dragging OH
without the strong axles so to speak,
which she put in almost unnoticed for
each newly married couple, and the