Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-08

30 q npuluH WIZ ueufS ueT uufu0H hS
only . woman can, Once in while
her husband disappears, and the world
at large hears that he has gone to the
Mediterranean, or to Florida, or Paris.
And only this woman knows that those
months are passed in mad house, and
that that Is the fate waiting her only
son. ibis man loved her, married her,
and never told her of his awful heritage
until she was his wife. At first she
thought she could not bear it, but
because she loved him, because she was
only woman, she did. And to my
mind, there is no woman in the world
who Is SO good. And In the fire l see
her as martyr, but the fire light
brightens, and around her head is the
crown OF glory that will surely be hers.
don't think she knows the first letter
OF the Greek alphabet; | am sure she is
not interested in politics. She is only
womau who Is loving and brave, who
hides her cross from the multitude, and
lives out her life as best she can.
There comes another one, and when
he sees her face, my little dog barks
with delight. She is the woman that tho
lecturer would scorn. She married the
man she loved. She bore him children;
she knows that he is absolutely unfaith-
full to her, and yet she lives her
life, makes her children love her,
unconsciously forces her husbands re-
spect, and hides the pain that she has
TO endure. 1t is like cancer-one
doesn't tell about it. 1t tries TO eat away
her heart, and she quiets it with salve
of loving kindness. Some day, know,
I n,,I INao al
to her. This learned lecturer would say
that he wasn't worth having, but the
woman whose face is in the fire, she
who is only woman, will remember
the ninety and nine who are safe, and
welcome back the one who was lost.
Only woman can do this. God built them
that way. He made their hearts just
little tenderer when he made their brains
little weaker. He made them Just
little sweeter when he made them
physically little less strong. He gave
them curious insight when He gave
them less reason, and He gave them His
consideration and sympathy when lie
made them only woman.
THE WOMAN WHO TOLLS.
But tho learned lady wouldn't agree
with me; she thinks IL is great thing
to know deal, and go out into the
world and work, as she would put il,
on the same level with man. Bark bit,
terly! M friend, that's right. A woman
can't work on the same level with men.
Not while she is woman. She is either
much better or much worse than lie is,
and then, too, neither | nor my four
legged friend believe that women were
intended to work out in the world. This
old world has gotten SO bad and SO
wicked that it forces, many times,
women TO be the bread-winners. think
it great thing that they can do it, but
| don't think it great thing that they
have to do it. You and I, who are bound
by some chance TO see the work-a-day
world, know that for our daughters we
would not wish the life of toll; that
we would rather see them wives and
mothers, and that every time we hear of
another woman who has had to become
the bread-winner, we give sigh of sym
pathy My friend, the lecturer wouldn't
agree with me. She would call this
sickly sentiment, but it isn't. have
never net woman yet who had to earn
her own living, and who did il, who did
not wish that she wasn't being taken
care of by a man who could protect her,
love her, and give her all the sugar
plums Of life. Oh, they will deny it;
plenty of them, especially the young
ones, who are very enthusiastic. They
think the appreciation of the world at
large means much. My dear, loving,
big-hearted girl, you who talk about
your life-work and the books you will
will write, aud the pictures you will
paint, take my word for it, that there is
no applause equal to the caress, or the
word from some one who loves
you. "A very great woman, Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, said this in wonder
full words many years ago, and what
she said then is true now, for truth is
the same Yesterday, to-day and forever.
THE SYMPATHETIC WOMAN.
Only a woman? Oh, il isn't such
bad thing. Looked AT even from tile
outside, II is being more graceful than
men, with daintier ways and finer be-
longings; |. is O creature who, with tact,
makes pleasant chatter and merry laugh
ter; it is something that men couldn't do
without If they wanted to. It's the one
who is closest to man in his sorrow or
in his joy; and when q man is over
whelmingly happy because he has sue
ceeded in something, he wants a
woman's lips to congratulate him, a
woman's arms to be around his neck,
and woman's eyes to look happiness
into his. He don't care whether that
woman knows anything about me-
chanics. In fact, he would much rather
she didn't. What an awful thing it
would be If all the women were like the
learned lecturerl The knowledge of
Greek doesn't teach one how to make u
home; the knowledge OF Latin doesn't
teach one how TO make ones boys and
girls find home the pleasantest place
and mother the best companions; and
knowledge of mechanics doesn't teach
one tact, nor will chemistry result in
tho making the dinner table feast of
material and mental delight.
Greek, Latin, mechanics, all may be
good to know, but there are some that
are so much greater. 70 know how to
forgive, to forget, and to remember are
greater u thousand times. To know
how to appreciate kindness, to blot
out q slight and to be gracious and
loving are greater million times. To
be only woman with all that that
means is the greatest of all.
The novel slipped from my hands
long ago. The lire is bed of bright
ashes, but my four-legged friend has
never ceased to read my heart, and
when ] get up to leave him, he ways his
tail with great sympathy, and his eyes
seem to say at is worth while, even If
you are only woman, make the best
of it, and the best of 1t is great deal"
WHY DO LOVE YOU?
Not because you know anything, I
20 1tn,, do IQ,,t 1,nno,,aa