Connecticut western news., 1894-11-22
UNFEELING WOMEN.
MANY WHO ARE SO CALLED ARE
 GROSSLY MISUNDERSTOOD.

Women Whom the Present Generation Does Not Appreciate Because It Does
 Not Understand Them-The Other Type
 of Woman Who Is Always Anable.
 A witty and sympathetic man once
 said to me, "I would rather marry a
 woman who looked feelings and had none than woman who had feelings
 and looked none" Of course the say ing came more from his wit than his
 sympathy, but could not help feeling
 that there were moments when l could
 agree with him, although have known the value and the services of the woman
 with no feelings to be underestimated My daughters have a friend-a wom-
 an only little past girlhood-whose
 company is more sought after and rel
 ished than that of almost any one I
 know. She has admirers ty the score and
 acquaintances everywhere, and no won-
 der, for she is cultivated, always cheer
 ful 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
 experiencing as Is her smile and graceful as is her glance while one is talking to her, there Is always the con- viction that not a trace of real interest
 is involved. If she only had heart,
 the girl would be an angel
 like the old fashioned word And
 when have been alone with her have
 often wanted to say, My dear, do be
 an angelp But she has no heart. If she to live, she would leave us all without
 a 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 hldngs are, she never
 betrays impatienoe when they are crossed. Her companion may be plain, awkward and tiresome, but her eye and | her gay little joke are never dulled for | that reason. In fine, she may be the in-
 carnation of the light which shines, but
 does not warm, yet while she keeps a
 whole circle in good humor by her wit,
 as she does, 1t is poor return to gird | at her.
 Again, and speaking now of widely | different type, I can call to mind older
 women, often only the survivors of a
 more rigid era-exact, severe. stern. un-
 bending and ruling their households | with a rod of iron. How little this gen. l eration understands theml 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 the Spartan maxims of life in which they were brought up and | which they still observe. What has be- | come of our eyes that we cannot see the beauty of such lives? Why do we no longer recognize their value? These are not the women who have feelings, but
 look none They are without feelings at | all, according to the standards of our
 new, diversified and exacting society. hear young girls saying that their l 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 I can appeal | with safety to every one. Who has not known one of these same stern women
 almost bring the dead to life by heI | powers of nursing, or confront single | handed and maintain her family on | beggar's pittance, or save falling | household by simple economy and hard | work? I 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 see
 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 nc | place for her either in 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 are not complaints | in words. They are complaints crystal.
 hzed into entire disregard for the old
 school, which does not, as 1t cannot, wholly sympathize with them. It seems
 to take an outsider, like myself, to see | what do see-that without this erect, | white haired anoestress, who is appar'
 ently so separate from them all, wives ! and husbands both would have to teact themselves the fortitude which she com
 munioates merely by her presence.
 Their households would be dragging op without the strong axles, so to speak, | which she put in almost unnotioed fol
 each newly married couple, and the
 whole family, now held together in al
 unusual vigor, would soon fall apart
 and be dispersed
 I believe there must be many such
 cases. I have the deepest respect foi
 these strong, unbending characters who | do not conceal their utter intolerance oi our self centered modern methods. - | May Johnstone in Ladies' Home Jour. nal \