Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-01-27

sort of a girl is she:" asks the mother of
the happy youth, recalling the mistake
she made in guessing life's conundrum.
''Oh, she's jolly girl; as jolly a girl
as ever you saw" replies the wise youAg
man judicially. ''She is as light hearted
as bird, always full of fun and laugh
ter, always ready for anything proposed
in the way of amusement, good natured
and obhging, great taste in dress and as
neat as a pin--in fact, she is Just the
kind of girl like and can get on with.
l hate these prim, mopish, proper sort
of girls who are always getting tired
and faint and frightened of everything
from a spider to COW and mustn't get
their feet wet, and all that"
So they marry, and he finds that he
knew as little about his wife as she did
about him. The high spirits and con-
slant cheerful alacrity in matters of
amusement were the gift Of youth and
health and shade with beautiful case
into peevishness, discomfort and n rest
less desire for new amusements and dis
fractions. The constant attentions Of
the sutton give place to the indifference
anu NdANtGSSilcSS vi tue luSbttio- anu ttlt
disappointed wife utters complaints long
and loud that he is by no means the de-
voted slave she was led to believe him.
He retorts that if she were as cheerful
and amiable, us well dressed and trim
as he once had known her, he should be
as much in love--it is he who is disap-
pointed and has right to complain, etc.
The matrimonial question as TO "scis-
sors" is well started and goes on until
one or the other gets flung into the well
or perhaps filings himself or herself into
some Dead sea of despair.
But after all a mans failure TO COM
prehend the real character of the woman
he selects as wife is not nearly so dis
astrous as the corresponding failure Of
the woman to understand the man be-
fore she commits her life to his keeping.
The sphinx gives TO the one cruel blow
of her lionlike paw, but the other she
devours bodily, leaving but the crushed
semblance, the simulacrum as the an
clients used to say, of the bright and
hopeful creature who dared try to
answer her fatal riddle.
Say what we will Of the equality of
the sexes and the ability of woman to
hold her own in the battle of life, the
fact remains that when and if woman
loses she loses great deal more than
the man. A woman plays for heavier
stakes than the man and is so reckless in
her game that she never pauses until she
has flung her all upon the board. Take
a case: A woman meets a man who at
once devotes himself to her, and both by
word and deed processes to hold his life
as of no value except as it may be de-
voted to her service.
Now no woman who lives is insensible
to the delicate fiattery of such n profess
sion-no woman SO strong or so self
reliant as not to be pleased and attracted
by what seems the sincere and thorough
devotion Of man who is admired and
sought by other women, and is able to
hold his own among other men. Even
if she is happy and prosperous and sur
rounded by other friends man who so
addresses her, or without any spoken
words SO COMFORTS himself, is sure 60
win favorable place in her regard; but
it, alas, the woman is lonely and tired
and oppressed with the weight of
duties and obligations too heavy
for her strength, and which no ono
helps her to carry, then If one of
these plausible and much profess
ing men comes along. and in every
look and motion and act says, "Oh how
long help you and TO comfort youand
to take all that heavy burden off your
shoulders she listens, raises her eyes
to heaven in Thanksgiving for such I'M
looked for succor and gladly, yes, eager
~, gives herself and all she has and all
she hopes and fears and loves into his
hands. She throws her entire fortune
upon the table. She stakes body, soul.
mind, the memories of the past and
hopes Of the future upon this single turn
of the wheel. She exclaims 20 listening
Fate: 81 have solved your riddlel
have found the answer to your cOnun-
drum of lifcl | have at last met with
the answer to your terrible enigma, q
Eater
They marry, for the cruel game Is not
made absolute until this bond il riveted.
While woman is betrothed her good
angel may possibly come to the rescue
and give her some warning by which
she may escape with no more than "a
heavy blow and an undying scar, but
when once she is married there u but
one door Of escape besides death, and it
is question which is the moro cruel
Few men, whatever may be their dis.
position, are the same after marriage
that they are before. In the very best
specimen Of the sex there Is perhaps
unconscious desire and effort to appear
better than he really is during tho pc
Rod of courtship. He exercises a per-
petual restraint upon the cOarser and
more violent traits Of his nature. Ho
sacrifices his convenience, his comfort,
his tastes and inclinations to those Of tho
object of his pursuit
He likes TO walk and she prefers driv-
ing; he drives. He loves 20 be ont Of
doors. she prefers shaded parlor; no
sits in the parlor. He dotes upon ath-
letics and she likes TO hear poetry; he
reads poetry, and 50 on. | do not say
that the girl or woman is right to accent
or 10 exact all this self sacrifice. will,
indeed, allow that she is apt 10 become
selfish, and perhaps unreasonable. but at
this period Of the game she is blindfold-
ed, both by fate and by the man, who
never once speaks candidly and honestly
TO her, bat is always insisting that her
wishes are dearer 10 him than his Gwn,
and that to do what he doesn't like to
do and give up all that he does like Is
precisely what he enjoys and wishes.
The woman believes him and accepts
the role Of despot, which is thus forced
upon her, and she wonders that she is
not even mistress Of her own life, can
not arrange her hours, OF her pursuits,
or the dainty environments Of her home
as she has always done heretofore. She
thought 20 find shelter IL a tower Of
strength, and she finds herself captiyein
a squalid and hateful prison, while he
who was 10 have been her devoted knight
and preux chegsIier becomes at once her
jailer and her fellow captive.
All this because. poor woman, she
failed 10 correctly guess the riddle pro-
pounded 10 her by that unknown power