Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17
MRS. DEECHERON MARRIAGE
= -<sle,fr1s
She Thinks Women Are at the
Root of Most
DOMESTIC UNHAPPlNESS
She Says That Men Have Wrongs and There Is
No Law for Domineering
Wives.


see unrest, discomfort, strife and sin;
I see girls from whose cheeks the first
blush of innocence, from whose soul the
| last vestige of youth, have vanished;
| women sold to frivolity, women wasting
most precious gifts, women whose am
bition has no higher object than to mis-
lead and triumph over men; and men
growing hard, selfish and wicked. going
down to death with no hand to save-all
| for the lack of a true homei
Then l remember that the home is
| the true kingdom of woman, where her
| rights can never be dethroned; that all
pure love. all right thoughts, all religion,
| If you would have them live, must have
| their roots beneath its altar. This con-
viction impels me to say to every woman
| who has home: Let home stand first
before all other things. No matter how
| high your ambition may transcend It's
duties: no matter how far your talents
or your influence may reach beyond Its
doors, before everything else build up
true home. Be not its slave; be its min
lister. Let 1t not be enough that 1t Is
swept and garnished, that Its silver glis-
tens, that its food Is delicious. Feed the
love In 1t, feed the truth in 1t, feed
thought and aspiration, feed all charity
and gentleness in It, Then from its walls
shall come forth the true woman and the
bless the land"
Is this an overwrought picture? We
think not. What honor can be greater
than to found such home? What dig
nifty higher than to reign its undisputed,
honored mistress? What is the ability to
speak on a public platform or the wisdom
that may command a seat on the judges
bench compared to that which can insure
and preside over a true home? To be ths
guiding star, the ruling spirit, in such
position Is higher honor than to rule an
empire. Woman's rights! Has man any
higher rights than these?
To be sure, man often abuses his power,
bringing sorrow and woe upon her who,
trusting and loving him, should always
be the mistress of his heart, an equal
partner In all his possessions, his Joys
and his sorrows But are there not too
many cases on record where the woman
has abused the power with which the
marriage vow endowed her, destroying
the peace and making shipwreck Of all
that her husband holds most precious?
The law does not as yet secure to wife
such independence as will guard her
against Injustice and meanness from the
hands of her husband; but what defense
has ever been provided against the cruel
upon their husbands? Has any one ever
asoertaincd the full statistics or clearly
estimated the average?
1t is well, no doubt, that this matter
has been 30 widely agitated, as II all
tends, we hope, to establish the rights of
both man and woman on firm founda-
ton. But If, before this is settled man
should make q full statement of his
wrongs there are those who could bring
forward Just cause of complaint In large
measure. Oh, II husbands and wives
would always remember that with them.
as In other associations union Is
strength that TINTED they stand,
divided they fall" that together they
should walk through life, together share
the joys, together bear the Burdens and
crosses, what happy world this would
be.
If 1t is a united kingdom, the wife ac-
cepts the rough as well as the smooth OF
household rule as her part Of the admin
istration. If able to govern without a
Kitchen cabinet" happy woman is
she. But If not. good wife will endure
such infelicities, remembering that they
need be but small part of home. The
purest sweetest, hollest elements that
constitute a home, If recognized I'm the
right spirit. will enable her to forget or
endure calmly such small trials.
Meanwhile the husband---the household
king--accepts his part in the rule of this
united kingdom Are his cares any
the dust and toll and strife, the battling
with the great world outside. in what
ever sphere his talents and duties call
him, to provide necessities. luxuries or
honors, accordingly as he is prospered
for the family sheltered In his home
think the joys and the sorrows. the
CROSSES and the crowns, In married life
are about evenly balanced, and nothing
will right all the wrongs and bring order
out of the confusion of these vexed
questions so surely as the shelter of a
true home, ruled by the true wife and
MRS HENRY WARD, BEEcHER.