The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-12
WIVES AND HUSBANDS.
Protest OF IL Woman Against tho Ethics OF .
Recent magazine Story.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Your COM
ments ere so wise, and so apt to Ec a reelection
of the stable opinions Of our most thoughtful
people, that I put this subject before you.
In the January century there is n short story
called Madame Butterfly 1t is the story of
a"Madame Chrysantheme." n Japanese wo-
man, who loves the naval officer She lives with,
and believes in him, and who, unlike the gem
erality OF these playthinGs of the passing for
eigner OF loose habits in Japan, has n child.
In this story the American bride OF the naval
officer is conscious OF the former connection
and apparently has no feeling whatever con-
corning the matter. She secs Madame Butter
fly" in the Consul's office, and. not knowing
she is her husbands Japanese wife. still know
ints he has one. asks TO kiss her. saying, - do
not wonder our men fall in love with you."
She is represented as seeking ont her husbands
child and telographing to him that it is ''lovo-
ly,' and asking il she can bring it along 10 his
next station with as much nonchalance as
though it had been a dog. In his Alone in
China" tales, Julian Ralph had something tho
same situation, only more seriously taken. But
there the English wife lived peacefully at home
and educated the daughter OF her husbands
Chinese wife.
These stories were both written by men. They
couldn't have been written by q woman who
was not abnormal, unless they were written by
her to show the abnormal character of the
white women concerned. There have been in.
stances in this country where u woman has
taken her husbands child by n mistress and
brought it up, but il has been because she de-.
spised her husband. She did it in n bitter humor;
because she pitied the child; wanted her
husband to feel tho everlasting sting of
her realization of his sin toward another
woman; because she had n sense of duty and
inStira mazda huun nv her npcrGsif " IN ntnnp FOR
what he had dono 30 far rs she could; it is
never because she ~forgavc him. The woman
who, knowing her husband is grossly unfaith-
full. condoncs tho fact. Is even friendly with him,
Is known to all women 10 be one who never
loved her husband; to be one of those women
who marry out of cxpediency, are cool and cal
c%ulAting in their hearts, make no break, OF
dren's sake but in reality because they
have never had any love TO be outraged. and
of this class will not take the mistress's child
under any circumstances. That would seri-
SSa nus y annoy kncn neri AS f IL Two W0u d9 no Longer lena enable &c
tho world. and would be n disturbance of the
case for which she has sacrificed as many of her
woman's instincts as she ever possessed. The
women OF this type are almost, invariably OF Il
strong admixture OF foreign blood Of the bour-
geoise type. In the genuine American it is im-
possible. She is too delicate minded a creature.
Women know the character. OF their sex, and
that feminine spirit which is the essence OF
American womanhoOd in parlor. kitchen. or
farmhouse. they know what they think. what
they are, wlatcvcrnotorict seekers among them
may say The woman who. Knowing her hus-
band Is unfaithful. knowing he does not love
her, who accepts il. is his friend, takes what he
gives her and all she can get from him, is more
dcspiscd by other women than The miserable
creature with whom he offends.
1t is moi a matter OF eNpcdienCy. of duty" il
is feeling! The virtuOus. hieh.strung American
woman accepts from love alone. and love which
houors her. with entire confidence. She never
lives AS the wife OF n man who does not give II.
l know how women feel oil around this sub.
icct. hut what | ask is: Did the author OF thu;
story write 1t and the very digniiied q injury
publish II because they thought II natural Tor n
young bride TO act in that fashion I When II
erary teachers novels are our teachers of social
ethiCsl thar sho should look up his former con
ncctions and quite naturally adopt his children !
Is thnt y woman's duty from u mans point OF
view Is there 20 DO no sense of outraged Is
the man TO 20 unpublished Is the wife OF this
naval officer q mice woman from u mans
point OF vicwi An AMERICAN WOMAN.