Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-11-09
aggressive Woman.

No woman can make a greater mis-
take in life than to adopt an aggressive
attitude toward the world. The man
who goes about daily with chip on
his shoulder is bad enough and dis
agreeable enough. heaven knows, but
he is as nothing compared to the wo-
man who is always on the lookout for
causes of offense and who makes kind
of human porcupine of herself.
Unhappily for the peace and comfort
OF the rest of us, the aggressive woman
is only too numerous and too familiar
figure. We meet her in the clubs,
where she makes a personal question
OF everything and grows vindictiye
and spiteful toward all who dare OPP
pose her. She is the bane Of churches,
where her determination to run things
has fomented more quarrels and brok-
en- up more congregations, and been
the cause of more hard feelings and
malice and general uncharitablenes
than all other causes combined. As
friend, she is ranking affection,
and as wife and mother she is scarce
ly better, for she possesses above all
other creatures that peculiar talent
for creating discord that we call
''setting a house by the ears
Naturally the aggressive woman is
strong on what she calls her rights,
and imagines nothing but her deter
mination not to give way to nybody
OF anything keeps her from beng
trodden under foot, says the New
Orleans Picavunc. Never was there
greater fallacy. The world is a
good humored giant that can be cajol=
ed ont of almost anything, but ii can
never be bulldozed into anything.
The very reason that SO many of the
causes championed by women have
failed is because they have had the
misfortune to have as their leaders
and opponents the rabid and agrees
i've type of women women the very
tones Of whose harsh voices, the very
cock of whose bonnets, converted YOU
into an instructive opponent before
you had heard a single word they had
to say.
There is curious quality in human
nature that prompts us to refuse the
thing demanded OF us as right that
we are glad to bestow as a gift. Those
who insist on having what they call
their dues, even down TO the smallest
fraction, may appear at first to succeed,
but there soon rises up spirit of re-
volt that finds rare s2oro in circum-
venting them. Many an aggressive
woman, so sure that she gets what
she wants by fie hting for it and de-
handing it, would be amazed to find
how often she is outdone by her serv-
ants and ira espcople, to say nothing
of her family
There is homely old pIoyerb
that sets forth that vinegar never
catches flies and just from a worldly
and selfish standpoint il IS worth
while be to amiable and to cultivate
the gentle virtues OF kindness and
consideration for others. Life is no
thing but mirror that gives back
our own face to us. II we smile upon
it, it comes back to us in warmth and
SunsHItlc. Dub u we TURN udfk anu
sullen face upon it, be sure we get
back nothing but cold avoidance and
bitter dislike. The world is willing
to laugh with us, and dance with us,
and make merry with us; but like an
lrishman at fair, it is also equally
willing to fight with US. Ii we put
tie chip on our shoulder, and dare it
to the conflict, we must take the con-
sequences; and to a woman they are
invariably disastrous. Women were
not meant to fight. They were intend
ed Tor something sweeter and better
than that, and the aggressive woman
is libel on her sex.