The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-17

pire, are not always entirely appreciated
on the domestic hearth"
In a word, the woman of the presant
day has discovered that the average man
is largely shallow, conceited, selfish fel.
low, pulled up with a ridiculous idea az
his own Importance disposed to treat his
matrimonial partner as a military Goa
queror lords it over an annexed district.
and last, but not least, with no mora
sense of humor than a strutting turkey
cock. If this Indictment is true, woman
is entirely justified in declining to link
her fate with that of such an inferior
animal and she is not only justified in
refusing to marry him, but, according to
Miss Dixon, is actually doing so. Doubt
less she ought to do so en- Miss Dixon
statement of facts, but we fear that the
statistics do not sustain the allegation
that the sex to which she belongs is
adopting this heroic method of educating
man up to a higher standard. 1t may
be admitted that the average man is ut
terly unworthy of woman and that the
best way to improve him would be bv
barring him from matIhmony untl he
should cultivate intellectual and moral
qualities fit for such an association, anil
above all, develop that deep and subtle
sense of hum0r so requisite to martial
happiness. A sort of matrimonial ey-
animation, conducted by boards of fe-
male reformers, might be established
before which all male candidates for
marriage might be required to appear
and produce evidence of the possession Oh
a proper amount of intellecr, dOcility and
appreciation OF the superiority of the be-
ing to whom he desired to be united.
This would unquestionably work re-
form i'm the average man and induce him
not only to be better, but more humor-
ous, but for the distressing fact that
Miss Dixon cannot get all her women,
superior and critical as they are to stand
together in this great cause She as
serts that they are ceasing to marry.
but, alas, there are many million traitors
in the camp-millions who every day de-
sert to the enemy, or openly declare
themselves quite willing to do so. Some
bold, bad man, devoid of a sense of hui
NOR, might declare that i'm the great ma
jGrity of cases the women who are ceaS-
ing to marry are those who have not
been asked. But allowing that Miss
DiXon'S noble army of superior women
whom man delights not any longer, are
actuated by the highest motives and the
sternest sense of duty. Of what possi-
e avail will be their critical and offish
attitude if the great majority of the sex
continue to make man believe that he IS
of some account by marrying him? Logi.
cally they ought ste1nly to do what Miss
Dixon says they are doing, but in pciat
OF fact they persist i'm marrying him ana
treating him just as if Miss Dixon and
the other advanced ladies had not found
him out and did not know him for the
poor specimen of humanity that he is.
As the Speaker points out Miss Dixon
pumctures her own case when she admits
that widows, like widoWers, usually
show am extraordinary eageaness to re-
sumo the letters of the welded state"
This is deplorable enough, but more re-
mains behind. Statistics, it seems, show
that whereas MAN of 40 remains
widower for two years only a widow
under 30 marries again within 20
months" Widows, as the Speaker re-
,ee.'Ss, are among the most critical as
well as the most humorous of women.
let Ggures prove that they think the
game fnan) quite worth hunting and
capturing. This being the case, what are
Miss Dixon and her friends going to do
about it? Demnciation of man and a
lofty and critical attitude do not seem to
affect the matter ut all. While the adj
vanced and superior Indies are telling
men what them think of them and hold-
ing them up to ridicule, other ladies with
palmer and more practical ideas are
swapping them UP. 1t is sad. sad conGi-
~ fi,.r II
can get all the women to make common
cause with her, 1T is to be feared THAT
even average suitors" will have no diff
ficalty in enjoying matrimonial happi-
ness.
1t may he worth while to remark. in
conclusion, that Miss Dixon lis right in
saying that man has been found ont,
but IT is net an original discovery by the
nineteenth century woman. Eve found
adam ont before she had been in the
Garden of Eden with him half an ho.lr
She could have written a magazine arti
Gle ON the subject just MS clever and con
yinciGg as that i'm the Humanitarian, Lut
she was too smart to put man ON his
guard. She knew more flies are caught
with honey than with vinegar, and she
handed down TO her daughters the true
secret of managing the worse half Of
creation. Men are necessary evils and
the Wisest women are Those who, while
Knowing them best, do not allow the
stubborn and inferior creatures to realize
tHat they have been found out" but,
while guiding them skillfully, permit
them to think themselves masters of the
situation This is womans little joke
and she has been rlaying it on man since
the beginning of time.
BRAVE MEN FALL.