The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-25

1 Nf4AOs NV 49,
class, thankful are we to say but
one seems to be at least. Does the
description fit you? This sister was
intended by nature for a splnster but
some good Aristotelian logiclan
charmed by her observance OF "good
form" took pity on her and raised
her to that pinnacle of fame and So
cial positions minister's wife. Of
course she is as good for heaven as
if she were already there more's
the pity-fOr heaven and for her. A
minister's wife is usually an inferior
creature in mind and body. 1t argues
that either these good brethren have
great sympathy or little gumption.
The minister's wife would be
shocked and beridden if could she
know that she is furnishing a subject
for a paragraph and some study in
psychological ~vivisection. But she
is here she can't help it now she
has been SO exclusive and sparing of
her favors she has lost her chances
of being merely like the rest of the
world and being left in oblivion in
short, she, and no other, made her
self a type.
She claims to be in iIl-health,
which serves as an excuse for whims
and wild nOtiOns-tO her mind and to
some others-blinded by the dazzling
brightness of her exalted station.
Now retaliation is sweet and the
best of people usually look back to
see what hit. And, psychologically,
every n is interesting-everybody
is interesting in appearance. Their
face and manner are interesting {:
through these one reads thoughts.
For thought is double, two in :;
inward, which is intellect or feeling :;
outward, which is action or willing.
Why a minister chooses to infiict a
sick spoilt wife upon his flock and
fOcklings as a social leader and pat
tern is strange, paradoxical, if from
sympathy he does it.
The woman of this type is thin
and spare, %blue-eyed and fair, sharp
lose and wavy hair arranged high,
eyelids are long, too proper and
pseudO-saint like to be raised ever
more than enough to allow a very
decOrOus peep out upon this unhOly
and terribly wicked world and shock
ingly immodest women who have the
bOldness to utter a thought beyond
mere meaningless formalities. To
hate heresy and burn a hereto is
valOr, to her it is Christianity-wOn-
derful! Her own nature is fiat and
favOrless: her sympathy is aCrimO-
NOUS. The church is her private
property, owning it like the Dowager
Empress, accommodating all those
not born of her suasiOn; and not
recognizing some of those so born.
Those eyes SO sanCtimOniOuS, that
cold and formal manner and that
scant squeaky voice act like a repel-
lent magnet. With all her soul she
believes the world is very wicked
that human nature is bad-terrible I;
that God and the devil are two great
powers, opposed to each other, the
devil being the stronger and owning
the more substantial part of the
world; that evil communications
corrupt good manners.
1t would be impossible to tell her
that Paulinterpolated that text from
the Greek. She fears to trust her
self to contact with the world she
might get smutty. However, her
nature is good in fact, but dwarfed
and cramped because growth has not
been natural.
Human nature is good; contact
with it makes men, sometimes cum
ming and sharp, sometimes deep, wise
and sympathetic. Buff it be granted
which it is not-that human nature
is black, and that the world is
smutty then one should be like a
surgeons knife, a%ntiseptic. The
clear sharp ray of sunlight shoots its
golden shaft through and through
the dirtiest alleys, piercing the rub
bish heap. No stain is left upon it's
yellow CLEAN. It is fair, beautiful
in its wake bright flowers spring,
lifting their shining fragrant heads,
all hues and sweet sounds breathe