The Western news., 1902-02-05

WOMAN s TEARS.

.f
DO me one of the most interesting
and significant phases of the evo
luton Of woman is that she Is
ceasing to weep. don't know b w sci
ence explains it. hut it is self-eyident
fact, that every observing person must
have noted, that as women have de-
veloped backbone their tear ducts have
dried up.
Time was, and not SO long ago, when
the very name Of the feminine sex was
synonymous with crying. 1t was WON.
ans hereditary destiny to weep, just as
1t was mans to work, and she did what
was expected of her by sitting down
and bowling whenever she came up
against any Of the hard propositions of
life.
The modern woman has changed all
that. You hardly see woman weep
now. There are--God help us-just as
many things to wiring woman's heart
to-day. and just as many causes for
tears as there ever were, but If she
weeps, she weeps in private. 1t is al
most as unusual and startling to see a
woman now give way publicly to emo
tion as it is to see man do so, and l
can think of no other one thing that so
emphatically marks the progress Of my
sex. 1t measures all the distance be-
tween hysteria and reason. 1t marks
the Unreasonable ditferance between
the spoilt child crying impotently for
forbidden sweets, and the strong adult,
who takes what life gives with unfal-
tering bravery and cheerfulness.
1t seems likely that women always
overvalued the effectiveness of tears
anyway. Tears We're supposed to al
ways be an unanswerable argument so
far as men were concerned. Unfortu-
nately few women can weep effective
~. In poetry pearly drop. that makes
blue eye look like violet drowned
In dew, gathers slowly and rolls gently
down the alabaster cheek. and the man
goes down before it. In everyday life
the woman who weeps gets red-eyed,
and her nose swells, and she looks pur-
pie and apoplectic. and the man gets up
and slams the door behind him, and
goes downtown until the waterspout is
over. In these prosaic and common
sense days weeping has played out as
a fascination, and tears are failure.
No man wants to be salted down in
brine. as If he were dried herring.
Tears We're always towards weap-
on. 1t was playing upon the best and
tenderest In other people for your own
selfish ends. l heard woman say not
long ago that she always got her way
In the family by crying. when want
thing" she said, Il just 60 to bed and
have Mysteries until get It," One un-
of course, how man gives
In to that kind of woman-his very
makes him powerless to deal
with her as she deserves. but what
and blighting contempt he
must have for her. How he must de-
spise the little soul that trades on his
pity, his chivalry, his very reverence
for wOmanhoOd.
sometimes | amuse myself by specu-
|ating on what the state of affairs
would be If mothers wept less over
their wayward children. and spanked
more. Every woman speaks of her chill
iren. when they turn out badly, as a
mysterious dispensation of Providence.
It's sneaky way of trying to get out
'f her responsibility. She has been too
weak, or too selfish, or too lazy to raise
them right. Then the day comes when
she discovers that the girl is meeting
FAST young men on the sly, or the boy
zones home staggering drunk. 1t is
me of the tragedies of life when the
young lives are dearer than her own, ,
ma the young souls that she would
rive her own to save hang trembling in
he balance. and the mother can meet
he situation with nothing but impotent
ears.
SentimentalistS have embalmed a
nOther's tears in song and story, and |
made them sacred. but l tell you the i
ears mother sheds over an ill-raised |
on or daughter are shameful. There
hould be no cause for them, and there
would be no cause for them once in a
million times If she had done her duty.
Anyway you look at it. it is hopeful
ign women have abandoned doing the
ably act. 1t was always weak and use
ess. We owe it to the wol Id to give it
miles and sunshine. not showers. and
We best do our part in it when we meet
he misfortunes of life with that brave
ttitude that nothing can doubt Dor
thy Dix, in New Orleans Picayune.
Never Too OH for White.
There is considerable criticism in
'rench circles over the fact that at a
ecent wedding not only the bride but
he mother of the bride was attired in
white gown. The gown in question
vas, to be sure. heavy white guipure,
trimmed with bands of ermine a cos
ume certainly sufficiently rich and
labOrate to suit woman only a little
yer 40. 1t Is, however, noticeable
act that large number of women past