El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-05

~ all the many mistaken theories
Of life that women hold there is
4 none. perhaps, that has worked so
much harm to themselves and others
as the prevailing idea that there is
something peculiarly feminine and
angelic in cherishing and broodine1
over a sorrow.
Men must work. and women must
weep. so runs the world away" SAYS
the poem. and women have faithfully
believed that they were never so fur
doing their fun duty as when they
were sitting up sobbing into their sest
pocket handkerchiefs
Indeed. the ability 70 grieve long.
inconsola5ly, and senselessly. has be-
come an exclusive feminine character
istic, and women not only cultivate
il in themselves. but they admire il
in other women They think well Of
a sister who doesn't get over things.
They praise her whose heart is
buried in the grave Of a worthless ana
drunken husband They have "a pecul-
lar tenderness for spinsters who pine
for 40 or 80 years for the faitlless
lovers who deserted them and. in
short il may be said that a wOman's
ideal of her sex is a melancholy crea-
after some misfortune, never smiles
again
A woman who is jolly. and wb5
shows a disposition 10 throw off trou-
bic. and take bright and CHEEKY view
Of the world, is always regarded with
suspicion by other women
1t is this idea that a woman's tears
are accounted unto her for righteous
ness that causes women who formulate
the laws Of society 70 make a cult Of
a her Of frr~
dies. custom causes the women Of the
household 10 shroud themselves in IN
wholesome black garments that are an
ever-present reminder Of their sorrow.
Think All Happiness Is UnhOIy.
They must darken the house and
shut out Gods blessed sunlight. They
must lock the piano. that there may
be no music TO tighten their sad hearts.
they must 20 nowhere save TO the
cemetery. where the sight Of the new
made grave tears the wounds open
afresh: they must see nobody except
the old friends and relatives whose
very sympathy quickens the agony Of
memory and loss.
The result is inevitable. The very
touch and sight Of the gruesome black
clothes, the darkened and gloomy
house. the absence Of everything that
could distract ones attention from
their sorrow. engenders q mOrbidness
OF grief in women that you never see
in any sane man.
SO far. however. from perceivine.
that mans attitude on this subject
is the drawer. the kinder and more con
siderate 70 his fellow creatures and
the more Christian. women take credit
to themselves for grievinE more for
their dead. and are bitter in their de-
nunciatiOn OF men for so soon for
getting
II IS an unjust chargs Nobody
who h-7 ever loved and lost ever for
gets. it men are wise enough TO
know that there is no merit IN wax
ing themselves ueedlessly unhappy or
of broolinE over hopeless sOrrows. and
so they deliberately so TO work 10
distract their minds from their grief.
while women devote themselves to
feeding upon their sO-row-
Traitor To the Living.
BAD this is for the woman in
dividually-and IL wracks her nerves
and darkens her davs-its worst phase
is the Injustice II does 70 others. for
IL her loyalty 10 the dead a woman IS
often a traitor 20 te living.
SeIfiShness of Sorrow.
Many a woman IN her grief over
the death OF her father or mother for-
gets the duty she owes her husband
and her children. Many 4 woman
whose own heart IS heavy goes about
laying the burden OF her GRIEF on all