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WHO RULES?
Br Lady Cook, nee Tennesee Claflin.
'Nothing is more remarkable for its persistency than a popular de
lusion. Born of error and bred by ignorance, it sneaks into life un
noticed and takes centuries in killing. One rarely knows its parent
age or date of birth, yet the foundling refuses to die. It resembles
those animals of which zoologists tell us that, if chopped into mince
meat, each particle starts afresh and becomes a new creature. When
we think we slay it we make it very much alive; as we try to destroy
we re-create. Truth is fragile, short-lived, unobtrusive, easily ob
scured, cold, naked, unpalatable; but a lie is tough, perennial, bold,
inextinguishable, fervent, well vestured, and sweet to the taste.
Suppress it here and it will rise there. Its elasticity is under all
circumstances. Its vitality scoffs at time and doath.
But of all forms of falsehood commend us to popular delusions
Mr. Harry Furniss and his friends may dine thirteen together
twice a day, may rehearse and practice any number of farcical ef
forts to exorcise these, and will only be laughed at for their pains.
Or they may perchance scotch a weak delusion now and then, but
they will never annihilate it.
Nevertheless, though we fail in the .endeavor, there is one we
would attack. It has come down to us through the ages from the
mists of antiquity, venerated and universally believed. With savage
and civilized, orthodox, heterdox, wise and simple, it is a world-wide
creed in regard to the sexes that it is the man who rules. Woman
is the inferior, the subordinate, the one to obey. Man is her lord
and master to whose behests she. must submit. We should be sorry '
to produce a rebellion in any well regulated homo, or to stir' the
meekest wives to revolt, but from a habit of lqokifig popular frauds
in the face and challenging them to searching inspection, we ask,j
nno xvuiesj wno sways me rou 01 empire, iirt:o court- tne camp
the home and society? Man or woman? ,." ,
Now we cheerfully admit that man is a very no'Bfo hnimal. He is
sagacious, muscular, generous, ambitious, courageous, and when
spurred, is capable of great effort But he is deficient in sensibility,
in tact, penetration and patience, and is idle by nature, He dis
sembles badly. He does not know how to wait He regards the
surface of things chiefly. He is guided by appetite, passion, self
interest although an excellent reasoner. But long ages of more or
disguised slavery have sharpened woman's wits. She is subtle,
quick, observant, a good dissembler, patient, profoundly penetrative.
She scents a motive as readily as a dog Bcents a hare. She is sensi
tiveto every mood and tense of (nought and feeling of others. She is
a born diplomatist Her feelings are those of a subordinate class,
jealousy and vindictiveness. But she has abundantly learned the
two great lessons which qualify for heroism and command: to en
dure and to obey. There k no self-sacrifice of which she is not cap
able when urged by love, no torture too powerful, no patience too
great for her passive and indomitable resistence.. And when beauty
is added to determination, she is perfectly irresistible.
Thus men by their own selfishness in the past, have unwittingly
fashioned a creature to rule over them. In subjecting woman they
taught her how to subject themselves, but by more subtle and more
delicate means. By long processes of selection for their own gratifi
cation they have rendered her soft, graceful aud of winning charm
of form and manner. The greater their perception and power of ap
preciation, the greater is her dominion over them. The noblest and
most heroic amongst them are those who have been most notably
subdued. Who is there in the records of history and mythology who
ever achieved distinction and was not conquered by her? Samson
David, Solomn, Hercules, Achilles, Caesar, Antony, Alexander,
Pericles, Napoleon and Nelson, and numberless other heroes and
statesmen, with all the host of painters and poets and men of mind.
Even the gods humbled themselves before her. ""
If these thinge were done in the green days of rv-Jftaiihood, what
shall be done when she shall have attained her f ullnesa of power, in
the flush and summer glory of her intellectual development? We
are but at the beginning of a new ara in her history, the erea of
-mental and social emancipation. It is not long since she was deni
ed a liberal education, when learning was opprobrious and science
withheld. The ignorance of thousands of women of good position
almost equalled that of their sisters in eastern harems, where they
are still studiously debarred from all sources of mental improve
ment Woman made puddings while their husbands made politics,
and were not expected to lift her eyes beyond household cares and
duties. When they, read and wrote by stealth, they feared to display
their greater knowledge, for few men could tolerate this sort of sup
eriority on the part of his wife. But now our girls walk jubilantly
through the whole curricul m of studies. The strongest fortresses
of knowledge, deemed almost impregnable to men, fall before them.
They have become graduates of universities, doctors of music and
medicine, professors of natural science and even first wranglers. In
art and literature they have achieved noteworthy distinction, and
every day witnesses an increasing number in the ranks of the intel
lectual. Peeresses rush into print, and society-leaders sigh for the
laurel wreath. Within another decade the educational supremacy
will be lost, if it is not already so, for it is admitted by competent
judges that our girls are more conscientious students and better
workers than our boys. The prospect is most encouraging to our
sex and race. Improved mothers will produce improved daughters
and every generation see an axcelerated advancement.
Many of the men have still the hardihood or stupidity to deny
that woman really rules. But this is because all sagacious women
handle the reins so lightly that their husbando never know they
hold them at all. They resemble Queen Caroline who ruled England
and George the Second for ten years without being aware of it. In
obstinate cases, however, the wife must let her hand be felt. And
never yet has there been a martial mouth so hard but what some
kind ef a bit could be found to subdue it. It will be wise, therefore,
of the men to capitulate at once, and no longer insist upon malo
superiority and male privileges. Their rule is nearly over. But, if
in the see-saw of human events, thev should, in tlin tntum h Till
ed in a subordinate position, we must accord them more generous
, treatment man tney Have given us. We must not retaliate. On
the contrary, we should resist all attemnts to deirrartft thorn n,l lot
equality be our motto then as now. Any other policy might act on
mum asineirs nas enecteu us. and so reduce us again to subjection.
MEAN REVENGE.
"Coffin," said his brother-in-law, an oid bachelor, who roomed in
the apartment overhead, " if you'll let me name that strong-lunged
wideawake, night-blooming infant of yours I'll buy a gerambulator
for him, get him i suit of clothes when he's 5 years old and make
a present of a pony and 8100 when he's old enough to ride "
"I'll do it," said Coffin.
And this is how it happens that a young man with a wild, hunted
look in his eyes now goes up and down the earth trying in vain to
escape from the dreadful name of Mahogany Coffin.
Get our prices before buying elsewhere.
Jeckell Bi:os.,taiIors, 110 north 13 st
Special sale on HammockB, Saturday the 9th. Hawke's Pharmacy.
A GRAND FEATURE
Of Hood's Sarsaparrilla is that while it purities the blood and sends
it coursing through the veins full of richness and health, it also im
parts new life and vigor to every function of the body, Hence the
expression so often heard: "Hoods Saasaparilla made" a new person
of mc.r It overcomes that tired feeling so common now.
Hood's Pills are purely vegetable, perfectly harmless and always
reliable and beneficial.
551
BEST SEI OF III
U
After May 1 I will make the best set of Teeth for $5.
Teeth Extracted Without rain. All Work Guaranteed atlsfactory.
ROOMS 94, 95, 90, BURR BLK. SURGEON DENTIST.
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