A VINDICATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5635, 28 October 1875, Page 6

A VINDICATION.

'I'n tin- I'llitm Sir, 1 h.i\e been much pained oi l.itc in reading new spapei s .mil othei publications, to tnul bow gi neral lias become the fashion, with more 01 less ability, as the case may be, to wute in a lowering tone of women. Th._ie is always something attractive ami sparkling in "John Peeiybingle's" sketches, and one would be inclined to make large allow nice for occasionally o\ ei - stated easo, written in such pleasant banter, but I cannot help thinking it a pity that, for the sake of a witty paia graph, such as one that appealed m tha Jleralif, a tew da} 8 ago, concerning "Neivous Women," an exaggerated ease should be taken as a type of aenom women, as will as-nuedly be the case by many who ,ue either too unobstr\ant 01 joung to l>o able to |ud</e for themselves ; and it is those coming within this categoiy who aie most injuied !»_> having a false estimate of women set beloie them I must h.we been uufoitunito in my it uling lately, tor in tuining over Tt mjik Bin, the August 01 Septembei numbei, I foiget whuli, in a clever aiticle, entitled, "Tlie pace that kills," I find women are the e ni.ulo to bear the cluet blame I'lieir supposed love to the exclusion of everything higher and better of the meie uaateiial good things of this world, is there said to be one of the most poweiful motives in the univet-.il tusli and sei amble to "get on " The wuter of the aiticle is, no doubt, an authority, and 111 much that he &a>s de piccatiug tins mue vulgar wish to bo ad well, or better, housed, fed, and clothed than oui neighbouis one must cordially agree, and trust for the bpeedy development of higher amis in life ; but that good women— and the wuter willingly grants them all the v ii tues— should be .simply classed as a highei kind of animal, is a libel Looking back, through a varied expeneiice ot many \e.us, how numeious aie the in stances ol patient, self sacrificing, biavo womin that piesent themselves, women who hive given up all the so called good tilings ,il liu, si. unsellishly as scarcely to fed it a ili m. d, and made no outward sign ' I must maintain, horn a lifelong evpeueuee, that tin maionty of women, when occasion de main's it, would ,u t snnil ul\ It was bid enough to read clever w iitiug containing sue h'cv meal views of the faults of, 1 must belie \\ , the nuuouty of the se\, but I felt utteilj indignant upon leading a letter signed "A. Burr," iu the Good Templar i (iliiiuus of the Cross, consisting of an extianidui.uN and heterogeneous mixture, made up of adinnation of "Puck" and its uithoiess "Ouula." Tho curious nltosyniiasv, too, that could discover L'hust like attubut"8 in such a book is startling, aud would be a discovery to its authoress 1 Liuey. It is difficult to toll whethei the \\ uter is trying to adapt "Oiudas ' theones to the meanest capacity, or is simply awing his own conceited, narrow views on such -lavo questions as social ethics What u"ht has such an astute writer as "A Burr " to°snpposo that the desire shown by women in all ages to please men, is any other than in attubute given of Cod? I cannot see how women, faithfully helping men as then wives, motbem, sisteis, and sweethearts should boa sight displeasing to the Highest; and th it because a minority of women in the wmldN history have abused the inHutnce these positions gave them, is no argument against women in the majority One sentence, supposed to be " Ouida's" opinions ot women, is peculiarly offensive : llu contempt foi the majority of women is not uumeuti'd "Take away then love of ease, ot dicss, of eating and dunking, of taut and scandal, what but then cat natme lemains, what soul is there f I had hoped toi the honour of humanity, by the memory i if patient, gentle, mothers, and loving swt<is, and the good women, that most, save the woist of men have known, that many would have stood forth to vindicate the sex fioiu such utteily false judgment, and it must be rcgietted that anjoue, sup po*ed to interpret another's thoughts should have the power to speak, through the columns of a newspaper, sentiments so unworthy, and so calculated to injure the young and uninformed mind« of both sexes.— I am, 4 C t A Woman.