Are Women Worse Than Men?

Evening Star, Issue 8529, 30 May 1891, Page 3

Are Women Worse Than Men?

YES—OFTEN, AND IN MANY THINGS! In the ' Leisure Hour ' Mrs Mayo devotea her Beriil paper, ' Under Discussion,' to a cri'.icisin of some women's manners and ways. The article is a strong one, in the form of a conversation, but the gist of it is thit women are distinctly inferior to men in very many important elements of human character. Women, to begin with, blind themselves to their own wickedness by using innocent terms to describe plain sins, Treachery is called tact; lies, fibbing; drunkenness, over - stimulation ; while thougbtleesness is simply sheer vulgar selfishness and disregard for the rights of others. Selfishness may be equal in both seies, but it manifests itself pre-eminently in some women by their capacity for petty pu-ming and grasping, and by their callous indifference to the rights and feelings of others. '* lam afraid that disregard for others' rights—an indisposition to look not on'y 'en one's own things, but also on the thiugs of others'—is a besetting weaknesa of our poor sex. I think it is John Buskin who somewhere says, in his rather sweeping fashion, that he has come across very few in the world except themselves and their own children."

Sometimes out of spiteful inquisitiveDess, sometimes to gratify a mean vanity, women will rtcklessly nndermine or damage the influence or authority which is really responsible for the welfare of young lives. Nor is this all. While men and women are far more alike than they are indifferent, women are much wickeder in being more spittful." For instance, women go out of their way to inflict pain or contumely on each other, even when there is no question of revere or spite, or scarcely of personal knowledge. I have no doubt some men are quite aa purse-proud or house-proud as some women, but generally they will simply neglect tLose whom they outshine. The woman wishes to drive home her triumph and enjoy it with the flavor of somebody's humiliation."

Theu, again, few women have among themselves any share of that which among men is called “ honor.” A room full of girls will indulge in the most spiteful remarks about a visitor whom they tee coming up the avenue, and then the moment she has arrived in the room they will surround her with greetings, hugging her, kissing her, and generally teaching a terrible lesson as to the possibilities of feminine treachery : — ll l have heard men make remarks about ethers both spiteful and severe, . . . Bat those men would not straightway fawn upon the object of their contempt, and profess an unctuous joy in his society. If any nun did so, his fellows would instantly dub him a cad and a sneak. And yet too many men only laugh when they detect women in these mean treacheries! Quite recently a ‘ society ’ journal said airily, as a matter of course, that women are allowed to speak and behave in ways which would cause the Immediate ostracism of a man. I think the virtue about which women should examine themselves and their ways is truthfulness. I do think it is the lack of this which underlies much bad manners, and social treachery, and petty injustice.” Mrs Majo finishes up by quoting Canon Littledale, who says that men rarely stab one another with the personal stilettos of concentrated spite which women are apt to wield. Men are loth to strike a fallen enemy, whereas too many women delight in trampling on him to the last. He also says that there is a lower standard of truthfulness among women than among men, proved by small social hypocrisies, continual inaccuracy, and a marked tendency to exagge-