THE WOMAN WE ALL DETEST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1886, 22 August 1874, Page 4

THE WOMAN WE ALL DETEST.

[PROM THE JEWISH MESSENGER — NEW YORK PAPER.] Since the days when shameless Archilochus wrote such fearful lampoons against women that some of the sisterhood hung thermal ves in vexation, the sex has met with a deal ■ f criticism, not always, perhaps, 80 murderous in its effect, and virtues and vices have been eagerly seized upon by contending writers. Possibly woman has been criticised with more pungency than truth, with more sharpness than justice. Her peculiar nature, intensely emotional, is a tempting mark for shrivelled satire. Wit, too, has impelled ..its stinging shafts against her ; buffoonery sought to besprinkle her with its own grossness. Partly owing to the true character of .woman-kind and partly to the animus of critics, the genus woman ha 3 been thus differentiated into numerous species, with well-defined marks of their own. The classification is not, perhaps, the most exact, and a future socialist may simplify the science. Of the many species, then, the most unpleasant is the woman we all detest. Wo confess that there is something abhorrent in applying such an epithet to woman, whose normal nature suggests all that is pleasureable and pure ; but it is not woman's nature which is here detested, but simply the embodiment of that natureina few blatant individuals who have all the outward characteristics of the sex. If a woman sinks so low as to clothe herself in repulsive garments she will excite the sentiment of detestation ; and unhappily, society exhibits too many instances of women of this class for one to oaiit the fact of their existence or palUtate their conduct. Society not only exhibits these, but suffers, sadly suffers from their handiwork. Their ains are too many and too henious to be passed over in silence. The woman we all detest in, in the first place, a meddler. She has the happy i knack of prying into everybody's business, and her little brains are like an inventory, where the affairs of her neighbours are set down in order and learnt by heart. And not only their affairs in a business sense, but their affections aud desires, their likes and dislikes, their hopes and capabilities, are industriously conned, at •the very first occasion to be displayed ruthlessly to the public gaze, although her action may lacerate the tenderest sensibilities and wound whole circles of freinds. Being a meddler, she is always planning schemes of her own which will inierefere with the pet resolves of other people, after they have told them to her in confidence. Ingratiating herself iyi your favour, she will not leave you until she has discovered your most precious secrets — your weak points— the knowledge of which she will use hereafter to your dismay and injury. Her meddlesome and officious disposition leads her into many a fray, but as soon as the combat begins, she leaves the combatants to fight for themselves. She is satisfied, like a peace able soul, with exciting their rage. The woman we all detest is an inveterate talker. Whether she succeeds in saying anythiny or not, she is blissful if she leaves a sting behind. In fact her conversation is full of stings. .She is a good conductor of scandal. The latest social gossip, exaggerated to a frightful degree, falls from her lips. She likes to prajttle of people above her set, as if they were her intimate acquaintances. She talks so much that she is not worried by silly con) punctions about telling the truth, so thai you can trace her by the number of lies which she scatters in her path, lies which are not intentional, but they are lies for all that, and bear their bitter fruit. Voluble, she is not profound in her: remarks. She does not quote poetry or history, but her conversation is a poorlyconstnicted patch-work of other people's thoughts, which she adopts to suit her convenience. She is never so happy as when she blasts another's reputation, and leaves you a prey to doubt and fear. A woman of this class could never succeed as long as she does did she not possess a smooth tongue. This she has, and it is well developed, giving an unctuousness to her phrases. She knows how to cover her tracks, so that her most intimate friends are unaware of the sac of poison behind her tongue, until the venom enters their blood. You would not take her for a dissembler for Bhe ij extremely lady-like in her demeanour, never publicly gives way to ' passion, is courteous, and likes to smile. She talks of other .people as if only a painful sense of duty impelled her, and begs you not to repeat the horrid slauder about your dearest friend, which she hastens to inform you, she does not for a moment believe. She never confesses herself the originator of scandal but " they say " and " it is said " are constantly referred to as her authorities. She likes to flatter, and sometimes she touches as she talks, at which a cold chill will penetrate your frame. Her very touch is clammy, and her walk is hesitating. She will rarely look you full in the face. But she has consummate art, never loses her self-control, however much circumstances are against her, but will often through her shrewdness turn defeat into victory. Never at a loss for a word, her memory is surprisingly well cultivated. She will often recall the minutest fact for a back-hand thrust. To sum up her virtues in a few sentences : — She is deceitful. You will discover after a time how ingenious is her deceit. She prides herself on her generalship, and takes upon herself the credit for every undertaking, if successful, in which she acts a minor part. If reduced in circumstances, she will always prate about her former grandeur ; if a ragpicker's daughter, she will fling stones at people of a higher social grade. Proud, supercilous, envious, she will never voluntarily apeak well of any one, do a kindness, or an act of love. He presence is associated with such odious thoughts that, after a time, we come to detest her gradually, and brand her with the mark of Cain, which, although unseen, is the less felt. She has her office in society, like the parasitic insects which feed upon our frames.

By a return issued recently, it appears that the total consumption of sugar in Great Britain, for the year ending September 30 last, in breweries, was 63, 111,228 lbs., of which 26,795,293 lbs. were con sumed in London, and 31,780,969 lbs. in the Piovinces, In Scotland the consumption was 574,303 lbs., and in Ireland 3,960,667 lbs. The'excise duty on sugar used in breweries from this date forward will be 11s. 6d. per hundred, instead of 7s. 9d., as formerly.