The Ladies' Column.

Otago Witness, Issue 1205, 2 January 1875, Page 21

The Ladies' Column.

EDUCATION OF WOMEN-.

•Two meetings weW held in London recently in connection with the movement for promoting the higher education of wtfmen. The first was the inaugural meeting of teachers, students, and intending students of the proposed mixed college for men and women. Mr. Thomas Hughes was in the chair, and spoke in favour of permitting the two sexes to study together in the same classes, on the grounds, so far as experience went, that this joint study had a softening effect on the young men and a strengthening and elevating influence on the young ladies. In no case had anything like rudeness come to his knowledge. The hon. sec. , Mrs. F. Malleson, gave an encouraging account of her visit to the Birmingham Midland Institute, where this plan has been carried out for twenty years. Mr. James Stanfield, M.P., said the scheme had his entire support. He believed warmly in the university extension system, provided always that the classes were open to women. The second meeting was the opening of the session of the Ladies' Educational Institute. The enterprise had its origin four years ago, when Professor Morley Btarted it with four students. On Monday night the Professor declared its position very encouraging. Many students have been enabled to compete for University degrees, and numbers of others have earned certificates of competency as teachers. THE HUSBAND'S COMMANDMENTS. I. I am thy husband, whom thou didst vow to love, honour, and obey ; for I saved thee from old maidism and the terror of single blessedness. 11. Thou shalt not look at any other man, to love or admire him ; for I, thy husband, am a jealous husband, who will visit the sin of the wife upon followers ; therefore keep thou faithfully to thy marriage vows. 111. Thou shalt not backbite thy husband, nor speak lightly of him ; neither shalt thou expose his faults to thy neighbour, lest he should hear of it, and punish thy perfidy by a deprivation of sundry items, such as bonnets, dresses, &c. IV. Thou shalt purchase cigars for thy husband rather than ribbons for thyself. V. Thou shalt not go to the opera or evening parties without thy husband ; neither shalt thou dance too frequently with thy "cousin" 'Orthy "husband's friend." VI. Thou shalt not listen to flattery, nor accept gifts or trinkets from any man save thy husband. VII. Thou shalt not rifle thy husband's pockets for money when he is asleep ; neither shalt thou read any letters thou mayest find therein ; for it is his business to look after his own affairs, and thine to let his alone. VIII. Thou shalt conceal nothing from thy husband. IX. Thou shalt make no false representations of the state of thy pantry, thy purse, or thy wardrobe. X. Remember to rise early in the morning and be prepared with becoming good humour to welcome thy husband at the breakfast table, XI. Look for no jewelry from thy husband on the anniversary of thy wedding for it is written, "Blessed are they who expect nothing, for verily they shall not be disappointed. TRUE LOVE IN DETROIT. Mr. and Mrs. Cockery occupy rooms on Michigan Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth streets. They do not live as happily as two doves in a cot ; on the contrary, it's an every-day occurrence for one or the other to wish that he or she ■were dead. Yesterday morning they had a "jaw" and a fight, and Mr. Cockery remarked that he would rather hang himself than live another day. Mrs. Cockery replied that if he wanted to hang himself she would offer no objections, and this made him madder than ever. " I will hang myself !" he exclaimed, striking the table with his fist. "Do so !" she replied kicking over a chair. He went out on the veranda overlooking the back, yard, unfastened the clothes-line, hitched it overhead, made a noose, and when he went for a chair to stand on he said : " In five minutes I shall be a dead man !" "And I shall be a happy woman!" was her reply. This made him madder still, and he went out with his chair, put his head in the noose, and there was a real case of hanging. The wife must have heard him kick over the chair in the struggles, and heard his gasp and groans, -but she kept on washing her dishes. A man named Patrick Dolsey, who was sawing wood in the next yard, saw the whole thing, and he rushed around, sprang up the stairs, and when he saw Mrs. Cockery washing cups and saucers he shouted : " Your husband is hanging himself." " Yes, he said he would," she answered, giving the dishcloth a ring. Dolsey grabbed for a knife and ran out, and after a moment had Cockery down on the floor. It was in good time. The old man was as black in the face as a horse plum, his tongue protruded, his eyes hung out, and another minute would have made a dead Cockery of him. It was a long time before he could speak, and they had to bathe him with whiskey and get him into bed. Dolsey obtained the assistance of two other men to do this, and during all their stay Mr 3. Cockery

never gave her husband as much as a look. When she had finished washing her dishes, she sat down and went to sewing. When Dolsey remarked that her conduct was cold and unchristian, he touched a tender chord, and she replied : "If anybody wants to hang themselves ia it any of my business V Cookery said he would do it, and he tried to, but he still lives, and it is not impossible that the day will come when the two will be happy and sing like bluejays on the top rail of a pasture fence. — Free Press. -« ; HEPWORTH DIXON AS A SLANDERER OF AMERICAN WOMEN. Among the new candidates for honours in the lecturing field in this country is Hepworth Dixon. It is not yet announced upon what subject lie will deign to enlighten the American people, but his book on Spiriual Wives will easily afford the moans of giving them a great deal of striking information about themselves. If Hepworth Dixon selects his readings from that valuable work, he will be able to tell American ladies something about the " Gothic revival " which they may never have heard before. For instance, if he turns to Vol. 2, pp. 227, 228, he will read out the following passage, in which he desiribed to his reiders abroad the manners and customs of a people Avhose money he now proposes to take in exchange for the pleasure of hearing his lecture : " The great disparity in the two sexes, which in that country [United States] makes the female master of every situation, has deprived society of the'conservative force engendered by fear or shame. No woman in that country needs to care whether she offends or not. If she is right in her own belief, that is enough ; she is hardly more responsible to her lover than to her groom. Instead of having all society against her, she finds a certain portion of it, and that of a class distinguished, in some degree, by art and culture, on her side. Free love instead of being universally condemned, has in America its poets, orators and preachers ; its newspapers, lecture halls, excursions, picnics and colonies, all of which help to give it a certain standing and authority in her eyes." Mr. Dixon further stated that "the' number of persons living openly in this kind of free union is believed to be very great." (Vol. 2, p. 233.) Managers of lecture bureaus and lyceums will do well to apply to Mr. Hepworth Dixon, without delay, for further information concerning American women. — New York Times. ♦ HOW TO MANANGE A HUSBAND. A lady read the following paragraph in a paper : — "A young wife once csured her husband of a disposition to absent himself from home at night by providing a good dinner, and saying to him afterward : ' George, if you find a sweeter spot than our home describe it to me, and I will rival it if I die in the attempt.' A kiss and a few words completed the victory." This lady tried the game on her husband. He wasn't melted a bit ; he merely said : ' When you can get the boys to come here and smoke cigars and talk politics, and you set up a keg of lager, you can count me in. I like the company of the boys, I do." Our lady saw that sentiment had no effect upon him. So she didn't throw herself on his neck and hug and wet his paper collar with tears ; but she took a saucer and fired it at his head, and followed it up with a cup, and -ended by slinging a dish of strawberries on his shirt bosom. Since that time he has been an exemplary husband. Yet he does seem very anxious for her to visit her dear mother as often as four or five times a week.