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After the Storm

Page 55

Irene listened with delight and even enthusiasm to these sentiments,

uttered with ardor and eloquence.

"It is not woman's fault, taking her in the aggregate, that she is

so weak in body and mind, and such a passive slave to man's will,"

continued Mrs. Talbot. "In the retrocession of races toward

barbarism mere muscle, in which alone man is superior to woman,

prevailed. Physical strength set itself up as master. Might made

right. And so unhappy woman was degraded below man, and held to the

earth, until nearly all independent life has been crushed out of

her. As civilization has lifted nation after nation out of the dark

depths of barbarism, the condition of woman physically has been

improved. For the sake of his children, if from no better motive,

man has come to treat his wife with a more considerate kindness. If

she is still but the hewer of his wood and the drawer of his water,

he has, in many cases, elevated her to the position of dictatress in

these humble affairs. He allows her 'help!' But, mentally and

socially, he continues to degrade her. In law she is scarcely

recognized, except as a criminal. She is punished if she does wrong,

but has no legal protection in her rights as an independent human

being. She is only man's shadow. The public opinion that affects her

is made by him. The earliest literature of a country is man's

expression; and in this man's view of woman is always apparent. The

sentiment is repeated generation after generation, and age after

age, until the barbarous idea comes down, scarcely questioned, to

the days of high civilization, culture and refinement.

"Here, my young friend, you have the simple story of woman's

degradation in this age of the world. Now, so long as she submits,

man will hold her in fetters. Power and dominion are sweet. If a man

cannot govern a state, he will be content to govern a household--but

govern he will, if he can find anywhere submissive subjects."

"He is born a tyrant; that I have always felt," said Mrs. Emerson.

"You see it in a family of sisters and brothers. The boys always

attempt to rule their sisters, and if the latter do not submit, then

comes discord and contention."

"I have seen this, in hundreds of instances," replied Mrs. Talbot.

"It was fully illustrated in my own case. I had two brothers, who

undertook to exercise their love of domineering on me. But they did

not find a passive subject--no, not by any means. I was never

obedient to their will, for I had one of my own. We made the house

often a bedlam for our poor mother; but I never gave way--no, not

for an instant, come what might. I had different stuff in me from

that of common girls, and in time the boys were glad to let me

alone."

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