Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
A very estimable and influential lady, whose property was valued
at over $150,000, married a man, in whom she had unbounded, but
misplaced confidence, as is too often the case; consequently the
most of her property was squandered through intemperance and
dissipation, before she was aware of the least wrong-doing. So
deeply was she shocked by the character of her husband, that she
soon found a premature grave, leaving several small children to
be reared and educated upon the remnant of her scattered wealth.
Nearly twelve years since, a woman of a neighboring town, whose
husband had forsaken her, hired a man to carry her furniture in a
wagon to her native place, with her family, which consisted of
her husband's mother, herself, and six children, the eldest of
which was but twelve years old. On her arrival there, she had
only food enough for one meal, and nine-pence left. During the
summer, in consequence of hardships and deprivations, she was
taken violently sick, being deprived of her reason for several
weeks. Her husband had not, as yet, appeared to offer her the
least assistance, although apprised of her situation. But, being
an uncommonly mean man, he had sold her furniture, piece by
piece, and reduced her to penury, so that nothing but the aid of
her friends and her own exertions, saved her and her family from
the alms-house.
Says the law to this heroic woman, "What, though your property is
squandered, your health and spirits broken, and you have six
small children, besides yourself and your husband's mother to
support! After five years of incessant toil in humility and
degradation, why should not your lord and master intrude his
loathsome person, like a blood-sucker upon your vitals, never
offering you any assistance; and should your precarious life be
protracted to that extent of time, for twenty dollars you can buy
a divorce from bed and board, and have your property secured to
you. Such, Madam, is your high privilege. Complain then not to
us, lest instead of alleviating your sufferings, we strengthen
the cords that already bind you."
The moral courage of the "Hero of the Battle-field" would shrink
in horror from scenes like these; but such is the fate of woman,
to whom God grant no future "hell."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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