The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
Subordination is the _apparent_ lot of woman. From the domination of
nurses, parents, guardians, and teachers, during infancy and youth, to
the magisterial rule of her lord and master, during married life, and
the softer control of her children, through that valley of the shadow
of death, old age, it rarely ceases, until the neatly-crimped borders
of the death-cap rest upon the icy brow, and the unfortunate subject
is screwed down in one of those exceedingly awkward mahogany
tenements, henceforth "all which it may inhabit."
There are two ways of meeting this destiny of the sex. One is merely
to kiss the rod, and bend before the will of the oppressor, meekly
turning both cheeks to be smitten at once, and offering to lend both
coat and cloak, even before either is required. The other mode is to
boldly face down the enemy, and by a never-tiring guerilla warfare, to
hamper his movements, cut off his provisions, and finally hem him in,
after a manner that shall cause him ignominiously to surrender, to lay
down his arms, pass under the yoke, and at length--converting his
sword into a pruning-hook--leave his conqueror undisputed possession
of the land. The usual injustice of the world is seen in the success
which ordinarily attends the latter method; while the meek and gentle,
who, it is promised, shall inherit the earth, must look for a new
heaven and a new earth before they can come into their property.
Husbands, it is premised, have no small share in this domestic
despotism. How often do we see--to the shame of the male sex
generally, be it spoken--some rough, coarse-minded tyrant, linked to a
quiet, amiable woman, who after a long period of hectoring and
dragooning, ordering and counter-ordering, sinks into the grave of a
broken heart--or what is worse, a broken spirit. And sometimes--for
fate is sometimes just--the said patient wife is replaced by some
undaunted avenger of her wrongs, who in her turn dragoons, and hectors
Othello, until indeed his "occupation's gone."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account