Читать книгу Our Girls - Dio Lewis - Страница 19

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Reception at the White House. From "Our Washington Correspondent."

Senator A., General B., and Vice-President C. said and did so and so. Mrs. A., Mrs. B., and Mrs. C. said nothing, did nothing; but half the letter is devoted to gorgeous descriptions of their dress- maker's spread. This silent contempt of the woman, and elaborate detail of her dress-maker's style, must cut every proud, sensitive woman to the very quick. It is another piece of what is called "ladies' man," and "ladies' small talk." It is of a piece with this taking off the hat, this excessive bowing and smirking to women, while they are paid for equal services but one-third a man's salary.

We had a capital illustration of this gallantry and injustice, in a speech made by a leading member of the American Homoeopathic Institute, at its great meeting in this city.

A resolution was introduced inviting educated woman physicians of the Homoeopathic school, to become members of the Institute. An old and most respectable member of the Institute, from——, spoke very warmly against the resolution.

He said: "I am a ladies' man; I never pass a woman with whom I am acquainted without raising my hat. I do not keep my seat in the cars while ladies are standing, as I see gentlemen do in Boston.

"Yes, I am the most obedient and devoted servant of the ladies, gentlemen of the Convention, but when you would introduce them to membership in the American Institute of Homoeopathy, I say no! never!"

It is this making woman the occasion for a display of man's gallantries, with this contemptuous disregard of her claims to common justice; it is this spirit which passes the woman, and devotes itself to a description of her dress, to outlining her "low corsage," her "magnificent bust," etc., etc.

If I were a girl, and one of these besmeared, bescented, befaddled, "ladies' man" puppies were to condescend to perform his whining and barking for my special delectation, I should mildly suggest to him the infinite wisdom of bestowing his precious slaver upon some small, gentle poodle.