Folly as It Flies; Hit at by Fanny Fern

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Fern Fanny. Folly as It Flies; Hit at by Fanny Fern

PREFACE

A DISCOURSE UPON HUSBANDS

GRANDMOTHER'S CHAT ABOUT CHILDREN AND CHILDHOOD

WOMEN AND THEIR DISCONTENTS

WOMEN AND SOME OF THEIR MISTAKES

NOTES UPON PREACHERS AND PREACHING

BRIDGET AS SHE WAS, AND BRIDGET AS SHE IS

A CHAPTER ON TOBACCO

GIVE THE CONVICTS A CHANCE

A GLANCE AT WASHINGTON

GLIMPSES OF CAMP LIFE IN WAR TIME

UNWRITTEN HISTORY OF THE WAR

MY SUMMERS IN NEW ENGLAND

BOSTON AND NEW YORK. – THE DIFFERENCE

ABOUT SOME THINGS IN NEW YORK WHICH HAVE INTERESTED ME

THE WORKING-GIRLS OF NEW YORK

WASHING THE BABY

CHILDREN HAVE THEIR RIGHTS

MOURNING

TO YOUNG GIRLS

A LITTLE TALK WITH "THE OTHER SEX."

A CHAPTER ON MEN

LITERARY PEOPLE

SOME VARIETIES OF WOMEN

CONCERNING THE MISTAKES ABOUT OUR CHILDREN

THOUGHTS ON SOME EVERY DAY TOPICS

A TRIP TO THE NORTHERN LAKES

Отрывок из книги

I WISH every husband would copy into his memorandum book this sentence, from a recently published work: "Women must be constituted very differently from men. A word said, a line written, and we are happy; omitted, our hearts ache as if for a great misfortune. Men cannot feel it, or guess at it; if they did, the most careless of them would be slow to wound us so."

The grave hides many a heart which has been stung to death, because one who might, after all, have loved it after a certain careless fashion, was deaf, dumb, and blind to the truth in the sentence we have just quoted, or if not, was at least restive and impatient with regard to it. Many men, marrying late in life, being accustomed only to take care of themselves, and that in the most erratic, rambling, exciting fashion, eating and drinking, sleeping and walking whenever and wherever their fancy, or good cheer and amusement, questionable or unquestionable, prompted; come at last, when they get tired of this, with their selfish habits fixed as fate, to – matrimony. For a while it is a novelty. Shortly, it is strange as irksome, this always being obliged to consider the comfort and happiness of another. To have something always hanging on the arm, which used to swing free, or at most, but twirl a cane. Then, they think their duty done if they provide food and clothing, and refrain (possibly) from harsh words. Ah —is it? Listen to that sigh as you close the door. Watch the gradual fading of the eye, and paling of the cheek, not from age-she should be yet young – but that gnawing pain at the heart, born of the settled conviction that the great hungry craving of her soul, as far as you are concerned, must go forever unsatisfied. God help such wives, and keep them from attempting to slake their souls' thirst at poisoned fountains.

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"Business!" I should think so – business enough, to put that room to rights, for the next three hours!

Did you ever hear an old maid talk about matrimony, or a girl who was trembling on the brink of old-maidism, and feared to launch away? If there is anything that effectually disgusts a married woman, it is that. What can an old maid know about such things? As well might I write an agricultural and horticultural description of a country by looking on a map. What pitying compassion she has for married men, every one of whom is victimized because he did not select her to make him "the happiest of men" – I believe that is the expression of a lover when on his suppliant knees; if not, I stand ready to be corrected – by anybody but an old maid. With what a languishing sigh she marvels that Mrs. Jones could ever be so criminal, as to neglect to sew on an ecstatic shirt-button for such a man as Jones; for whom it would be glory enough to hold a shaving-box while he piled on the soap-suds, which is her particular element. What a shame that Jones cannot stifle his own baby, if he feels like it, by smoking in its face, and leave his boots, and coat, and vest on the parlor floor, if he takes a fancy to do it.

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