Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1894 — ARE WOMEN ABUSED BY MEN? [ARTICLE]

ARE WOMEN ABUSED BY MEN?

Both Married and Single Have the Disposition to Grumble at Their Fate. It seems to be a fact that a majority of them, married and single, believe they are abased by the men just because the latter happen to have con* trol of business affairs, run politics, and do the courting. The woman of marriageable age whe Ik still living at home feels that men are not doing right by her. She naturally wants to marry, have a big wedding, go on a tour of the Eastern Stated or Western, as the case may be. But she has to go on waiting, because no man asks her to join him in these festivities. For this reason she feels that she is an abused creature. The old maid who has settled down to earn her own living just hates the men because they allow her to wear her finger nails off scratching for bread. The sight of a man walking comfortably along the street, or driving, or even lounging, around some resort, causes her indignation to rise to the top notch/ Why do they thus continue to abuse her? » The shop girl wonders why the boys' 3o not gather around and ask her to choose one of them to be her defender and supporter. She is quite certain that she should not be permitted to live by the sweat of her brow, and the whole of the blame is placed on Ihe young men who are earning money enough for two and spending it for their own comfort • Married women are the loudest coma plainers, and their complaints are generally against their husbands. It is all right during the honeymoon, but when that is over and they turn to face the realities of life she feels that she is being abused. Her household duties are heavier than when she was at home, her husband is not the singing lover who filled her heart with joy, and her days are not as thickly Interspersed with picnics as when she was a girl. As she thinks over this she becomes more and more deeply convinced that she is a much-abused woman, that husbands are not half as nice as beaux, and is quite certain that she nevtr would have married had it not been for the men. Yet, in spite of all this, the abused woman is an inveterate matchmaker, revels in gossip about prospective unions, and reads the paper that publishes the longest list of marriage notices. No matter how unhappy her life, nor how much of it she blames on her own marriage, she finds the greatest delight in getting others to do the same thing she feels like kicking herself for having done.