Ladies.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 35, 31 March 1894, Page 7

Ladies.

PROM A WOMAN’S POINT OP VIE W. One of the most widely-discussed novels published of late years is Sarah Grand s “ Heavenly Twins,” a power-fully-written study of the character of a woman who runs full .tilt against many commonly-held opinions on the marriage question. Some idea of the views held by the heroine Evadne, who has married a, man with a. bad record on the assurance of her father that his past career is perfectly satisfactory, will be gathered from the following’ extracts from the book ; You have never thought about what a woman ought to do who has married a bad husband. You think T should act as women have always been advised to act in such cases—that I should sacrifice myself to sa.ve that one man’s soul. I take a different view of it. I see that the world is not a bit the better for centuries of self-sacrifice on the woman’s part, and therefore I think it time we tried a more effectual plan. And T propose now to sacrifice the man instead of the woman.”

“Did it never occur to you that a woman has her ideal as well as a man ?” she said ; “ that, she loves purity and truth, and loatires degradation and vice more than a man does P” “Theoretically, yea,” he answered; “ but you will find practically that women will marry anyone. If they were more particular we should be more particular too.” “ Ah, that is our curse,” said Evadne —“ yours and mine. If women bad been ‘moreparticular ’ in the past you would have been a good man, and I should have been a happy wife to-day.” “ You often hear it said of a girl that she should have been a boy, which, being’ interpreted, means that she has superior abilities; but because she is a woman it is not thought necessary to give her a chance of making a career for herself. I hope to live, however, to see it allowed that a woman has no more right to bury her talents than a man has; in which days the man without brains will be taught to cook and clean, while the clever woman will be doing the work of the world well which is now being so shamefully scamped.”