WOMANLY DIGNITY.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 240, 22 November 1873, Page 2

WOMANLY DIGNITY.

(Satcbd vi Reyuw ) TftEit 1 ? are various kinds of drgnity, and if sojne. ar« nfliore eiaspcritinjf timn others, Mine are very lovely, and amjjmj; tlie gr>*ate->t t>li»t*ins of w>m inhood. Tnere uin particular that solt (1 gnit y winch belong* to women, who a p e »i|t>c> tiotl'tt« by Mature an, l timid by temperament, but who list^ a rt j ti*rTi* of aielf respect that defend* them flgamst tbemse|ses as well a* a^nnist others The»e htue aqu et diurtitjp , tampered by much sweetrtea' of sptech a id manner, that n 'the iorelif->t ltiitfl of all, and tlio masr aubtle us w<?li us ide tijlo<t beautt.ul. Tey are like the lady i" '' Comus," »iid siem to eft t the spell of respect on nil with. what>i I hey are i associated. Nj man, butu of the coarsest fibre, and suf»i| *» only physical strength can control, coul Ibe rude to 1-errli \a ' wo.-d or brut tl us d>*ed ; for there is something about tiilun, very indefinite b'U very «t-"on.j wtthul, winch scemi to $'ye them -pec-nil protection fio'n s>i*ol«-nro ; ami a loving 'voti^sn ofiofj mMnner-i, tsdio^e mind i* pure and who respects i)]er- ' •elf, is ariiT*il with » power which iiono bat tlie vilest .pan despi«e. Tli!« iii t lie woman W >'O get* a precise obedielttce Irmn her servant* without exacting it, and whose t luldr«>n do not dream of disputing her « \nLe» ; w iiu, though so and affable, atouJ short of timt kind a{" latnt.iarity ■kljiciv hreccN ci>nfe'n ( jr, mnu wtrij wno'n no one (ftkei a* libe|r!y. I For thii oiie can scurtviy pne a roason Sha would ll.ot ramp or rare «f she «a< ((iitpl^n^t, she »ouhi nof icold, *he could not strike ; but there is ft certain quality in her which >njiy not be able to lorinularize, u>t which nould make ut &i!i»med to )>»«* beyond the bo««irianM of the strictest re* »peot, »nd which rt!»tr»n>» others I^B conenout-ly critical tlmn ourselves a* ce rtain'y as ft-nr It is tiie respect we |>ay to tlio*o who respect thamselve*; tlie coi»nidc'*atwn i|nd hon »ur which nl! real i urity of nature demands tind obta n». Tlu» is wotnanlj dt^nity in its lo«elie*t as}>ect, aad the k nd we nil df*ire to <cc in wonton, whom tt would not hardta f tior r#rwj«r 1« «s tlian loving. f ihvn thrrc is the mote a^gr»»?ire t itruggling,, >t«^ kind^ of dLnitr, whit'h we uie^t in iuatonctii romttnci'* chic|3vw wh^re " «v»unt, b&»P *uti*f " i» a- phrase ofjxjwer, nti'A wh^r© an iUiprot«*cUtl dmnsfl, in » mbe of " nch samits 1 bngii|t," with her ba< k hmr duwn, and t'aprymjj » email jV«elU|r'« »ho]> on hfr jiertou, it ah't» bv tiie innnteoi'' her dignity n!<;>\ie to tltflVnd hwael! from the base At sign* »>f mnraii hug barons •ml th» deprrdationit of meaner k«a»ei-~»ap>ing the »»ld bon^tj imonjj men n* V\m fumed her iion 'i'liw is a pictt^ie exqui«!)eir fasrniatmg to the yuun^, «»d firmh hriitMP'iiin. We doubt, however jf ai<y Giithiwiß-tic girl wuuKl Btt<l poitse'seil the >;ilt if »he went into n thierra'qiintter in L<>n(lo« «vit.h her |>ur3o in her pwket and her dignity aa her W'l* «»%ti^t*(2 ; nnd nc tliinksiw wjuhi do bntter to trust to tiie poliie.' This kind of dignity, truncated into the home iijfe, i*« a troublesome m>rt of tiling; bitfc somct me* it is intensely odd, if one can afford the tune to be * nused ; »ud * di^tiifipd woitmn of the Miigt'-htrose km i, who, M dra>»» rier»i»lf apjto her full Iwight," os novtlislu toy, tt<id speak* in *n octavo below her utuulvo.ee when -he »» otfended, i# p^ftly tyir* to have plenty of oci h»\w\ lor the exr *•,•» >i» of her tnlent. Tnerp in nnotlier kui'l of (Hgmty the g«ni k.md, rrpfl* -| l^nt and ironixmnd— wheieb} v>u fitid .iour#tlJ" pu»!>r<i ba"k befi re you ii ivf t> ado a;i adv.ir.cv ; where, indeed, >l>6^ whole rule of life aeein* to be to ivpei «u all ei-lt*« tt T oinjpn^l afll eted witli thu «j)e<M<?» of dignity *re i»!wa\« on the loqkout for as*nu!f«, and consequently are ulwayfl thrustai,? t'i*(ir shield of d<>f. nee in your t.««^ You do not want to trouble them in their dignity; you a r « not thinking of itivadmig tfiat or this raore'l piovitice ; }et you are suddenly .u< t by An nsenmptiou of olf> Titled mojvst^ , which uiaketyau feel s* if you had lvi'pned h blow. Some playful word,*omo lau^hinet f »"d ridicu'ous nccu&itiou, o. q-ute innocent Bliiisu'n, si\<\ you «re treated m b ??»wleineari mt who h»* grievously offended nga>n>t gO"d niftmvr-» r,nd wo>n inly d'sjniU Them are smnc wornou (otutifionaliy incipabie of uiuh'retnndiij/g an \ tiling lik* playfulnjes j , »>id wlio t'»n rnnka no Atelmcimn between fun and impertmenre, a liunilung huiiio'ir and tikinj; hh rheh. They wr>»p thwnselres :ip in a robe of m)y jesfcy, and reient flsrttdpness any homely touch which isjuoiif* t'teir ttntely dnipery. T'k'v aiv women ahouf »ho«e off ir.rt^ j»u know abiolutf nothing, though you may be-tlieir frseilid of a 'ifetime. You never hear thoiu tell the naw* ti«rn»te|l*» anecdote frankly, but ai^ay* with a »rre>-e »<r of nijtfei'y and something hidd nj you never hear the-j dwuss tile least importing tubipct freely. You would pot dare to s.«k them, rienit as you are, thin/js «hch you wc.iild «k ft i-otnparnthp »tran«?pr without 1 e-siattnn, atid they nev^r t>l n eer informs i n. Tiu>v w>til I fan^dpr it- a libeity |!f you wanted parti«-ulnri>«< to t lie treatment liiev hud pursue^ my in sirh and su.-h ciies of illnw?, and thej «ro tar t<ii» dij«*tßed io lipT|) the !;tpt]^riMuvd or their ynutipers by lhAr o«n aequiri'-l store One often wonders "hat thrSi* writftjifi iiro ns mother* with yniin^ 1 dauuhlers to nistruct: and whcfclier tbrnr di^nttr can nnbertd to fir a* to^ni lessons to jtirU w-ho )MiTe«*Tfrvi)iin<» to >ram. Tlirr ife co grim, |io fnr n«moT«l from anvof (he kindly fanutiaritim. tl-e n uiernal f»iidwne»tei of ordinary *r>>itr«»w, ihnt v>r> fitid it h'ir 110 b«lie\e thpre can ever be moment* in which, or persons \<o whom, they can eondwend t<» be natural, to thr*|p v but not identical* a,re the coldly, 'dignified women — thoi|ie w'io keep thomtelve* apart from the r world Sbr want qf *arrutli to fOaliws, They nre net «o *jrprp«ive as the nvtin | one«, nnd not tr, op» to twte offence or fo keen to *!•*■ «>i irllsult where none was mennt ; hut they areas mi| eiietrabty, and «« imperviod* to hunwur The difference between thj^ two kinds lies sn th<»tptnper { the diciuty of the grins b"in|(s dignity fouped by ill hnn'oiir. thnt »«f the rolrl hetr^; HJp-rntir hardened by indiftVww. JSfJther i« idtinmb'e, and boij» nre common , and wor to the luckless mnn.most pn^bably of iijovml, we*li-h»i'ked nature, who hat fnHen into flic po««-|f of either. He h>u to eipiaif hv a hfe of «f!f Mippn*Mio» for the one port, arid of prt*prftml *tti!nb!*ng tnto oi?< ? <*■ idlf the other, the U'iTit>le mistake he i»«di? .n e tr y joutl^^ when a gtrl't cold wlfjK'S^eiision Hk^Vnlled by a riiu-e »o4 V »nd no account tfikcji r>{ th»» tir>e wl'tn a just tj.dumbl^ charsrtersftic wniiid have become 'Ihf fact, tt, UK>ftj) as *-oniahly di*i>ft? u *» a wwmanljli pos'-estior, .t (&n be earned to «xce«*. and from a virtue be^i co-n<» a \ ne, So \ansi an it is ai a honeif r)r f m?* work »j?ain»4| the rough iiHSHults of s-njiei'ior slrpnstb, it is both food anql TuiV; bat when it awumec to be rnorf than thi» it brrotncij Inn eiag^eration, and, u mn-h, ridjfiilouf. There is Iswi %y *hioh women "«n beexp-H^t frcm » *hsre fn the tJbj|blef) ( «nd i^rrews of bun-an Jlfi? ; r.nd even tl^sr dignity e»rlnoii »Iw«y» protect Hvetn from tbsn«st!t4t ovtjTKte «11 Imt WMWUJi

Mil) it i-n rn'iinhli* piwes^inn, nnd uomrn.linrl Jirtfrr lmvc - lap wodrof it t m two little $ f>r, though too mudi renders l^icin absurd, 1101 10 litll«» mnkes iliom ronfeinptiblf, and between t lie two -h -rp is no doubt in to w!nc!i is wone.