But these wise designs of nature are counteracted
by mistaken fondness or blind zeal. The child is not left a moment
to its own direction, particularly a girl, and thus rendered
dependent- dependence is called natural.
To preserve personal beauty, woman's glory! the limbs and
faculties are cramped with worse than Chinese bands, and the sedentary
life which they are condemned to live, whilst boys frolic in the
open air, weakens the muscles and relaxes the nerves.- As for
Rousseau's remarks, which have since been echoed by several writers,
that they have naturally, that is from their birth, independent of
education, a fondness for dolls, dressing, and talking- they are so
puerile as not to merit a serious refutation. That a girl, condemned
to sit for hours together listening to the idle chat of weak nurses,
or to attend at her mother's toilet, will endeavour to join the
conversation, is, indeed, very natural; and that she will imitate
her mother or aunts, and amuse herself by adorning her lifeless
doll, as they do in dressing her, poor innocent babe! is undoubtedly a
most natural consequence. For men of the greatest abilities have
seldom had sufficient strength to rise above the surrounding
atmosphere; and, if the page of genius have always been blurred by the
prejudices of the age, some allowance should be made for a sex, who,
like kings, always see things through a false medium.
Pursuing these reflections, the fondness for dress, conspicuous in
women, may be easily accounted for, without supposing it the result of
a desire to please the sex on which they are dependent.
Pages:
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74