THE HAPPINESS OF WOMEN.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In your late papers on the " Happiness " or "Unhappi- ness" of women, is there not one omission,—that happiness is not an external, but internal thing? Like the "Kingdom of Heaven," it is within us.* Many persons, under twit untoward fate, are seen to lead very happy lives; while there are others whom no amount of blessings ever makes either thankful or con- tented. They are always creating for themselves a grief or a wrong, the present is to them worthless till it becomes the past, and then they waste their lives in vainly regretting it. We have all known, even in good women, that "unhappy disposi- tion," which, far more than any outward circumstances, makes the true misery of life.
Another cause of unhappiness in women—I mean in those fighting with real misfortunes—is their cowardice. Brought up to consider not merely right and wrong, but many secondary things—the opinion of the world, of their friends and relations —and, as one of your writers truly observes, weighed dovrn by their own morbid consciences, they submit tamely to evils from which a firm and persistent will would soon have freed them. Many an act which looks like self-sacrifice is, at the core, mere weakness, fear of the world, of the anger or annoyance of ['True, in the highest sense, bat try a day of toothaete.—E. Spectator.' those who have no right to be either angry or annoyed ; in truth, that "fear of man which bringeth a snare." I think the first lesson to be taught our girls, like our boys, is to be afraid of nothing, except doing wrong.
Then, though we women may be sorely tried in our ardent, turbulent girlhood, our hard-worked matronhood, our solitary and often dreary old age, we none of us need be " unhappy " women ; and we shall be saved at least from the greatest curse of all,—that of making other people unhappy. Such, at least,
is the creed of your constant reader, ANOTILER WOMAN.
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