Strikes And Wives

Jome two vears f.go, the Ijondon Punch had a cartoon which was a complete epitome of the labor question in its relation to woman. A Bturdy artisan sits at his supper of cheese and beer, a picture of solid comfort after the English ideal. The clock pointa to ten at night, by the flaming candle that Ilumines bis repast. His wife, on her knees at bis side, is mopping up the floor. Disordered dress and weary face bear witness for her, while with some humor she ejaculates: " Got your ten hours V Much good may it do youl I've been at work seventeen and ain't done yet!" So, too, George Eliot, who can see through a clergyman's waistcoat ae clearly as Trollope himself, pictures the fair and gontle wife of the pinched and struggling rector. He has been asleep for hours at her side, while she, after a pretenso of dispesing herself to rest. quietly lights the lamp upon the little workstand, throws a shawl over her ehoulders, sitB up in bed, and darns away at the children's stockings until dawn. ím i i - 4 - +-m- A oreat doal of the unhiippiiiess, and mticli of tho vico, of the world ia owing to weakness and indecisión of purposo - in other words, to lock of courage. Men may know what is right, and y)t fail to exerciRe tho eournpe to do it ; thoy may understand the duty thoy have to do, bnt will not nntnmon un the requisito resolution to perform it. ïlie weak and undisciplinod man is at the mercy of every temj)totion ; hecannot say "No," but falls bof ore it. And if his companionship be bad, lio will bo all the easier led awav by bad example into wreng doinR-. Nothing can be more ceitain than that tho character can only be Bustained and strensrthened by its own onanetio action. The will, whioh is the central force of character, must be trained to habits of decisión - othcrwise it will neither be able to resist evil nor to follow good. Decisión gives the power of standing ijrmly, wlien to yield, however alightly, might be only the ftrst atep in a down-hill course to ruin.