Woman (La femme) / from the French of J. Michelet ; translated from the last Paris ed. by J.W. Palmer.

  • Jules Michelet
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Woman (La femme) / from the French of J. Michelet ; translated from the last Paris ed. by J.W. Palmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    of life. Then forgive the mother if she desires her daughter to suffer less, if she sends her to the factory, there at least she will have a roof over her head; or makes her a domestic in town, where she will partake of the amenities of the bour- geoisie. The girl is only too eager for that; every woman has in fancy little needs of elegance, finery, and aristocracy. She is at once punished for it. She no longer sees the sun. Her mistress is often very hard, especially if the girl be pretty. She is immolated to spoiled children, vicious monkeys, and cruel little cats, who make her their plaything; or else she is blamed, scolded, teased, abused. Then she would be glad to die, home-sickness takes possession of her; but she knows that her father would never receive her. She grows pale and wastes away. Only the master is good to her. He would console her if he dared. He clearly sees that in her desolate state, in which she has never a word of kindness, the little one is in the power of any one who will evince the least friendship for her. The opportunity soon arrives, madame being in the country. The resistance is not great; he is her master, and he is strong. She is enceinte, and a great storm follows. The husband, ashamed, shrugs his shoulders. She is driven out of doors, and without bread, lives in the streets till she can go to the hospital for her accouchement. (This is the almost invariable story. See the confessions noted by physicians.) What will be her life, great God, what struggles, what difficulties, if she has so good a heart, so much courage, as to wish to rear her ckild ! Let us notice the condition of woman thus burdened, in circumstances comparatively favorable. A young Protestant widow, of very austere morals, laborious, economical, temperate, exemplary in every sense, agreeable also, in spite of all she has suffered, lives behind the Hold-
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