nothing. She has equal authority in regulating and disposing of the
children, and in the case of infants, more than he. There is no law
compelling her to do her share of the family labour: she may spend
her whole time in cinema theatres or gadding about the shops an she
will. She cannot be forced to perpetuate the family name if she
does not want to. She cannot be attacked with masculine weapons,
e.g., fists and firearms, when she makes an assault with feminine
weapons, e.g.,snuffling, invective and sabotage. Finally, no lawful
penalty can be visited upon her if she fails absolutely, either
deliberately or through mere incapacity, to keep the family habitat
clean, the children in order, and the victuals eatable.


Now view the situation of the husband. The instant he submits to
marriage, his wife obtains a large and inalienable share in his
property, including all he may acquire in future; in most
American states the minimum is one-third, and, failing
children, one-half. He cannot dispose of his real estate without her
consent; He cannot even deprive her of it by will. She may bring up
his children carelessly and idiotically, cursing them with abominable
manners and poisoning their nascent minds against him, and he has
no redress. She may neglect her home, gossip and lounge about all
day, put impossible food upon his table, steal his small change, pry
into his private papers, hand over his home to the Periplaneta
americana, accuse him falsely of preposterous adulteries, affront
his'friends, and lie about him to the neighbours--and he can do
nothing. She may compromise his honour by indecent dressing,
write letters to moving-picture actors, and expose him to ridicule by
going into politics--and he is helpless.