and by never setting her foot outside the door, she might follow this
suggestion. "Every married woman" whose boys take to reading should
snip such newspaper articles into shreds, burn them up, and bury the
ashes.

Another cause of the present state of things is the lowness of the
standard which has been set up for woman to attain. We have glanced at
some of the things which are expected of the woman who carries on the
family. What is not expected is a point of no less significance.
Neither husbands nor company claim the right to expect, in that
smooth, agreeable surface mentioned at the beginning, the results of
mental culture. They may be gratified at finding them; but so long as
the woman is amiable, thrifty, efficient, and provides three good
meals every day, they feel bound not to complain. Here are the ten
"Attributes of a Wife," as grouped by one of the world's famous
writers: note what he allots to education: "Four to good temper, two
to good sense, one to wit, one to beauty; the remaining two to be
divided among other qualities, as fortune, connection, education or
accomplishments, family, and so on. Divide these two parts as you
please, these minor proportions must all be expressed by fractions.
Not one among them is entitled to the dignity of an integer."

The prevalent belief that woman is in some degree subordinate to man,
is rather taken for granted than expressly taught, as witness a
certain kind of legend often told to young girls: "Once upon a time a
young man, visiting a strange house, saw a damsel putting dough into
pans, and saw that the dough which stuck to the platter was left
sticking there; whereupon the young man said, 'This is not the wife
for me.'" In another house he sees a damsel who leaves not the dough
which sticks to the platter; and he says, "This is the wife for me."