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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
sensibilities to associate with common humanity. These women
are making themselves fools; and their husbands are in danger of
thinking that they do possess a superior order of mind.
From what the Lord has shown me, the women of this class have
had their imaginations perverted by novel reading, daydreaming,
and castle-building, living in an imaginary world. They do not bring
their own ideas down to the common, useful duties of life. They
do not take up the life burdens which lie in their path, and seek to
make a happy, cheerful home for their husbands. They rest their
whole weight upon them, not bearing their own burden. They expect
others to anticipate their wants and do for them, while they are at
liberty to find fault and to question as they please. These women
have a lovesick sentimentalism, constantly thinking they are not
appreciated, that their husbands do not give them all the attention
they deserve. They imagine themselves martyrs.
The truth of the matter is, if they would show themselves useful
their value might be appreciated; but when they pursue a course to
constantly draw upon others for sympathy and attention, while they
feel under no obligation to give the same in return, passing along
reserved, cold, and unapproachable, bearing no burden for others
and having no feeling for their woes, there can be in their lives but
little that is valuable. These women have educated themselves to
think and act as though it was a great condescension in them to marry
the men they did, and that therefore their fine organizations would
never be fully appreciated. They have viewed things all wrong. They
are unworthy of their husbands. They are a constant tax upon their
care and patience, when they might be helps, lifting the burdens of
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life with them, instead of dreaming over unreal life found in novels
and love romances. May the Lord pity the men who are bound to
such useless machines, fit only to be waited upon, to breathe, eat,
and dress.
These women who suppose they possess such sensitive, refined
organizations make very useless wives and mothers. It is frequently
the case that they withdraw their affections from their husbands, who
are useful, practical men, and show much attention to other men,
and with their lovesick sentimentalism draw upon the sympathies
of others, tell them their trials, their troubles, their aspirations to do
some elevated work, and reveal the fact that their married life is a