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IfourhighlypointedTrianglesoftheSoldierclassareformidable,itmaybereadilyinferredthatfarmoreformidableareourWomen.
For,ifaSoldierisawedge,aWomanisaneedle;being,sotospeak,allpoint,atleastatthetwoextremities.
Addtothisthepowerofmakingherselfpracticallyinvisibleatwill,andyouwillperceivethataFemale,inFlatland,isacreaturebynomeanstobetrifledwith.
Buthere,perhaps,someofmyyoungerReadersmayaskhowawomaninFlatlandcanmakeherselfinvisible.
Thisought,Ithink,tobeapparentwithoutanyexplanation.
However,afewwordswillmakeitcleartothemostunreflecting.
Placeaneedleonthetable.Then,withyoureyeonthelevelofthetable,lookatitside-ways,andyouseethewholelengthofit;butlookatitend-ways,andyouseenothingbutapoint,ithasbecomepracticallyinvisible.JustsoisitwithoneofourWomen.
Whenhersideisturnedtowardsus,weseeherasastraightline;whentheendcontaininghereyeormouth—forwithusthesetwoorgansareidentical—isthepartthatmeetsoureye,thenweseenothingbutahighlylustrouspoint;butwhenthebackispresentedtoourview,then—beingonlysub-lustrous,and,indeed,almostasdimasaninanimateobject—herhinderextremityservesherasakindofInvisibleCap.
ThedangerstowhichweareexposedfromourWomenmustnowbemanifesttothemeanestcapacityofSpaceland.
IfeventheangleofarespectableTriangleinthemiddleclassisnotwithoutitsdangers;iftorunagainstaWorkingManinvolvesagash;ifcollisionwithanOfficerofthemilitaryclassnecessitatesaseriouswound;ifameretouchfromthevertexofaPrivateSoldierbringswithitdangerofdeath;—whatcanitbetorunagainstawoman,exceptabsoluteandimmediatedestruction?
AndwhenaWomanisinvisible,orvisibleonlyasadimsub-lustrouspoint,howdifficultmustitbe,evenforthemostcautious,alwaystoavoidcollision!
ManyaretheenactmentsmadeatdifferenttimesinthedifferentStatesofFlatland,inordertominimizethisperil;andintheSouthernandlesstemperateclimates,wheretheforceofgravitationisgreater,andhumanbeingsmoreliabletocasualandinvoluntarymotions,theLawsconcerningWomenarenaturallymuchmorestringent.
ButageneralviewoftheCodemaybeobtainedfromthefollowingsummary:—
1.EveryhouseshallhaveoneentranceontheEasternside,fortheuseofFemalesonly;bywhichallfemalesshallenter"inabecomingandrespectfulmanner"[footnote1]andnotbytheMen'sorWesterndoor.
2.NoFemaleshallwalkinanypublicplacewithoutcontinuallykeepingupherPeace-cry,underpenaltyofdeath.
3.AnyFemale,dulycertifiedtobesufferingfromSt.Vitus'sDance,fits,chroniccoldaccompaniedbyviolentsneezing,oranydiseasenecessitatinginvoluntarymotions,shallbeinstantlydestroyed.
InsomeoftheStatesthereisanadditionalLawforbiddingFemales,underpenaltyofdeath,fromwalkingorstandinginanypublicplacewithoutmovingtheirbacksconstantlyfromrighttoleftsoastoindicatetheirpresencetothosebehindthem;otherobligeaWoman,whentravelling,tobefollowedbyoneofhersons,orservants,orbyherhusband;othersconfineWomenaltogetherintheirhousesexceptduringthereligiousfestivals.
ButithasbeenfoundbythewisestofourCirclesorStatesmenthatthemultiplicationofrestrictionsonFemalestendsnotonlytothedebilitationanddiminutionoftherace,butalsototheincreaseofdomesticmurderstosuchanextentthataStatelosesmorethanitgainsbyatooprohibitiveCode.
ForwheneverthetemperoftheWomenisthusexasperatedbyconfinementathomeorhamperingregulationsabroad,theyareapttoventtheirspleenupontheirhusbandsandchildren;andinthelesstemperateclimatesthewholemalepopulationofavillagehasbeensometimesdestroyedinoneortwohoursofasimultaneousfemaleoutbreak.
HencetheThreeLaws,mentionedabove,sufficeforthebetterregulatedStates,andmaybeacceptedasaroughexemplificationofourFemaleCode.
Afterall,ourprincipalsafeguardisfound,notinLegislature,butintheinterestsoftheWomenthemselves.
For,althoughtheycaninflictinstantaneousdeathbyaretrogrademovement,yetunlesstheycanatoncedisengagetheirstingingextremityfromthestrugglingbodyoftheirvectim,theirownfrailbodiesareliabletobeshattered.
ThepowerofFashionisalsoonourside.
IpointedoutthatinsomelesscivilizedStatesnofemaleissufferedtostandinanypublicplacewithoutswayingherbackfromrighttoleft.
Thispracticehasbeenuniversalamongladiesofanypretensionstobreedinginallwell-governedStates,asfarbackasthememoryofFigurescanreach.
Itisconsideredadisgracetoanystatethatlegislationshouldhavetoenforcewhatoughttobe,andisineveryrespectablefemale,anaturalinstinct.
Therhythmicaland,ifImaysosay,well-modulatedundulationofthebackinourladiesofCircularrankisenviedandimitatedbythewifeofacommonEquilateral,whocanachievenothingbeyondameremonotonousswing,likethetickingofapendulum;andtheregulartickoftheEquilateralisnolessadmiredandcopiedbythewifeoftheprogressiveandaspiringIsosceles,inthefemalesofwhosefamilyno"back-motion"ofanykindhasbecomeasyetanecessityoflife.
Hence,ineveryfamilyofpositionandconsideration,"backmotion"isasprevalentastimeitself;andthehusbandsandsonsinthesehouseholdsenjoyimmunityatleastfrominvisibleattacks.
NotthatitmustbeforamomentsupposedthatourWomenaredestituteofaffection.
Butunfortunatelythepassionofthemomentpredominates,intheFrailSex,overeveryotherconsideration.
Thisis,ofcourse,anecessityarisingfromtheirunfortunateconformation.
Forastheyhavenopretensionstoanangle,beinginferiorinthisrespecttotheverylowestoftheIsosceles,theyareconsequentlywhollydevoidofbrainpower,andhaveneitherreflection,judgmentnorforethought,andhardlyanymemory.
Hence,intheirfitsoffury,theyremembernoclaimsandrecognizenodistinctions.
IhaveactuallyknownacasewhereaWomanhasexterminatedherwholehousehold,andhalfanhourafterwards,whenherragewasoverandthefragmentssweptaway,hasaskedwhathasbecomeofherhusbandandchildren.
ObviouslythenaWomanisnottobeirritatedaslongassheisinapositionwhereshecanturnround.
Whenyouhavethemintheirapartments—whichareconstructedwithaviewtodenyingthemthatpower—youcansayanddowhatyoulike;fortheyarethenwhollyimpotentformischief,andwillnotrememberafewminuteshencetheincidentforwhichtheymaybeatthismomentthreateningyouwithdeath,northepromiseswhichyoumayhavefounditnecessarytomakeinordertopacifytheirfury.
Onthewholewegotonprettysmoothlyinourdomesticrelations,exceptinthelowerstrataoftheMilitaryClasses.
Therethewantoftactanddiscretiononthepartofthehusbandsproducesattimesindescribabledisasters.
Relyingtoomuchontheoffensiveweaponsoftheiracuteanglesinsteadofthedefensiveorgansofgoodsenseandseasonablesimulations,theserecklesscreaturestoooftenneglecttheprescribedconstructionofthewomen'sapartments,orirritatetheirwivesbyill-advisedexpressionsoutofdoors,whichtheyrefuseimmediatelytoretract.
MoreoverabluntandstolidregardforliteraltruthindisposesthemtomakethoselavishpromisesbywhichthemorejudiciousCirclecaninamomentpacifyhisconsort.
Theresultismassacre;not,however,withoutitsadvantages,asiteliminatesthemorebrutalandtroublesomeoftheIsosceles;andbymanyofourCirclesthedestructivenessoftheThinnerSexisregardedasoneamongmanyprovidentialarrangementsforsuppressingredundantpopulation,andnippingRevolutioninthebud.
YeteveninourbestregulatedandmostapproximatelyCircularfamiliesIcannotsaythattheidealoffamilylifeissohighaswithyouinSpaceland.
Thereispeace,insofarastheabsenceofslaughtermaybecalledbythatname,butthereisnecessarilylittleharmonyoftastesorpursuits;andthecautiouswisdomoftheCircleshasensuredsafetyatthecostofdomesticcomfort.
IneveryCircularorPolygonalhouseholdithasbeenahabitfromtimeimmemorial—andnowhasbecomeakindofinstinctamongthewomenofourhigherclasses—thatthemothersanddaughtersshouldconstantlykeeptheireyesandmouthstowardstheirhusbandandhismalefriends;andforaladyinafamilyofdistinctiontoturnherbackuponherhusbandwouldberegardedasakindofportent,involvinglossofstatus.
But,asIshallsoonshew,thiscustom,thoughithastheadvantageofsafety,isnotwithoutdisadvantages.
InthehouseoftheWorkingManorrespectableTradesman—wherethewifeisallowedtoturnherbackuponherhusband,whilepursuingherhouseholdavocations—thereareatleastintervalsofquiet,whenthewifeisneitherseennorheard,exceptforthehummingsoundofthecontinuousPeace-cry;butinthehomesoftheupperclassesthereistoooftennopeace.
TherethevolublemouthandbrightpenetratingeyeareeverdirectedtowardtheMasterofthehousehold;andlightitselfisnotmorepersistentthanthestreamofFemininediscourse.
ThetactandskillwhichsufficetoavertaWoman'sstingareunequaltothetaskofstoppingaWoman'smouth;andasthewifehasabsolutelynothingtosay,andabsolutelynoconstraintofwit,sense,orconsciencetopreventherfromsayingit,notafewcynicshavebeenfoundtoaverthattheypreferthedangerofthedeath-dealingbutinaudiblestingtothesafesonorousnessofaWoman'sotherend.
TomyreadersinSpacelandtheconditionofourWomenmayseentrulydeplorable,andsoindeeditis.
AMaleofthelowesttypeoftheIsoscelesmaylookforwardtosomeimprovementofhisangle,andtotheultimateelevationofthewholeofhisdegradedcaste;butnoWomancanentertainsuchhopesforhersex.
"OnceaWoman,alwaysaWoman"isaDecreeofNature;andtheveryLawsofEvolutionseemsuspendedinherdisfavour.
YetatleastwecanadmirethewisePrearrangementwhichhasordainedthat,astheyhavenohopes,sotheyshallhavenomemorytorecall,andnoforethoughttoanticipate,themiseriesandhumiliationswhichareatonceanecessityoftheirexistenceandthebasisoftheconstitutionofFlatland.
Footnote1.WhenIwasinSpacelandIunderstoodthatsomeofyourPriestlyCircleshaveinthesamewayaseparateentranceforVillagers,Farmers,andTeachersofBoardSchools(Spectator,September,1884,p.1255)thattheymay"approachinabecomingandrespectfulmanner."
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