Page:The Relations Tolstoy.pdf/76

 this. That he had killed her already when he began to hate her; after which he was only searching for an excuse, and was glad to find one.

If the question is out of the husband's liberation by himself from all the cares and labors which follow him from the education, or rather the rearing of small children: putting them to bed, washing them and their clothes, preparing their food and the food of the others, sewing their dresses, and so forth, then this is in the highest degree unchristian, unkind, and unjust. Woman, even as it is, inevitably has the greatest share of labor in bearing and nursing the children, and therefore it would seem natural that the man should take upon himself all other cares in so far as it is possible to do so without detriment to his own work, also necessary to the family. And one certainly would do it, if the barbarous custom of shifting all the weight of the work to the weakest, and therefore most submissive, had not become so firmly established in our society. This custom has so permeated out habits that, notwithstanding man's acknowledgment of the equality of woman, the most liberal, the most refined and courteous man will advocate, with all his might, the right of women to become professors, priests; or he will rush to pick up a handkerchief which a lady has dropped, even at the risk of his life, and so forth; but to wash the soiled clothes of their mutual child, or to darn some socks of their boy when his wife is laid up, or tired, or simply desires to read or think a little after all the time she has lost while bearing and suckling the child, -this will not even enter his mind. Public opinion is so depraved in this respect that suck actions would be regarded as ridiculous; and much manliness is required to fulfill them.