Page:The rights of women and the sexual relations.djvu/217

Rh Nothing is more common, and at the same time more disgusting, than the role of hero in love-comedies, the only role that the average man, and especially our military gentlemen, can play with some talent. That this sort of play-acting has not fallen into greater disrepute among men themselves only shows how general a species of lying has become among them, which degrades not only man, not only woman, but the most beautiful relationship by which the sexes can be united. What a frightful state of things in which the first thought that comes to a woman, when she hears a man talk of love, must be: Is he true or is he a liar?

The same question is forced upon me, whenever I hear of or see that kind of "chivalry," which the French call galanterie. Is it a virtue? To me it seems to be either hypocrisy or an abusurdity. A gallant man reminds me either of a lieutenant or a Don Quixote. I can understand how, woman being the weaker, and' more fragile being, a man should wish to be helpful and obliging to her, whenever she needs help; but I do not see why this helpfulness and deference need be anything else, but a manifestation of general culture and humanity, unless, indeed, some personal relationship exists between the respective individuals. No more than The can be called gallant, who helps or obliges a child, an invalid, etc., ought he to be gallant who treats a weak woman with humane considerateness.

Still less, than honor and character, can the