THE WOMAN OF EVOLUTION AND PESSIMISM. 



319 



business that really claims their earnest attention is 

 love, making conquests, and everything connected v^^ith 

 this — dress, dancing, etc. 



"The more noble and perfect an animal," he con- 

 tinues, " the later is its maturity. The development of 



woman's reason ceases at eighteen, while 

 ar > ma uri y i];^^^ of man is imperfect before the age 

 of women. . ■ , ,,r , . 



of twenty-eight. Woman s reason is ac- 

 curate only as to objects which are quite near. In other 

 regards she mistakes appearance for reality and trifles 

 for truth." Man looks "before and after" and con- 

 siders the ultimate result of lines of conduct. From 

 this forethought he acquires prudence, and this makes 

 care and anxiety possible. Woman is short-sighted and 

 extravagant ; her vision is clear a short way only. 

 Hence women are more cheerful than men, because 

 they live in the present, not in the past ; nor are they 

 distressed by the future. But with all this it is well for 

 a man to heed a woman's advice, for she will show him 

 the shortest road to the goal. Men see far in front of 

 their noses and miss that which is close and obvious. 

 Hence women are more sober in judgment, having no 

 imagination. 



Women are kind to the unfortunate because they 

 have no sense of justice. Most misfortune is criminal 



negligence, Schopenhauer argues, and 



excludes pity, which would be treachery 

 women. . . 



to justice. Fixed rules of conduct are 



unknown to women. Being weaker in body and mind, 



they are stronger in craft. The art of dissimulation is 



possessed by all women, stupid as well as 

 Deceit of women. , , r. n 



clever. " Small secrecy verging on de- 

 ceit," says Charles Reade, " thou art bred in woman's 

 bones." 



" For," says Schopenhauer, " as lions are provided 



