The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-01-23

women ought to have no sense least
L thought you objected to sensible
women" . '.':
"What is your idea of a sensible
women Miss Linden ?'' i
"a person who has ideas, and under.
stands how to act upon them."
"Suppose the ideas are not sensible,
to begin witb-will she be a sensible
woman who carries them out? Does the
carrying out of the idea redeem the
idea 2"
''But sensible woman would Of
course have sensible ideas:"
"PEecisely, Miss Linden; but that
does not define what constitutes a sensii-
bic woman. Sensible women" contin-
ued MIR. Etheredge, with smile that
somewhat annoyed Adriana, ''must, I
presume, be good logiciaus."
81 do not pretend, to be a logician, p
began Adliana; then suddenly seeing
the inference that might be drawn, she
stopped. - j.
Mr.. Etheredge fairly laughed. ::
"Nay," said he, IT was not impugu-
ing your claims to sense. was invest
ing the sensible ideal woman with re.-
soning qualifications" Z
Adriana was annoyed.
''Reasoning from an ideal is some.
what theoret
"You prefer the deductive mode r.
and again the amused CLEAN shoue in
Mr.. Etheredge's eye. "But I beg your
pardon, is there any model of the scnsi-
BILE woman that We can take 2" His eye
as he spoke tell upon the book he still
held in his hand; the leaves opened a.
he placed it on the table at sketch Of
Becky Sharp. "Was Becky Sharp a
sensible woman ?'
"She had sense-yes, I suppose SO, y
said Adriana dreamily, ''and-"
"Sensible women must be good tacti-
clans, and carry out their plans at the
expense Of every one else; selfshnees,
then, is an eligible qualification"
"Mr: Etherodgew
II was merely drawing from the
model before me-"
There are twice as many excuses to
be made for Becky as for Amelia. Con-
slider the way in which she was brought
up, or rather not brought up; how she
bad to struggle for herself with every.
thing against her; think what she
might have been, as she: herself medi-
tates, if everything had gone smoothly
with her-perhaps as good as Lady
Jane, if the circumstances had been
equal. I dislike people to condemn
when they have had no trials, no temp.
tations. People do not know what they
will do till the time comes; probably
just the reverse Of what they have al
ways intended. There are 80 many
springs that govern ones actions, *
many strange events that arc hard t
grapple with, so many andercurrents in
the stream one floats along, that otter
We are carried beyond our depth
and"
Here Adriana paused, for she becam,
conscious that her auditor was regard
ing her attentively, and she knew tha
she had strayed away from the point j,
question. @.:
"scarcely admissible arguing, Mis-
1inden-quite away from the subject
I neither instituted comparison, no
called for a defence. And I though
sensible women," he added, "coul.
carry out their ideas, and not be carrie'
away by them"
owe shall never come to an agree
ment, even if to an understanding,
suppose, however, you will be ready t
admit that in the case Of sensible WON
en- the exceptions arc sufficiently nu
merous to prove the rule"
II should not have sufficient courag
to own to such an opinion, even if ,
held it," returned Mr.. Etheredge
quietly.
Adriana was provoked; !; Mr.. Ether
edges imperturbability annoyed her
.ho seemed to assuue . calm superiorit,
over her. that vas, to : person Of be
temperament, irritating, in tho extreme
She had tolerable opinion Of herself
and Of her capacities; she folt her owl
powers, she believed that she did no
overrate them. She had certain faitl
in herself, on which she had hithsrt'
prided herself, and here was . perso'
whom she had known but few week
calmly setting aside this estimation sh'
had formed, even leaving her to doub
if she might not have been mistaken il
forming it. Yet again she felt sure tha
she had not; he was one who VA NM
taken and up rose all the antagonist
feelings of her nature, @Shs could no
distrust,: still. less look down upon N,
Etheredge; there was that in his ole,
piercing eye that drove the iirst awaJ
and thero vas I mingled authority an
ftankness 10 bis manner that prsvente
the latter. Still there was ID = una,
knowlel elged jet decided. antagonisi
between them. Thsro was : lepul.io
that nade her: fsel they ven eaeni4