Des Arc weekly citizen., 1869-01-26
LOVES GUERDON.
Br JEFFREY II. BOYLE.

"Oh, that l was a man!' sighed tho pretty daughter of old Calico, the re. tired dealer in muslins and mantuas Il wish 1 was man." and closing hei music book, she leaned the loveliesi face in Cincinnati upon hand so pet ite, yet graceful, that Praxiteles would have forgotten the painter in the man and instead of transferring its counter. feit to the dull canvas, have pencilled it upon the living heart.
 Her cousin Harry heard the queru lous exclamation; but his atteHtion was absorbed in framing certain mys. tical combinations, as the blaze of the coal occasionally gave them 10 his view; so he said nothing, although the speaker seemed to expect an answer.
 "Cousin, cousin Harry, l say" cx- claimed the spoiled beauty, stamping q foot of Chinese proportions upon the rich Brussels, ''you are positively stu. pid tonight! Here 1 have been talk. ing to you, yet you pay no attention thinking of the lost Pleiad or the soph istries of Thales, for aught l know r
 "My dear Agnes" replied the gen. tleman, 'what do you wish?'
 'I wish was a man!'
 'Do you?" quietly responded hcl cousin, at the same time stirring the fire in he grate: it was the last night of the dying year, and the keen blast howled iiercely, the requiem of pass. ing fragment of a century.
 q do indeed" was the reply of Ag- nes, flor feel that woman is deprived of all those opportunities of becoming great, of doing good and bcnetitting mankind, which are so lavishly strewr in the paths of favored manhood. We are shut out from all agency in tho government of men; we may be firee with ambition, but despotic custom ha' deprived us of the right to assert ou claims with the slightest chance of , hearing! Pray, what chances hav' our sex of piling fabric of honor ant fame, of accelerating the march o knowledge, or curbing the progress o vice!'
 This speech came from the cherr, lips of sweet Seventeen, yet my read CTS must not condemn her; ambition is God-like attribute, and burns a brightly upon the altar of woman as does upon the shrine of manhood Woman can exercise her powers in tn tented field, the cabinet, and tho hal of debate as we'll as in the social circle witness Joan of Arc, Elizabeth of Eng land, and Fanny Darusmont. Woma has right to be ambitious, especiall of the ambition of doing good.
 'You can do much, my sweet cous in" answered her hearer-''to your SC, is given power to mould the plasti mind that it may acknowledge tn truths of virtue and receive thos sound inculcations which, implante, early, become the guiding principles o the man, strengthening with the ad vance of years"
 A cloud of fvexation passed the brov of the listening maiden, and with tn rash confidence of youth, she dcnie, the premises laid down by the speaker
 A smile, rarely seen upon the gray face of Harry Harrington, illumine, | his countan.nca as draxviuu hir cboi to the side of the pouting Agues, h 1 thus continued his exordium, or, rath CT, altered>its direction.
 "You well know, dear Agnes, of th strong desire entertained by your ia ther for our immediate union-aa' now do not get angry, but listen.- You have bid me wait till another yea shall have passed--to this agreement seriously object, but am willing to res the question upon the issue of an ad venture, which will at the same tim prove to you that in deeds of virtue philanthropy and kindly influence t the human race, your sex have decide, superiority over ours
 Agnes looked seriously into the fac of her companion 10 see whether h was not testing with her, but readin there tile same calm, serious feature that marked his general demeanor, sh bent her eyes to tho ground, an, laughed. "You may lauge,' continue