Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-01-18
THE WOMAN VINO PLANNED

Shall lie on the path Of thy daily life.
WHlidm CUiien ErydHL
THE WOMAN VINO PLANNED.
Fate decreed that she should be woman.
and so she was not u general. But if things
had been different she would have had ca
reer III larger field than her own household
and its quiet neighborhood. The little but
potential if that stands between the most of
us and some great fame or greater good for
| bade that a sword should ever dangle from
her dainty waist that the twin stars should
shine on her plump shoulders or that spurs
should ever tinkle on her pretty hees,-ex-
cept metaphorcally! The higher right of a
woman not to be soldier, and the prejudices
| of society, kept her in the paths of peace
But if Mrs. Marlowe couldn't command men
in the mass she could in detail. Talk about
the magnetism of Napoleon or Little Mac ~
! you should have felt hers She would talk
n man out OF liking peaches and cream, and
make him gorge himself on dishes that he
| didn't in the least want, just because she cook
| cd them and insisted that they were good
Her influence was not Of the soft and subtle
sort that goes with beauty, but was direct
| strong and palpable the result of will rather
than of heart of character more than of sex
| Not that she was destitute of charms; no
=
she did not depend on them. Your charm is
an uncertain thing and, if it be outward only.
VIII surely fade and fail but the way of such
n woman knows nothing of time and is AS SUI
peror to circumstances as the che So PLAYER is
to his pawns
Still, she was pleasing to look upon. with
her sunny eyes of blue; her rippling hair of
fiossy gold, that never knew crimping-pin
nor felt the indignity of hot slate pencil
her smiling mouth and firm. strong chin and
her well-nourished and graceful figure. When
young she justified the discriminating remark.
that there is nothing so pretty as pretty girl.
even If she isn't very pretty, unless it be
lretuer one She was sympathetic. as she
rlpened, IN high, fine way,-not simply from
her heart (that comes by nature), but intel
lectually, and ms the result of her carefully
cultured capabilities She would put herself
III tune with you, whatever your mood. or
bring you to her key, as the harmony de
manded. The discords in life. caused by peo
pie who either stupidly or selfishly insist on
playing to their own pitch, without regard to
the orchestra or listeners, are of all things the
most eXasperating.
Her method of taking husband was thor
oughly characteristic. which is an incident
worthy Of mention. inasmuch Is the decisive
"Ies-es' that are murmur,d d. looked and tax
en- for granted in the world of wooing. have
about the same uniformity as the coong of
cote of doves But Frances Fullerton had
Ideas OF her OVID bout such matters; and
when she decided that it would be agreeable
for her to become Mrs. James Marlowe she
didn't fold her hands, look pretty and wait.
That wasn't her way. She had been IA plan
ner'' from her infancy with fertility Of in
Vcntlon and skill in execution that won the
admiration or melted the mirth Of all observ-
ers Dear me-" her weafied mother would
exclaim, when wakened in the night by call
from the little one that carried in every tone
the expression of positive want and a GER
tainty of yictory-'I do believe that baby
plans when to be hungry, and how to wake
up"
Young Marlowe admired her excessively,
she was so strong and bright He was hand
some, amiable and true-hearted but mot
overstocked in his upper story" as the plain
spoken mother of Frances put it, But the
easy-going father only smiled and said The
glrl doesn't need to marry brains she has
enough for one family" What a delightful
sort of egotism it is when we can celebrate
ourselves in our children james, however,
was very slow in screwing his courage to the
asking place. He had not that supremey sell
fish feeling expressed in the song Ever to
WOO and never to wed, Is the merriest life
that ever was led;" but he was rather abashed
in the presence of the splendid girl who was
so much more clever than he, and who had TO
the fullest extent that element of character
which is far greater than self-control name
ly, self-possession.
Finding that James was likely to run on,
like the poets brook, forever, with his pune
tual calls and excessive talent for sitting up
his inevitable invitations and unwearied but
somewhat wearisome attentions-hs coy love-
making and provoking silences when she had
NnfaWn nlFl Tugl1 IL Nl. - 1 I
her TO hear him speak, the resolute girls ma
ture and habit asserted themselves
She made plan.
The very next night, as they returned from
walk in the soft splendOr of the September
moonlight, Frances stopped at the door, and
instead of inviting the backward lover in as
was her wont, she turned her calm face
toward him, and said quietly -
james, am afraid | shall have to ask you
not to come here so much.n
The poor fellow felt, as he afterward ex-
pressed it, as though Il pitcher of cold water
had been poured down his back,
''Not-come so much 7" he faltered, open
eyed.
Yes, placing the white hands, with Just
the hint of tremble in them ON his arms.
You have been coming very often, for long
while, and all the other gentlemen stay away.
AS if it We're your right, you know. And |
things can't go ON so forever. I"
But bless you, Fanny dear, can't stop! |
Make 1t my right to come! l supposed you
knew that love you, and want you,-"
How many things you dear great blunder- |
ing men take for granted" she said convey |
ing her forgiveness in kiss.
Language failing him, it usually does
fail people at such times, except in novels and |
plays, where they rant through whole pages
when all nature and experience suggest that |
they could be better employed, he executed
his part of the appropriate tableau, which was
rehearsed regularly several times week, un-
til the minister came with his little book, and
the curtain fell.
Married year. One plan, at least had
worked well so well that the month-old ba-
by-boy snoozing in the cradle, was entered at
his mothers minds eye. OF
course he wouldn't go alone, the darling little
fellow; and with both of her boys at Har-
ward, and she keeping house near by, over a
gas-stove, in cozy little chambeRs with her
daughter in the conservatory, life would in
deed be worth living.
But amid all the inventions and devices Of
the age, no motor so strong, no force so pow
erful no influence SO puissant has been de-
vised, whereby man can hasten or retard by
heartbeat the movement of time. And so
Mistress Marlowe had many years to fill up