The Portland daily press., 1878-01-26
tFfom the Golden Rule,l
The Woman Who Planned.
BY W. H. MERRILL.

Fate decreed that she should be woman,
and so she was not a general. But if things
had been different she would have had ca
.reer in larger field than her own household
and its quiet neighbood. The little but po-
tential ''if'' that stands between the most of
us and some great fame or greater good for
bade that sword should dange from her
dainty waist; that the twin stars should
shine on her plump shoulders; or that spurs
should eyer tinkle on her pretty heel-except
metaphorically The higher right of woman
not to be soldier, and the prejudices of So
ciety 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 mag
netism of Napoleon or "Little Macr'-you
should have felt hers She would talk a man
out of liking peaches and cream and make
him gorge himself on dishes that he didn't the
least want just because she cooked 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 pal
pable, the result of will rather than of heart,
of character more than sex. Not that she
was destitute OF charms; no woman is, than
Is heaven, for somebody; but she did not de-
pend on them. Your charm is an uncertain
thing and If outward only, will surely fade
and fail 4; but the way of such woman knows
nothing of time, and is as superior to circum-
stances as the chess-player is to his pawns.
Still she was fair to look upon with her
sunny eyes of blue; her ripping hair OF flossy
gold, that never knew crimpiDg pin nor felt
the indignity of a hot slate pencil; her smil-
ing mouth and firm, strong chin, and her
weJlnourished and graceful figure. When
young, she justified the discriminating re-
mark, that there is nothing so pretty as a pretty
girl, even ii she isn't very pretty-unless it be
prettier onel She was sympathetic, as she
ripened, In high, fine way-not simply from
her heart, that comes by nature, but intellec-
tually and as the result of her carefully-cult-
ured capabilities. She would put herself in
tune with you, whatever her mood, or bring
you to her key, as the harmony demanded.
The discords in life, caused by people who
either stupidly or selfshly insist on playing to
their own pitch, without regard to the Or
chestra, or listeners, are OF all things the most
exasperating.
Her taking husband was thoroughly
characteristic - which is an incident
worthy of mention, inasmuch as the decisive
'1Yes-es" that are murmured, looked and
taken for granted in the world OF wooiDg,
have about the same uniformity as the cooling
of cote of doves. But Frances Fullerton had
ideas Of her own about such matters; and
when she decided that it would be agreeable
for her to become Mrs. James MerloWe she
didn't fold hands look pretty and wait. That
wasn't her way. She had been "plannerr
from her infancy, with fertility of invention
and a skill in execution that won the admira-
tion or melted the mirth of all observers,
Dear me-" her wearied mother would ex-
claim, when wakened in the night by call
from the little one that carried in every tons
the expression of positive want and a Ger
tainty of victory 81 dc believe that baby
plans %-snen to be hungry and how to wake
rpv'
Young Marlowe admired her excessively,
she was so strong and bright. He was hand
some amiable> and true-hearted, but not
overstocked in his upper story" as the plain
spoken mother of Frances put it. But the
easy-going father only smiled and said: ''The
girl doesn't need to marry brains; she has
enough for one family" What a delightful
sort of egotism it is when we can s'celebrate
ourselves" in our children! James, however,
was very slow in screwing his courage to the
asking place. He had not that supremely
selfish feeling expressed in the song 'Ever
to WOO and never to wed, is the happiest life
that ever was led" but he was rather abashed
in the presence of the splendid girl who was
SO much cleverer than he, and who had to the
fullest extent that element of character which
is far greater than elfcontrol-namely. self
possession.
Finding that James was likely to run on
like the poets brook, forever, with his punct.
ual calls and excessive talent for sitting up
his inevitable invitations and unwearied but
somewhat wearsome attentions-his coy
love-making and provoking siences when she
had frankly shown him that it would not dis
please her to hear him speak, the resolute
girls nature and habit asserted themselves.
She made plan.
The very next night as they returned from
a walk in the soft splendor of the September
moonlight, Frances stopped at the door, and
instead of inviting her backward lover in as
was her wont, she turned her calm face to-
ward him and said quietly:
James, l am afraid l shall have to ask
you not to come here so much"
The poor fellow felt as he afterwards
expressed it, as though pitcher OF cold
water had been poured down his back.
"Not-come-so-much he faltered,
open-eyed.
"Yes, placing the white hands with just
the hint of a tremble in them, on his arms.
"You have been coming here very often for
long while and all the other gentlemen stay
away, as if it were your right, you know.
And things can't 60 on SO forever. +
"But bless you, Fanny dear, can't stop!
Make it my right to come! supposed that
you knew that loved you and want you"
"How many things you dear great, bun
dering men take for granted?" she said con-
Veying her forgiveness in kiss.
Language falling him-as it usually does
fail people at such times, except in novels
and plays, where they rant through whole
pages when all nature and experience sug-
gest that they could be better employed-he
executed his part of the appropriate tableau,
which was rehearsed regularly several times
a week, until the minister came with his lit
tie book, and the curtain fell.
Married year. One plan. at least had
worked we'll; SO that the month-old baby
boy snoozing in the cradle, was entered at
college in his mothers minds eye. OF course
he wouldn't go alone, the darling little fellow;
and with both of her boys at Harvard, and
she keeping house near by, ever gas stove,
In coZy little chambers, with her daughter
in the conservatory, life would indeed be
worth living.
But amid all the inventions and devices of
the age, no motor so strong, no force so pow
erfu, no influence SO puissant has been de-
vised, whereby man can hasten or retard by
heartbeat the movement of time. And
80 Mistress Marlowe had many years to fill
up with little plans before she could enter
upon her great one. Her haphazard hus-
band sometimes laughed at them, but he
early learned not to thwart or oppose them.
He loved quiet life, and knew its condi-
tions-which was beyond the. wisdom of
many who passed for more knowing men.
When "the Brigadier,'' as he facetiously
styled her, planned picnic, he groaned-but
he was discreet enough to do it inwardly,
He knew what it involved. His wife would
name the day, the spot, route, the hour to
start and return, and the character of ''the
spread' and packed by proxy the lunch bas-
ket for everybody who was to 60. 1t was Of
no avail for him to tell her that it would
rain-as it generally did; that some other
party would have the boats; that the pickles
would be forgotten, the jam leak out upon
the sandwiches, the dishes get broken and
the train be late. Such things almost
always happened, and yet she had the
pleasure of laying out ''a beautiful time,"
and would sit on the stile and continue to
smile amid the ruins OF her plans, with a
sweet serenity that an excursion into the