, 1881-12-25
the comrade who presses onward with them,

! yVo' W "Htoh y0u--LO De slippers I'LL
oresslng-goWn for Your lounging hours. Yo1
1Io"n when we set you right in your polite
al economy, when We correcE your Greek
ann* criticize your policies. You will no
even argue with us, you shout us down
Lou glare at us when we discover planet
! Hypat1a, George Eliot, Mrs. Browning, Rosa
bonheur'. Mary Someryi!le, George: S and
you give these a little praise. becaus,
you I are ashamed to-. be J. silent, bu
] IT, I IS :: always with an - If :. and =:
but We may not even share your laws
your mothers and daughters, tender, anG
pure and loyal, may not share the adyan
| tages that protect the man next: door who
! beats his wife, the laborer who cannot spell
his own name, the lrunkard whose vote i:
| boughtfor dime: We are idiots, criminals,
J or children-wllich we like best: r. =. :.
| No. my friend, will never marry. MOI
that am man-hater-far from it. Look
ing about me see many men who would
| make excellent husbands-for@ MY friends,
Nor do dispa1age marriage; the Institution
is sacred and beautiful one; it is no fault
Of Its own that it is desecrated Women. for
the most part, are clinging, dependent crea-
tures,c who 1mperatlyely need protectors.
They do not fill their hearts with any other
IDEAL I do not think God ,nade1ne genius,
but He gave me an ideal, and ;. it fills my
brain and soul. Love is an unknown guest
who viii never find warmth at III y hearth.
/ a1n welded to my vocation. .: .-,...: =. =
J.: SAnd then AM too restless and impatient,
too indolent and extravagant;' could not
bear the responsibility, The care, the worry,
the pettiness Of married life, as L see it
demonst, ated all about me, It would chafe
and irritate me past endurance. i am strong
and young. / want air, and light, and space,
am eager to make footing for: myself in
this crowded world. object to having my
silks crumpied by clamorous little fingers; I
object to spending my life in looking after
mans meals and shirtbuttons; see nothing
beautiful or alluring in the picture I am no
Griselda; / cannot honor and obey. / enjoy
my freedom; it Is more rapturous than any
love could ever be. L will not lose my nerve,
and youth, and joyonsness in four pent
walls; I will not merge my individuality in
another's. I will stand alone, l. will toll
alone, and will conquer alone.''. ~
She writes much more in belllgerent
strain, and then leaving heroics gives him
pleasant, Light: resume Of the last weeks
pleasures, studies, thoughts, and fancies,
and seals the long, rambling, eulinently girl.
ish eplstle with a little pat of her hand and
runs away for 4 drive with papa. -. =
"A week later she is sitting i'll the library,
her silppefed feet are on the fender, her low
chair is deep and Injurious and half hides
the Slim form i'll the pretty. house-dress. It
is Christmas-Eye, and Blanche gives one Of
her own elegant parties. :KathTyn'S dress is
laid out in her dressing-room and is marvel
Of taste; the rooms are filed with flowers,
everything is ready and perfect, and she has
come to mediate 4 little while by the library
fire. The heavy curtains shut out the snowy
world, the room is unlighted save by the
fre-glOw which flashes on bronze and bust
and carven ceiling. The room is scented
with the dainty feathers that fill the crowded
cases, and Kathryn feels unwontedly con-
tent with life and living. i.
=. What does girl ever dream Of? Vague,
Intangible things that elude words; fragile
visions that have only wings, not bodies;
gossamer reyerles that hold not even dew.
4 knock at the door arOuses her, and, to
her summons, . servant enters n0iselesly
with letter on a salver. She knows the
heavy writing, and muses. awhile longer be-
fore she opens it: ... -:
MI DEAR KATHRYN: have only mou1eut
in which to write y0u.- I leave for New Orleans |
by the next train. but wished to tell you, my
defr little contidante,~ Of: the change that has
0 nts ny ~ M M last wsecs qce5 you tn ags
but always intended 10 tell you this some day.
Three years ago. dear, loved II beautiful girl |
and won her matters not here, but we quarreled |
and parted, and have never seen her since. i |
thought had conquered my heart; Of late I |
was }he @ little hand tat soo1hea @ ReS ali bitteraess
out OF memory, and brought mc to a faith and |
belief In womanhood. Your sweet, true words |
u1nv r$x f1ln {1H$t.,
led me up from the rocks upon. which was !
nearly wrecked, into haven Of refuge. Today |
I received = Letter E from this girl. go to her
hardly know why gu-something |
urges me southwark. do not even know ,yheth- !
cr she loves me now, only know she ts free, and
once. AS said thought had blotted out the |
past completely, yet. today her words wake |
put away my later dreams. | am afraid they |
were false and illusive, for all thoir fairness.
VIII write . roy on my return; Nay your Christ
New Year lead you far on your path to the stars [
Iou lore. Dear little heart, good-by. Your
friend, = -. ST.. JOHN NORTON.
These two had walked in the gardens of
Plato. It is always an instructive sight to
zee a girl Of 20 and a man Of 50 wandering in
shese pleasant paths. They had drifted into
in an odd. desultory way.
lie was worn, blase, cynical. She was fresh,
innocent, untried. She had written him all
ler thoughts and fancies, and he had revered
her purity and trusted her truth, and reused
himself to new ambition to earn her ndmira-
ion. They, we're friends and conddantes,
Nothing more, they told each other with sus-
,icious earnestuess. Boz, cananr1dcs, stand
ng on 4 strong, reliable platform Of friendly
interest and platonIc affection, with no shim-
nerins veil Of romance about them; no
:oses Of passion, no golden.mists of sentl-
nent, In clear, chill atmosphere of bracing
morning light they stood hand -in-hand look
ng into each other eyes calmly and steadily.
Was it not strange, then, that Kathryn
hould read this letter twice, thrice, eagerly,
lnbellevingly, with white face and trembling
lands, and then fling herself on her knees on
he rugin the crimson blaze Of the fire, and ]
Jury her face iii the chair, sobbing Bit
erly and inconsolably .=.
After that she went to dress. Some way
7 other nothing interested her; everything
9oked dull and stupid; she thought Of the
oming guests with ilnpatlence and ar
anged her laces and draperies mechanically
18th scarcely glance at the mirror. There
re- very few crises in a woman's life when