Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-11-22

hnve sad That you 90 not IKE my name anu
that am too old"
sob, Jacobln
"Yes, nm too old, and am to grow older.
You have defined youth-what is age"
"Oh it is the enemy of the human roos.
Lot us never grow old, Jacob"
"Ah, no, Millicent, let us never grow old,
SO only that we may stay young together" he
said, flushing, and edging n little nearer tc
her, while he looked up in her face with a
half humorous smile But she drew away
farther from him.
"Wel" he continued despondentlv, land
what is my next faultf Come, say It'll"
"You do not believe in friendships between
men and women. My own belief is that no
woman can expect to be reasonably happy
unless her husband can have friendship for
her,
You seem to have thought good deal
about marrage-ovcn If You are SO averse to
it,"
Millicent, with heightened color, made
movement to rise Jacob stretched up both
hands and, taking hers, pulled her back gently
to her seat.
"You are so rude" she continued; "that is
another fault. l should want my husband
TO be 80 polite to me. 1t would make me
happier than almost anything"
guarreng with my wife whenever | chose
and making it up again but l suppose You
would like a suave IDIOT like that Hastings"
"'rhcre again" said N1ilcent, in an in
jured tone, ''how ridiculous you are. You
are so Jealous, and about nothing What
could he more innocent, when party Of
people are out on a blossom-g gathering. than
that two of them should run down hill to-
gcther, and yet from the time you made
about tits too Absurd
But you took his hand and ran laugh
ing"
AS children might. You ard lie had
raced together, and you had beaten him
easily. You had picked my blossoms for me,
and | had walled with You. He was my
guest, and surely ! owed him some polite
ness
$40 give him your hand, l suppose, and
capcy and laugh with him."
The recollection quite overc2me Jacob
with anger He rose and walked few
PAGES across the lawn and then returned
"Well, am named Jacob. | am old |
am rude, and / am jealous Oh, yes: and l
forgot, [ don't believe in Platonic friendship
Five faults; ! think that there IRE seven
what they are. | know that seven always
seemed small allowance to me. ] surely
have more than five. More than five would
go TO the makeup Of any respectable man.
What! you can name no more: could ac-
cuse myself of more than that Don't YOU
know anotherm
Yes" said Mllicent gravcly, while she
put some of the SWeetbricr roses in her
breast.
Il am impatient to hear. | sit here only
for that. The sixth fault. Conner
That you don't care for women's society"
Jacob rose and folded his arms, facing the
girl, and looked long at her. Then he threw
back his head aud laughed heartily Upon
my soul, that is fault. Have | not liked
your sociotyW
Yes, but that of no other woman
well! Upon my soul Talk of jealousy.
I never saw its opposite so set forth Do you
wish me-should you wish, l ought to say,
your husband-to be fond of other women's
societyF
81 don't like mans man" said Mllicent,
ev0sively
II am more edified," said Jacob, seating
; himself again, this evening than | ever was
III my life. Why do you not like a mans
man.
because" said the girl, becoming little
nettled at her companions searching look
II know well enough how that works."
II am waiting for information" said ia
cob.
A mans man soon wearies of the woman
| he loves and he seeks mems society constant
! ". Men influence men more than women
! do. | should never be jealous of other wom-
en-, for l could always be woman, but men
would be u contrary influence. | have seen
the lonely lives of the wives of mems men,
| She paused.
II am still listening" be said
| AT the best, men understand women very
| little and mems men grow at last u under
| stand them not at all. Mems men become
| at last TO be u world wide apart Their
wives have no excuse for being, except inso-
nlnch as they contribute to their comfort
'Milhcent, do you say that women are
| younger than menf | don't believe that
men of GO, or men that have been widowers
two or three times, have thought this ques-
| ton Of marriage out like you. Six faults
my name, my age, my native rudeness my
! jealousy, my incredulty of Platonic friend
ships and my being a mans man. You
must name at least seven deadly sins to CON
Wet me. Isn't there anotheri'
"Yesr-
"Millicent you are Accordingly interesting
| l never knew that you thought so much about
| me-"
II ought to have thought about you be-
fore"- She paused.
Jacob waited moment ~ understand;
before you refused to marry me- You ought
to make some excuse for that, With what
| seventh fault did you strengthen your case!n
THAT you are 80 dreadfully masculine"
Il plead guilty The roses are rosy, the
briers are thorny, the grass is green, aud l.,
jacob Raus, the mau who loves you, am
masculine. Alasl alas! Is that more my
fault than my namei You, besides, are i'm
mensely feminine, and l find 10 fault with
| that Is it fair'n
Jacobs spirits were rising; Mlliceut's per-
ceptibly falling.
"Yes, it is fair that I, being feminine, should
object 10 your being masculine, The two are
opposites. They are at variance. If nature
has made a mistake there am not responsi-
BILE Men and women never understand each
other, because, what nature has blindly blum
dered into beginning, education sccomplishes
instead Of trying to set it right"