The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-04
TAE s woMAN

THE BOSTON WOMAN.
She Il Not Only Transoendcntnlly De-
iight!ul, hut b IL Superb.
OF all tho complex products OF modern
civilization 1t IL to be doubted II thore
IL any thing mor astonishing or moro
inexplicable than that thing which tho
boston woman calls her mind, writes
Aolo Bates In the Chicago Tribune. los
ton men, IS . rule, do not take tho
trouble to assert their possession OF any
thing Of tho sort, and, II they have o
mind, simply usc 1t and say nothing
about 1t. but tho Boston woman has
her mind on her conscience, 80 to speak,
and while shc has left mono of the super
scnsitivcness toward conduct which
plagued her ancestors, she does agoniac
over tho proper cultivation Of her mind,
her ethical sense cxhausting itself in
this direction.
1t would bc interesting to know just
whore the Boston woman draws tho limo
between amusement and cultivation, II,
indeed, shc draws It anywhere. She
mixes lectures and receptions, study
classes and luncheon parties, SO thor
oughly and with such an air of looking
at thcm from tho SAINT pointof view that
one can not tell whether il is that she
takes every thing SO seriously, or looks
upon all SO fri%volously. Tho impression
which the lookor-on inevitably gets is
that whatever her attitude toward n
is her attitude toward all; but masculine
p~crspicacity is seldom able to discover
just what this is.
At tho present moment tho Mind-it
should always be spelled with a largo NJ,
and my unitncss to treat of the subject
is, it is to be feared, shown by tho low
crease letters ~above!-is given in about
| equal proportions to tho Greek play, to
lunchcons and afternoon teas, which arc
as thick as leaves in Vallombrosa, and
to philosophy. Tho lunchcons arc
dreadful festivities. chiefly confined to
tho fair sex, which last for about three
hours, have as many courses as adinncr,
and completely spoil not only the day
but the evening. OF tho Greek play
| there is moro to be said when the timc
comes, and tho philosophy is in the
shape of lectures. In tho first place,
Prof. Royce, of Harvard, has been lect-
uring in drawing-rooms about Spinoza
and other distinguished and distinctly
incomprchcnsiblc philosophers. He has
undoubtedly taught much, and n of
the results has been tho quickcning Of
an intense desire to master-or. Us ! am
speaking Of women, should ! say mis-
tress?-all knowledge.
~ was SO fired by tho lecture one
' SA,, ~ - vyoo%o,~ ,o~,o~, ,oS1 ttHhc% ,,,n,,<
straight to the library for a volume of
FIGHTER. l was determined to know all
there was in his philosophy to know.
but I thought l would begin with a small
volume first. 1 asked tho librarian for
tho smallest volume on FIGHTER She had,
and she gave mo u little book that
looked Is though q bnby might master
it, it was SC small and pretty. But the
viciousncss Of that volume / can not be-
gin to express to you. sat down with
II ono night. and l could not comprehend
tho first word. 1t was worse than q nom
sense rhyme, and it w;sn'thalf so anus
ing. But l said to myself: Il have
taken it in tho evening whom my brain
isn't clear but the ext morning when
I tried it it was more incomprchcnsiblc
than over l said to myself that igno.
rance vas IN the whole preferable to
idiocy, eve i'll Boston; and so I mildly
but firmly carried the small book back to
the library; and now l listen to the lcct-
ures as ii they were not really meant to
be understood, but only TO be enjoyed
Us music. They arc charming on that
basis"
Prof. Louis Dyer is also giving lectures
to the fashionable Boston women. and
tho conversation st ti:e lengthy lunch-
0 n aforesaid turns upon lofty subjects
at which tho masculine head reels mere
ly to hear mentioned. The women do
play their part most admirably. They
arc as grave ahout it as children over
tho makc-bclievcs of their childish
sports. They might really be in earn
est for all ono could tell from their
manner.
~ am afraid ] would ncvcrto for Bos-
tom" a clever Western girl said the
other day. II have frivolous moments
even while the discussion of the uni
verse and the ultimate end of man is goo
ing on. even let my frivolous attcn-
ton become absorbed in the exquisite
favor of an cntrcc or a salad while / am
hearing t%hcdccpcst truths of philosophy
discussed at an intellectual luncheon"
"You forget" she was answered,
that philosophy has no truths; 1T has
only theories. but, laying that aucs-
ton aside, 1t is to be inferred from what
you say that you nus really be a Dos.
tonian changed in your cradle. Your
attitude is precisely that of the Boston
woman. except that she consciously and
deliberately lets her mind wander.
Once discussion is started in which
she does not have to bear a part. she dc.
liberately turns her mind out to grass
and let's it run its unregcneratcd course.
Her only care is to preserve an outward
scmblancc of attention; and for assum
ing a comprehension and IN enjoyment
in topics in which one has not tho
slightest interest or understanding, tho
Boston woman is probably without rival
in the world"
"IIow perfectly nasty the Western
girl protested. "Now, I think the Bos.
ton women, mind and all, arc delight
full"
~ II.