Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-28
"oH, SHE Is A MAN,s woMAN.n
What De Our Sisters Mean When
They Use This Phrasea

What Do Our Sisters Mean when
They Use This Phrases
Julien Gordon in Lippincott'sl
We often hear the expression, ''man's
woman" Let it be noted that the words
are usually uttered by one of the gentle
sex, and prefaced by an ejaculation SAVIOR
ing slightly OF disapproval, an "Oh," ac-
companied by a meaning smile, a slight
elevation of the eyebrows, shrug of the
shoulders.
"oh, yes" they say, with one or more
of these mystic signals; ooh, yes, she is a
mans woman"
Now do they mean by this TO impute or
to excuse vagary! And what is a mans
woman! Most of us understand pretty
accurately what is intended by this cpl
thet, yet it is hard to define. and the di-
rect question is a battling one
Most women are, have been, or intend
to become, the possession of some especial
man; yet it may be certified that the great
er number of them are net, never were
and never will be "men's women" How,
then, are we to distinguish this subtle diff
ference which SO clearly marks out certain
women among their sisterss
First of all let us succinctly and def
nitely explain that a ''man's woman" is a
shorthand phrase. 1t means to express
tersely what it would take too long to state
in detail A ''man's woman" is one whose
society is sought with avidity by the oppo-
site sex, whose most ardent champions are
men, at whose bidding men are prompt to
respond, and in whose companionship
men seem to find peculiar happiness. She
is one who 'makes conquests," and who is
ever winning lovers.
With closed doors, and in low whispers,
other women, who are not "men's wo-
men, ask each other, What is it! What
is this inward grace of which the outward
evidences are so marked-this atmosphere
which environs some women and gives
them such incontestable power! Women
who cannot see 1t, or women who are blind
and will not, ask each other, "What is it!"
A mans woman may be beautiful, clev-
er, accomplished; she may have in addi-
ton the luxurious surroundings, the indo-
lent ease, which in these sybaritic days
seem necessary adjuncts to woman's at
Effectiveness and gracefully frame the pic
ture. Yet these things are not necessary
to a mans woman. 1t is quite possible
that she may possess none of them.
Perhaps of them all the gift of a tran
scendent beauty is the one with which she
can the most easily dispense. The mans
woman is seldom really plain although
such cases have existed), but she is often
est not beautiful None the less, she casts
such a glamour over her admirers
''throws dust into their eyes," as her de-
tractors say-thst men will sometimes in
sist of such one that she is beautiful;
and this in the very face of all the art
schools and all the canons of correct pro-
portion.
AS to her cleverness, while she general
ly displays the subtlety of thought, the
Quick adaptiveness, the fine discernment,
which betray knowledge of the human
heart, she may be more or less lazy intel
lectually; her learning may be superficial
and her accomplishments few. l say they
may be; because if she possesses wit, cul-
ture and talent, these are undoubtedly an
added charm, particularly if she employ
them in increasing her personal attrac-
tions. But they are not necessary to the
sway she exerts. In fact, they are value
less if they walk not hand in hand with
suppleness and tact. Men instinctively
dislike Superior" women; and many wo-
| men who are beautiful, well educated and
elegant, have never received the bliss-con-
ferring brevet of fascination.
There must be, then, some force outside
of all other attributes, independent of
evident and powerful in its effect. The
beauty of ''man's woman" may consist
in a mysterious smile, trick of the hair
upon the brow, dainty slipper-nothing
more; yet the magic perfume of her pres
ence is enough. Men feel that the more
would be too much. Women who always
give large credence to the power of mere
beauty will forever look on and marvel.
If it were only certain exterior confgu-
ration of form and color it would be nc
wonder. But there is another, a subtlel
charm, which lies deeper and eludes anal.
ysis 1t matters little whether her eyes
| be large or light, or small or dark, her fea-
| tongue be eloquent or she be given to ST.
| lence, if she hides within herself that
which attracts, enchants and retains
The mans woman is an individual, q
personality; she sometimes manifests ad-
| mirable traits of character. They are de
veloped possibly by those very forms Of
| temptation and of triat to which she will
be peculiarly subjected. Her calumnia
| tors can often find no harsher epithet OF
| condemnation for her than that which
| forms our theme. She may be heartless,
| it is true; she may even be cruel, cold
\ mean; but this is uncommon and improb
able. In fact, she is rarely enyious or ma
licious, and she has generally q large
mindedness which makes her "easy to live
| with" While she is not deficient in tn,
| desire to please, she is often no more en-
| ergetically vain than others. She is ever
| capable of resenting measure of the ad
miration which she inspires, and fol
which other women toll with such mesgel
results