Omaha daily bee., 1891-12-27
SHE CAUG III ONE.
Romantic Ending of an Essay on
"Thc Model Husband

Evidently there are moral and mental
no less thar physical cyclones, says Kate
Fields Washington: cyclones that tear
| up. pull down. unnihilate and overthrow
| ]preiudices, traditions and the pet the
cries OF our respected but short sighted
ancestors. From time immemoriul Paris
has pursued Helen Of Troy; beauty has
beer the prize for which men have
fought, bled and died-nobody ever
thought of falling in love with Minerva.
Springing from the head of Jove him
self, she was supposed to be strong
minded, wise, stately, even lovely, but
not lovable. She knew too much, per-
haps, to be fooled; and all loving, accord
ing to the old song, is folly.
Later attributes Of Minerva have beer
a general distracted air, n hideous mein,
a colossal disregard of those feathers
which make fine birds, and an epidemic
of ink spattered over person and clothes.
To become enamored of such n travesty
on woman was not supposed to be within
the possibility of man; so for generations
fair danes have Indignantly repudiated
the accusation of knowing anything
about anything, and have been first to
point the finger of scorn at any presump-
tuous sister who did!
Conditions have changed. Since
Queens took to writing books, it has be-
come not only reputable but fashionable
to indulge IN authorship-aye, and for
money, too. The more the better. 1t
has even been admitted recently hat a
woman could write books, still preserve
her %femininity and not only have clean
hands but possess some taste in dress.
The most recent discovery is that brains
are not incompatible with charm and
beauty.
I 49, - .-- l - H. -
hear of a mans rushing after u woman
and insisting upon marrying her on the
strength of one article in a newspaper.
All young women who have been secret
lv plning to be rs clever as they knew
how, but didn't dare for fear of frlghten-
ing off possible %suitors, may now AXE
heart and put their brains as we'll as
their bodies on exhibition.
Here's the story. About q year ago
the Memphis Times offered u prize of
800 to whatever young woman wrote the
best essay on THE Model Husband"
AT Covington. thirty miles from Mem
phis, there lived Miss Lillian Perry,
who is said to be "a typical southern
girl whatever that may mean; Miss
Perry won the prize.
Lo and behold, the essay was copied
in a Minneapolis Journal, whore it was
read by Fremont Reed, Il prosperous
citizen, who fell in love with the senti-
ments therein expressed. Going to New
York, The Model Husband" pursued
him in metropolitan papers, and way
laid him on his arrival in Chicago.
This is fate" said Mr.. Reed unto
himself, The fair essayist must be
mine 70" life!'
Thereupon the ardent Minneapolitan
wrote to Miss Perry and begged for the
honor of corresponding with her. Miss
Perry had Deer very we'll brought up,
and wouldn't. Refusal but whets the
appetite of man, and Mr.. Reed would
have disgraced his sex had he taken no
for an answer. Armed with credentials
he again requested an interchange Of
letters, and the typical southern girl
melted in the glow of such persistence.
OF course no man, in or out Of his
senses, stops at letters. Mr.. Reed found
himself in Covlngton one day, and called.
The lady fulfilled the ideal of her COR
respondent. She in turn discovered q
model husband. On a second visit she
because engaged to Mr.. Reed. and last
October made them man and wife.
Courage, girl graduates! The Helen
of 1900 will be a Bachelor of Arts, and
Paris will set his cap for her. Minerva
is having her innings at last!