The record-union., 1891-03-11
oh, SHE'S A MANS WOMAN
What Do Our Sisters Mean When
They Use. This Phrase?
Such Woman May Not Be Beautiful,
Intellectual or Accomplished, but
She Always Has Some Subtle Charm
Which Deffes Analysis.

We often hear the expression, a "man's
woman" Let it be noted that the words
are usually uttered by one of the gentler
sex, and prefaced by an ejaculation SAVIOR
ing slightly of disapproval, an "Ohw ac-
companied by a meaning smile, slight
elevation of the eyebrows, a shrug of the
shoulders.
"Oh, yes" they say, with one or more
OF these mystic signals; ''oh, yes, she is a
mans woman.''
Now, do they mean by this to impute or
to excuse vagary? And what is mans
woman? Most of us understand pretty
accurately what is intended by this epi-
thet, yet it is hard to define. and the direct
question is battling one.
Most women are, have been, OF intend
to become, the possession of some es-
pecial man, yet it may be certified that
the greater number of them are not, never
were and never will be ''men's women"
How, then, are we to distinguish this sub
tie difference which so clearly marks out
certain women among their sisters?
First OF all, let us succinctly and def
nltely explain that a ''man'S w0man'' is
shorthand phrase. 1t means to ex-
press 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 opposite 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 "nakes con-
quests" and who is ever winning lovers
With closed doors, and in low whis-
perS, other women, who are not 'mcn's
women," ask each other, What is it?
Nnf III i
outward evidences are so lnarl<ed-this
atmosphere which environs some women
and gives them such incontestable power?
Women who cannot see it, or women
who are blind and will not, ask each
| other, "What is it?''
A ''man's woman" may be beautiful,
clever, accomplished; she may have in
addition the luxurious surroundings, the
lndolent ease, which in these sybaritic
days seem necessary adjuncts to Il wo-
mans attractiveness and gracefully frame
the picture. Yet these things are not
necessary TO a 'Inan's woman.'' It is
quite possible that she may possess none
of them.
Perhaps of them all the gift of a tram
scendant beauty is the one with which
she can the most easily dispense. The
mans woman is seldom really plain (al-
though such cases have existed), but she
is oftenest not beautiful. None the less,
she casts such glamor over her admir-
ers-"throws dust into their eyes" as her
detractors say-that men will sometimes
| insist 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 gener-
ally 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. I say
| they may be; because if she possesses
wit, culture and talent, these are rn-
doubtedly an added charm, particularly
if she employ them in increasing her per-
sonal attractions. But they are not neces-
sary to sway the inertia. In fact, they
are valueless if they walk not hand in
hand with SupplonesS and tact. Men in
stinctively dislike superior women:
and many women who are beautiful,
well-educated and elegant, have never re-
celved the biisS-conferring brevet of fas-
cination.
There must be, then, some force outside
OF all other attributes, Independent of
them, and as vague in its sources as it is
evident and powerful in its effect The
beauty OF a mans woman" may consist
i'll mysterious smile, a trick of the hair
upon the brow, dainty slipper. nothing
y
| ence is enough. Men feel that more
would be too much. Women who always
| give large credence to the power of mere
beauty will forever look on and marvel.
If 1t were only a certain exterior config-
uration of form and color it would be no
| wonder. But there is another, subtle
charm, which lies deeper and eludes
analysis. 1t matters little whether her
eyes be large or light, or small or dark.
her features classic or irregular, whether
her tongue be eloquent or she be given
to silence, if she hides within herself that
which attracts, enchants and retains.
The mans woman is an individual, a
personality; she sometimes manifests adj
mirable traits of character. They are
developed possibly by those very forms
of temptation and of trial to which she
will be peculiarly subjected. Her calum-
nlators can often find no harsher epithet
OF condemnation for her than that which
forms oar theme. She may be heartless,
IL is true, she may even be cruel, cold,
mean, but this is uncommon and improb-
able. In fact, she is rarely envious or
malicious, and she has generally a large
mindedness which makes her ''easy to
live with" While she is not deficient in
the desire to please, she is often no more
energetically vain than others. She is
even capable OF resenting measure of
the admiration which she inspires, and
for which other women toll with such
meager results.-John Gordon, az Lip
piacottS.
The Rest in the World