The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-27
A DISSERTATION ON FOOLS
A Vivacious Writer NOralizes on an
Encounter with a Gushing Woman.
Some Reasons, Mental and Physical. Why
Some Women Show Signs Of Age Early
Christmas Trifles and Useful suggestions.

ions of the state of the country; every
body's and nobody's opinions of the Repub-
licars and Democrats; e~verybody's and
nobody's predictions for the future. it is
perfectly delightful to meet somebody who
didn't even know there had been an cioc-
tion. / tell you, my friends, l felt ike
hugging the woman who said that
she had been so occupied in reading
the life of Darwin that she had no time
TO think of small mattersi My respect for
that woman was immense. / never had
read Darwin. and never expect 80. but |
felt that he had not lived IN vain If ne
could take one woman out Of the hurry
burly so completely that she could know
nothing Of politics. The way came TO
meet her was a little funny. | adore short
stories. i danced with delight when | heard
that dearest of al short stories. my Dis
reputable Friend. Mr.. Reagan" had been
dramatized. and that Sothern. the bright
actor, was TO be that particularly delicious
tough. OF course. the afternoon it was
10 be presented 1t rained: however, with
q storm-coat and an umbrella TO protect
me. and my own sweet self for company, /
went to the theater. / saw Mr.. Reagan
himself without any doubt. heard him
talk just as the toughs do talk. and 1 saw
how the man triumphed over the brute,
and how, for the sake of q little child, an
ignorant boy rave himself up. 20 face. per-
hsps, the gall0ws. Ii was a wonderful pict-
IRE; ii was what the photographers call
hfe-like. and when the curtain dropped on
mir. Reagan" / was thinking 10 myself
how few of US managed to discover the
heart of gold when It's outside cover was
one of dirt and r~Oughness-
Just then a voice beside me said: do
you think such pictures of low life are
elevstingf" / very vaguely said / did not
know, and theoretically wiped the tears
from my eyes. From that time on / was
at the mercy of the woman next Inc. She
told me how she divided her day. the
hours she devoted TO reading the books
she thought proper to read; she rave
me- pointers on different plays, said she
saw 1 wasn't IN the habit of going to
the the theater. and advised me. II l ever
got q chance. TO 90 and sec Georgia Cay
van. 1 thanked her, and looked crushed.
Then | summed up the small amount of
bravery / had and said something about
the election. She looked at me vacantly
and asked: HAS there been onef" And l
told her l. thought there had. Then she
patronized ne To n degree that was won
derful. She said the women of the coun-
Try were wasting their time reading news
papers; she also explained to me the
difference between an intelligent and an
intellectual person: she told me now anti
pyrine affected her husband. and how she
would never take morpnia. she conde-
s~cendingly approved of the theater, and said
there were people, who. not being able to
fill their life with culture, probably gained
something from the stage.
i never knew q woman who talked so
much in my life, and when / got homo L
assembled ms family In a row and asked:
- / look like . fool" After a wavering
sort OF a negative it was agreed that L
didn't look any more like one than usual.
and then / asked: Why did this woman
seize me Is her vIctimf' The masculine
part OF the family said it was because /
was polite and listened; tie femme thought
1t was because / was sympathetic, but
think It was because l was a bit of o fool.
and the women who had read Darwin
recognized this quality In me. There are
80 many different kinds of fools, you know.
There Is the intellectual fool, who makes
you take knowledge as If it were a
dose of castor oil until you wish the alpha
bet had never been invented. There Is the
aggressive f0os, who walks around with q
chip on the shoulder. boiling for a tight.
There is the athletic fool, who thinks the
country will be saved by q football and
cricket. There Is the political fool. who
has Just comprehended that the people of
the United States will do what they feel
like without consulting him. There Is the
VAIN fool. who believes that because
she looks pretty every body else ought to
be happy. There is the professional fool.
who believes that outside of the law, med
icine or the church there are no gentlemen.
There is the fool with the fad, who Is con-
WINGED that the only true enjoyment Is
gotten In q way directed by him. There Is
the rich fool. who overrates the value OF
money and Who thinks IL can buy wisdom.
Then there is the all-around fool. for whom
we oil have o sort OF affection because he
Is so ready To coincide with our own weak
nesses. Every blessed one OF US. you know,
Is q bit of q fool. We would be horrible
bores II we weren't.
Women Who Age Quickly.
Boston Globe.
Most obvious is it that there is a vast
difference in women In this respect of age
ing. says q writer in the Sunday Mercury
but the causes and reasons for the differ
ence are not always so visible.
Of course. there is the simple prime rea-
son between q hard life aud an easy one. a
laborer's wife. beaten blue and black
whenever her lord is in whisky. ages soon
er than the millionaire's wife. But of five
mil.ionaires' wives, whose outward lives
are apparently the same, three will age
more rapidly than the other two.
The reasons here are two sorts, one pure
Is mental. the other purely physical. TAX
ing the physical causes first, the skin is of
the chief Importance
III &c altogether q drawback To q woman
TO have q skin that Is too fine. A thin,
delIcately white c~utlcle. tinged like an ap-
pie blossoms petals. is exquisite in early
youth, but IL rs perishable as the apple
blossom itself.
such a skin goes into q mass of little
threaf-like wrinkles with All appalling
rapidity. 1t shrivels and seems 10 crack.
It loses It's bloom. Blondes of the purest
type. with compilations of this sort, fade
more quickly than women OF any other
style.
they are generally slender and frail and
blue-eyed and, while entrancingly poetic
IN appearance ct eighteen, rarely are seen
ar their best after twenty-five. Reddish
blondes. on the other hand. whose COM
plexIcn Is less poTcelain-tinted and more
ford, and who generally run TO ampler
physical proportions. have a fund OF fresh
ness that keeps them in full bloom for
twenty years longer.
The mental reasons in these two cases add
their influence 10 form the difference. The
blonde or the first type Is usually OF q
somewhat restricted nature. cold and pas
eionless OF temperament. exciting and
rather inclined 10 fret over trIfles or play
the martyr.
The blonde of the second is of q larger.
moro generous mental mold, full of life,
easy-going. good natureG.
M ~ pc of woman can contest the palm
OF freshness and yonthfulness of appear
ance with her M forty. unless 10 be the slen-
der. pale. dark-haIred woman OF emotional
temperament whose figure has retained an
almost girlish Qracefulness. and whose
skin. being rather Opaque and colorless. AS
Is the case with all intense natures, has not