Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-19
YEARNING TO BE WIDOWS.
Girls Consider Pretty Mourning Gowns
Compensation for Bereavement.

DO you know, believe nine girls out
of ten sort of yearn to be widows just
for the sake of wearing pretty black
dresses and other weeds" said an
actress to a writer for the Boston
Globe. Il am not sure whether it is
the costume in general or the neat lit
tie bonnet which most appeals to the
is something positively irresistible
about the costume. Of course I dou't
think they would like to become
widows just for the sake of wearing
weeds but if they were to be bereft
Of their lords they would find u very
considerable consolation in the fact
that their new mourning costumes were
just too sweet. That's WOman's vanity,
[ suppose. You see women have made
it their business in life to look nice for
the mems sake for SO many ages that
it is now a part of their nature, like
love or any other passion, and even
great grief cannot wholly eXtinguish
the delight which comes with the
privilege of wearing a costume which
mas n1C0efCO Deen ueDdfrou.
You see, a young woman who is full
of spirits and of gay, vivacious tenn
permanent finds in young widOWhood a
latitude which cannot be found in
either single blessedness or marital
felicity. AS an unmarried woman she
must be very circumSpect, and lots of
things must be lett undOne, not because
there is any harm in them, but because
they are not in good form. AS
wife she must be still more careful, be-
cause she has to steer her frail bark be-
tween the Scuba of her husbands
jealousy and the Charybdis Of her
neighbours gossiping tongue. Between
the two she is pretty well hampered
you may believe. But when she be-
comes a widow she is to certain eX-
tent privileged. There is no husband
to get Wrathy, no guardian to say her
nay. She is as free as mountain bird,
and if she be pretty and merrily in
clined, she is in much demand as a
chaperon by girls who want to have an
evening or an afternoon picnic or lit
tie yachting excursion without papa or
mamma in attendance.
Somehow or other there is always
a particularly pleasing young man in
the party who is unattached, and Of
course he finds the widow delightful
company, and she forgets all about be-
ing chaperon, so everybody has jolly
time.
Some way, men seem to like them
better than they do girls. They like
to talk to them and grow chummy,
and they seem to enter more quickly
into feeling of comradery with them
than with demure little maidens of
limited experience. don't know
whether it is because the widows, hav-
ing becom acquainted with mems
likes and whims through their hus
bands, know just how to appeal to their
male admirers, or because men like to
talk to women whose views of life have
been broadened by experience, and
who know a thing or two and are not
blinded by the conventionalities of
life as are many guilelesS maidens
But it's surely for some reason, for ]
have seen a pretty young widow have
a flock of desirable young men in hel
train, while bright and beautiful youne
sirls were left with a paltry gallant
and not a very fetching one at that
How girls under such circumstance
hate captivating young widow! An6
how they resolve to get even with tn
sex when they become widows-ff the!
ever should! 1 think male writers draw
the best widows. 1 should hate to pla.
widow that woman had written
| am quite sure there would be some
thing spitefll in it that I shouldn'
ike. Women can't help being sDitefr
with each other when they can indulg
themselves safely-as an author can