The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-30

but who really. unconsciously and I'M
affectedly went on just as If only an
other women has entered the room.
: 1 have seen girls who when some one
had TO stay at home with mother or
grandmother. who isn't very well and
mustn't be left alone to fret. while the
rest went to the theater or to a recep-
ton where all the Robins were likely to
be present. would volunteer to be the
one, not without little natural smoth-
cred sign, for they are not monsters of
perfection, these good girls. but never
theless with true and sweet readiness
not too conscious OF itself. Those are
the girls who are the Joy and strength
Of their mothers hearts. whose marriage
makes gap in the home circle which
never quite fills up. whose little sisters
are heartily sorry to lose them rather
than glad to have them removed to leave
place for them. Those are the girls
who become TO their husbands Of value
''far above rubies" or any other earthly
possession; who, If man be fortunate
enough TO win, he may spend the rest
OF his life in trying to deserve.
In fact, to put the matter in a nut
shell, the wife is apt to revert to the type
of girl her girl friends knew and her
own family could have described. This
statement does not contradict that with
which we began-that there is a differ
their own sex or 10 the other sex. That
is still true but the important question
for the bachelor to decide Is in which is
the real woman lying folded In embryo
within this lovely. ever changing. ever
charming exterior What sort of bird
will it be in later summer and autumn,
this fitting, chirping. coquettish little
spring bird?
She is sure to be different from what
he now sees. That is point he had bet
ter grant at once. and possibly he may
be very glad to do so, for most men
perhaps all men-and good many wom-
en- have sense enough to perceive that
lifetime Of courtship, with its uncertain
ties, it's struggles. it's doubts. fears and
Jealousies, would be more fatiguing and
unsatisfactory than delightful: in fact,
the very delight of il is exhaustive, for
ordinary human nature cannot live in
extremes for long at a time, and the
harp Of a thousand strings" cannot be
tuned to concert pitch and left standing
there without danger of some of its finest
strings either swapping or stretching
until the whole instrument is out of
time and its ecstasy of sweet song be-
comes a discOrdant jangle.
No. The manageable woman and
the marrying man must ever meet like
the figures at a masked ball. Each is
dressed to represent some character
which is perhaps his or her beau ideal
and one which he or she would fain imi-
tate, but which is by no means the true
character of the masker. A common
place and very unattractive young wom-
an chooses to call herself Mary, queen of
Scots and may in the ballroom encoun-
ter some well meaning but mistaken
youth who is posing. guitar in hand,
RiZzio, but if they try to speak with
each other 1t proves that RiZZiO cannot
sing and Mary cannot charm by voice
and speech and glance her great ex-
emplar did, and If the acquaintance thus
begun should be carried out in the calm
light OF day each will find the other a
very different character from that which
each had assumed.
There is a vast deal of masquerading.
moreover, which does not give itself a
name and does not exhibit itself, or. as
one may say, advertise itself, in a ball
room. 1t is. in fact so difficult for a
good many of us citizens of the world to
do without wardrobe of dOminos and at
least half or quarter masks. II Is so
dangerous sometimes. especially for a
woman, to show her face with it's undis-
guised expression to the world about
her. and often The very truest sympathy
we can show to a friend is to make be-
lieve that the mask he or she is wear
ing is the real face. We know that il
is not and he or she knows that we
know ii, but on both sides ii is felt that
it must not be pulled away. There are
emotions, there are situations, there are
dilemmas that have no words. We feel
we see and know the truth. but
must not utter it. Each excerpts the pre-
tense. and we part with an understand
ing far more entire than any words
could have brought about.
But when two people are once married
and we'll dOmesticated together the
mask and domino are inevitably thrown
aside, all pretenseS cease, and either
with an increased satisfaction or with
an OminOus dismay each looks upon the
true face and genuine figure of that
fantastic masquerade called courtship
How many of those who read these
words have in their own lives proved the
truth of them! To how many does the
knowledge of that truth come too late!
How many a sore heart signs bitterly
as it is reminded of that masquerade
which now name itself bitterly 1.-The
mask of death and only hopes for
death as its solution!
But there are the bachelors, to whom
in the first place I dedicated these few
remarks and warnings, and yet having
warned them that all is not as it seems
in some cases. how can l advise them
TO guard against mistakes?
Well, l do not know exactly how 1t
is TO be done, but the object to be eff
fected is TO try and see the girl whom
they admire, as she is among other
women. with no man in the question.
In fact. 1 must revert to my classical
formula and bid him go spin among the
maidens of Omphale.
How il is to be done let him find out
for himself. but do not let him fancy
II is 10 be effected by questioning other
women. We are as a rule very loyal
to each other when no personal jealousy
intervenes, and it is very dishonora-
BILE woman who will betray the weak
nesses or the faults of a sister woman
to the inquiring masculine. Even a
mans sisters are not to be trusted in
such matter. and, furthermore, there
Is every probability that the man in I'M
dertaking a deep strategic movement
will find himself led into an ambush
and suddenly exposed to a pitiless fusil-
lade of ridicule and scorn from the en-
envy who had for the nonce masque-
raded as an ally.
After all, having shown the danger,
1 do not exactly see how to formulate
the remedy. Perhaps to do the first
is as much as could be expected from
one who Is herself most sincerely a
woman. MRS. FRANK LESLIE.
Origin of the Peach.
Nothing is now more universally ac-