The times., 1893-10-06

her own charms and merits evoke the
attention she receives. but she has be-
come so accustomed to having her own
way, and fancying her own taste, and her
own opinion, and her own prejudices to
be the law of the world, that she is quite
destitute of that grace of adaptability
which is the chief virtue of the woman
lover. asEE
Men are not adaptable-and we de- not
want that they should be, since the prin-
cipal attraction Of their sex is its strength.
Women, to be sure, are just as strong in
their own way, but 1t is quite different
way-the difference between the oak and
the birch. When the tornado comes, the
oak is snapped Off at the root, but the
birch prostrates herself in the dust-sub-
mits utterly and abjectly-and when the
storm has passed blithely resumes her
upright attitude, shakes the raindrops
from her tresses, preens herself a little
and is as good as new.
Probably the oak admires the birch
very much and calls her sweet little
thing, trembling at every breeze, and
therefore loving to shelter herself under
the protection of his 'heart of oak"
Well now, a woman born to millions
doesn't grow up birch at all; she doesn't
want to be protected or sheltered, and
she doesn't know enough to pretend
that she does. She hasn't the strength
of the oak, but she has all his arrogance;
she hasn't the fexibility and adaptability
of the birch, but she has her softness and
slenderness of build. When the tempest
comes and blows away the wall Of gold
which protects her while it lasts, her
poor, little unyielding stem is very quick
ly snapped, and she falls a wreck.
So, after all, I am afraid we must con-
cede that riches are inimical to love,
that Plutus is the enemy rather than the
ally Of Eros, and that millionaires, men
and women, are not likely to become
ideal lovers.
Shall we, then, accept the opposing
theory, that bread and cheese and
kisses are enough for life, and that
sensible, well instructed nineteenth CEN
tury men and women are justified in
marrying on such basis?
Since love does not thrive in palaces,
is he likely to be hale, hearty and long
lived in the provincial cottage with roses
around the window, birds on the boughs
and nothing in the larder or coal cellar?
Well, no, Commonsense declares he is
not, and for once Sentiment finds nothing
to say even when the little demon sneer-
ingly declares, "When Poverty comes in
the door, Love flies out at the window,
and the ideal cottage has broad easement
windows set wide open so that he can
leave without too much trouble"
The beginnings of poverty combined
with love are by no means uncomfortable.
The fond pair, in all the pride and glory
of their proud contempt of fitting sur
roundings and all that sort of thing,
take possession of their cottage in the
country or their cheap fiat in the city
and bravely begin life. Phyllis is going
to do the trifing little amount of house
keeping for herself, while Corydon pur-
sues the avocation that is to provide the
bread and cheese.
For a month or perhaps three or four
the wheels of the domestic machine run
upon velvet. Phyllis washes the cup
and plate used by Corydon with trem-
ulous joy in thinking that it is both her
privilege and her duty to do so, and he
springs from his couch at peep of dawn
to light the fire, fill the teakettle, bring
in the coals-in fact, do everything that
a man may do to help the angel who has
deigned to assume human form and min
lister to him. Each vies with each in
making things light and pleasant for the
other, and little Inconvenience are
laughed to scorn or welcomed as oppor-
tunities to prove how well they can be
borne for loves sweet sake.
Phyllis has her trousseau, which, how
ever simple, is at least new and in per-
feet order, and probably Corydon has
provided himself with a new outfit of
shirts and underwear; SO there is no
mending to do and no yearnings after q
new dress or hat. But, not to dilate
upon q process as inevitable as it is pain
full, this beatifc condition comeSto an end.
He gets tired of building fires and fetch
ing Goals. He wants to sleep awhile in
the morning and comes home at night
too tired to perform the tasks set aside
for him.
Worse than this, he is annoyed to find
Phyllis too much worn and fretted with
her daily routine to be good company.
The little domestic details that used to
interest him while they were novelties
bore and disgust him, now that queru-
lous tone Of complaint runs through them,
and finally he snaps and snarls and says
something impatient at hearing that the
CRATE of the stove needs to be taken out,
or that great horrid rat has been seen
In the cellar and he must get trap and
set it, or that the grocer's boy did not
bring the eggs for breakfast, and will he
go down and get themp
AS for Phyllis, well, it is delightful to
wash plate and cup and knife and fork
and spoon for the man you love, a hun
dred times, or five hundred if you love
him very much, but when it comes to five
thousand times and five times five thou
sand it does become monotonous to the
fondest and truest heart that ever beat.
Then besides the personal dishes of the
beloved there is an array of prosaic dis
agreeable pots and pans, gridirons and
frvinp Mans NOT at all n1eaeant tn handle