Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-10-21
YEAKNING TO BE WIDOWS
Girls Consider Pretty Mourning C-,u-,,
Compensation for B-ereavema,.

Girls Consider Pretty MOURNING
Compensation for Bereavemant
DO you know, | believe nine girl
of ten sort OF yedrn to be widows I'M.
for The sake Of wearing pretty bio.,
dresses and other weeds % sai5
actress to a writer for the Ros,oa
Globe. II ann not sure whether il
the costume in general or the neat IA,
tie bonnet which most appeals Il, III,
feminine heart. but | ann sure rb.~,
Is something positively irresistbI,
about the costume. OF course 7 d,r,,
think they would like to become
widows Just for the sake of we,rino
weeds, but if they were to be hersft
of their lords they would lind a very
considerable consolation in the f,cf
that their new mourning costumes v.,ro
lust too sweet. That's woman's vanity
| suppose. You see women have m9ds
it their business in life to look nice far
the mems sake for so many ages that
1t is now a part Of their nature. like
love or any other passion, and even 4
great grief cannot wholly extinguisb
the delight which comes with tie
privilege of wearing a costume which
has hitherto been debarred.
You see, a young woman who is fnn
Of spirits and of gay, y@ivacious tenn.
permanent finds in young widowhood 4
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 4
wife she must be still more careful. be-
cause she has to steer her frall bark be-
tween the Scuba Of her husbands
jealousy and the Charybdis Of her
neighbours gossping tongue. Between
the two she is pretty well hampered
you may believe. But when she be.
comes a widow she is to a certain ey.
tent privileged. There is no husband
to get wrathy, no guardian to say her
nay. She is rs free rs a 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 m
evening or an afternoon picnic or a 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 a jolly
time.
Some way, men seem to Ike them
better than they do girls. They like
20 talk to them and grow chummy.
and they seem to enter more quickly
into Il feeling of comTadery with them
than with demure little maldens Of
limited experience. l don't know
whether it is because the widows, hay
ing becom e acquainted with mems
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 Il thing or two and are not
blinded by the conyentionalities OF
life as are many g~uileless maidens.
But its surely for some reason, for
have seen a pretty young widow have
a flock of desirable young men in her
train, while bright and beautiful young
girls were left with a paltry gallant,
and not a very fetching one at that,
How girls under such circumstances
hate a captivating young widow! And
how they resolve to get even with the
sex when they become widows-ff they
ever should! l think male writers draw
the best widows. l should hate to play
a widow that n woman had written.
l am quite sure there would be ONE
thing spiteful in it that I shouldn:
like. Women can't help being spitefuI
with each other when they can indulge
themselves safely-as an author can"